Originally published July 30 2005
The key to reducing breast cancer risk is eating healthier
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Following a healthy diet could reduce your likelihood of developing breast cancer.
The women who followed a low-fat diet in this study reduced their risk of a recurrence during the next five years by 24 percent.
Although it is important to know how much less fat these women ate and how they cut back, less fat may be only a part of the reason for their lower cancer risk.
One group received nutrition counseling to learn how to reduce their fat consumption, while the other group was merely told about healthful eating without fat reduction.
The first group decreased the fat in their diets from about 29 percent of calories to about 20 percent, eating an average of close to 33 grams of fat a day.
The second group averaged about 51 grams daily.
The biggest reason that these women succeeded better at meeting the fat goals, however, is that they cut back more on high-fat foods, such as muffins, doughnuts, cookies, snack foods, dairy desserts, cheese, nuts, eggs, red meat and added fats.
The skinny on fat Despite the convincing results of WINS, the impact of dietary fat on breast cancer risk and recurrence remains unclear.
For example, omega-3 fats, found in certain fish, walnuts and flaxseed, may protect against breast cancer.
One major factor that could help explain the lower cancer risk of the low-fat WINS group is a higher consumption of vegetables and fruits.
These foods have plenty of cancer-protective nutrients and fiber.
Studies repeatedly link both overweight and weight gain with a greater risk of postmenopausal breast cancer and breast cancer recurrence.
In the Nurses' Health Study, large weight gains after a diagnosis of breast cancer correlated with a 64 percent greater risk of recurrence; smaller weight gains led to smaller increases in risk.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml