Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, except for skin cancers according to the American Cancer Society. The chance of developing invasive breast cancer at some time in a woman’s life is a little less than one in eight.The lifetime probability of developing breast cancer in developed countries is about 4.8%, according to the American Cancer Society (the probability is about 13% for any type of cancer). In developing countries, the lifetime probability of developing breast cancer is about 1.8%.
The exact causes of breast cancer are not known but certain risk factors like family history, genetic predisposition, age, race, drinking and smoking have been linked to the disease.
Vegetarian Diet could Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer And Help In Breast Cancer Treatment
There is a greater prevalence of breast cancer in the Western world as compared to the Asian countries. This has been attributed to the fact that there is higher consumption of dairy and animal fat in the west whereas a predominantly vegan and non dairy diet in the Asian countries. The American Dietetic Association reports that breast cancer is most prevalent in countries where women consume high fat and animal based diet. Several studies have been conducted to examine the link between dietary factors and breast cancer.
In his book Cancer and Vegan Diet, Dr William Harris writes “I performed multiple regression analysis on breast cancer incidence. The highest correlation with breast cancer incidence was from animal source calories as compared to plant source calories.”The saturated fat in meat and milk products increases the risk of breast cancer.
Why Animal Based Food is Linked to Higher Risk of Breast Cancer?
Insulin like Growth Factor 1 is the hormone present in cow’s milk. This hormone stimulates the growth of breast cancer cells. In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Patricia Moorman has observed that dairy products like cheese with high saturated fat content increase the risk of breast cancer. Milk and dairy products also contain traces of pesticides which are carcinogenic in nature. Fruits and vegetables, on the contrary, are rich in antioxidants which provide protection against cancer. Plant-based foods are also rich in carotenoids which give deep colors to the vegetables and fruits. Carotenoids are known for protecting against cancer.
There is no such diet that will provide complete protection against cancer. But studies are beginning to reveal the association between dietary intake of animal based food and higher risk of breast cancer.
We cannot control the other predisposing factors to breast cancer like family history and genes but we can definitely make amendments in our diet to include more veggies and fruits and reduce the intake of dairy products and meat.
Gauri Aphale - Hi, my name is Gauri and I am thrilled to be writing here.I have completed my graduation in Health Sciences and earned the degree of ...
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