Lifestyle Choices That May Lower Breast Cancer Risk

By Naturopathic Doctor P. Nduva

Disclaimer: Readers are strongly advised to consult a qualified and registered healthcare professional about any health concerns before making changes to their diet, lifestyle or treatment. Lifestyle changes can reduce certain cancer risks but cannot guarantee that breast cancer will be prevented.

Breast cancer does not have a single cause. Some risk factors, including age, family history and inherited genetic changes, cannot be changed. However, research shows that certain lifestyle choices may help lower the risk of developing breast cancer. Prevention should therefore not be understood as a guarantee, but as an opportunity to improve overall health and reduce avoidable risk.

Worry, Depression & Stress

There is an intimate relationship between the mind and the body. When one is affected, the other sympathizes. Therefore, there is a need to ensure the mind is kept free from chronic worry, depression, and stress.

Negative emotions and chronic stress can weaken the immune system, including reducing white blood cell activity, which is a major defense against disease.

Researchers at the Rochester Medical Center in New York have found that people who struggle to deal with severe emotional conflicts, who have uncontrolled anxiety, who have experienced traumatic losses, or who have strong feelings of loneliness, inadequacy, and hopelessness, may have a harder time resisting disease. It may not be that negative attitudes cause cancer directly, but they can reduce a person's resilience in fighting it.

Maintain a strong sense of purpose and create resilience and positive energy in your mind.

Deep Breathing and Exercise

Cancer is less prevalent in physically active people, so regular exercise is important.

- Do deep breathing exercises daily and take regular walks outdoors. Aim for 20 slow, deep breaths, holding for a few seconds and exhaling fully. This, combined with outdoor walking, helps improve lung function and general well-being.

- Get adequate fresh air and sunlight. If possible, sleep in a well-ventilated room that receives sunlight during the day. Sunlight and ventilation help reduce dampness and improve hygiene in the home.

Diet & Nutrition

Researchers estimate that a significant percentage of cancers are linked to dietary factors.

- Chew your food thoroughly. Proper chewing aids digestion and helps you feel satisfied with less food.

- Avoid processed meats such as luncheon meat, hot dogs, smoked or cured meats. Also limit excessive consumption of high-fat dairy products. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen on October 26, 2015. The International Journal of Cancer pooled data from multiple studies and found that women with high processed meat consumption had a 9% higher relative risk of breast cancer, particularly among postmenopausal women.

Fats & Rancid Oils

- Keep weight down. Obesity is a well-established risk factor linked to breast cancer. Accumulated fatty tissue affects female hormones. The more fatty tissue present, the more estrogen is produced, which can stimulate cell division in the breast and reproductive system.

- A high-fat diet is associated with an increased occurrence of breast cancer compared to a low-fat diet.

- Avoid repeatedly heating fats to very high temperatures, as this can produce harmful compounds. Limit fried foods. Instead, add measured amounts of healthy oil to food after cooking. Options include cold-pressed flaxseed oil, sunflower oil or pumpkin seed oil, used in moderation.

Protein

Our actual daily protein requirement is around 20-30 grams for many adults, but many people consume far more than needed due to the increase in fast food outlets.

- Well-chewed roundnuts (Bambara nuts), almonds, sesame, and dehulled sunflower seeds are good plant-based protein sources.

- Brewer's yeast can also be a supplementary source.

Focus on proteins from seeds and nuts as part of a balanced diet.

"Prevention is cheaper than a cure. You cannot control everything that happens around you, but you can control what you eat, what you think, and how you breathe. Clean your mind, clean your plate, and let your body do the healing."

breast cancer prevention