Breast Cancer Prevention – How to Prevent Breast Cancer

Sometime during their life, one in twelve women will become a victim of breast cancer. There are breast cancer prevention risk factors that are both controllable, and out of your control. The factors that are controllable on how to prevent breast cancer require little sacrifice, and will help to minimize your risk of developing breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Prevention - Diet
An easy, and overall beneficial factor on how to prevent breast cancer is eating a healthy diet. Studies have indicated that while diet doesn’t produce or prevent cancer, your overall health contributes to your risk of contracting cancer. Therefore, eating healthily will have you in prime condition, lowering your risk.

It is believed that free radicals in the blood either cause, or encourage, the development of cancer, so eating foods that have high levels of antioxidants are thought to be beneficial to breast cancer prevention. Free radicals, if left unchecked, can damage cells. Antioxidants attach themselves to these molecules, making them harmless. Studies have shown that the risk of breast cancer can be lowered by consuming foods with high amounts of antioxidants.

Vegetables are a great source, and green vegetables in particular are good. Fruits like apples and strawberries are also great. Other good sources of antioxidants are red wine (when consumed in moderation) and green teas.

Exercise
Another key factor on how to prevent breast cancer development is exercise. Not only is exercise beneficial to your overall health, it also helps to keep hormone levels stable. Exercise helps to keep you in prime condition, so even if you do develop breast cancer, if you are otherwise healthy, you will be able to deal with treatments more easily.

Hormones
Studies conducted indicate that estrogen, in particular, and progesterone are contributors to breast cancer risk. When at normal levels, they don’t pose a problem, but it is possible to produce excessive amounts of these hormones. As they are stored in fat tissue, exercise, and a proper diet, work towards keeping body fat at a suitable level.

Alcohol
Increased risk of cancer has been associated with high alcohol consumption. Not only does it tend to be damaging to general health, it often raises estrogen levels, while also hampers the body’s natural ability to fight free radicals.

It is usually beneficial to consume a glass of wine per day. Even hard alcohol can be of benefit if consumed in small amounts on breast cancer prevention. Nevertheless, over long periods though, every 10g of alcohol consumed on a daily basis increases the risk of developing breast cancer by roughly 10%.

Menstruation
A reduced risk in breast cancer can be seen when the number of menstrual cycles is reduced, as the menstrual cycle is largely controlled by estrogen. It is still unknown how oral contraceptives affect risk, if they do at all. At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that long term use will have any negative effects. There is also research still being performed which may see new pills released which will stop menstrual cycles entirely whilst taking the particular pills.

Another way of preventing breast cancer risk is pregnancy, though this of course has its own set of risks and problems. If you are planning on having children though, beginning before the age of 30 has been shown to lower the risk of breast cancer.

There is no guaranteed way on how to prevent breast cancer from developing, but making healthy lifestyle choices will certainly help in breast cancer prevention. Being in good health will allow you to detect and combat breast cancer at an early stage, if it does develop.

         

Introduction to Breast Cancer

Environmental and Lifestyle Breast Cancer Risk Factors
Breast Cancer Stages – Breast Cancer Survival Rates
Genetic Breast Cancer Risk Factors
Breast Cancer Diagnosis - Breast Cancer Test
Breast Cancer Self Exam - Diagnosing Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Treatment

Breast Cancer Surgery Treatment
Breast Cancer Mammogram Diagnosis
Breast Cancer Reconstruction Surgery Treatments
Breast Cancer Statistics, Diagnosis and Treatments
Breast Cancer Diet Tests and Research
Chemotherapy Breast Cancer Medication
Breast Cancer Radiation Treatment