Maybe not wipe out, but how about an lower risk with just some general changes? I typically volunteer in the medical tent at the Komen 3-day events and strike up conversations with the walkers. It seems like there are more and more 20-something walkers that are there in honor of their mothers who have experienced breast cancer. When asked what they are doing to protect themselves, most are not aware that you can do anything beyond annual mammograms. Uhhhhh??? Maybe I live in my own little bubble, but are we that disconnected in society that we don’t think we can prevent cancer?
In this particular study, researchers looked at a “healthy lifestyle index.” This consisted of moderate and/or vigorous-intensity physical activity, low consumption of fat, processed foods, refined cereals, complex sugars, and the avoidance of tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption. Not a very difficult lifestyle to adhere to.
The benefits? Premenopause women with the highest adherance to the index had a 50% lower risk of breast cancer. Postmenopausal??? A massive, cancer destroying 80%. Forget “stamping out cancer.” This smashes it before there is anything to treat.
Of course, this does not even include things like specifically increasing the intake of cruciferous veggies, avoidance of toxic chemicals like BPA and pesticides, fixing constipation and taking a good quality multivitamin. What happens when we include these?
Is it all fat that should be reduced or just animal fat contaminated by consumption of artificial hormones and antibiotics? Might not fat from grass fed free range animals, and organically grown vegetable sources, actually be beneficial, or at least not harmful?
We should always keep all animal products to a minimum, but you should always make an effort to do organic, grass fed (NOT grain finished!!) beef, organic chicken, wild caught fish, etc… The fat from plant sources has never been shown to be harmful.