FYI Health Tip
Breast cancer prevention tip try adding soy to your diet.
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Is soy a superfood for healthy breasts? With one in eight women diagnosed with breast cancer over a lifetime, identifying foods that may help prevent such a diagnosis would be a welcome discovery. Research from Korea shows that soy just might be one of those foods.
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Loading ...Before you start filling your lunch plate with tofu and edamame, keep in mind that this study only showed an association between women who had breast cancer compared to those who didn’t. It does not imply cause and effect, and so can’t guarantee that a diet high in soy will prevent breast cancer.
That being said, soy definitely has a place in a healthy diet. The Okinawans are known to live longer than any other group of people in the world, and one of their main sources of protein is soy.
Along with soy, other foods that might play a helping hand in preventing breast cancer include:
- Cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens and Brussels sprouts
- Flax or sesame seeds: If you eat them ground up (instead of whole), you’ll absorb them and their powerful phytonutrient “lignans” better.
- Avoiding alcohol: Even a small amount can raise your risk of breast cancer.
- Use a fish oil supplement or perhaps just increase your intake of fatty fish like sardines, salmon and mackerel. If you want to use the supplement, talk to your doctor first.
The supporting research
Soy Protein Reduces Breast Cancer Risk
Summary
A recent study from Korea assessed the impact of soy protein intake on the occurrence of breast cancer. For the study, the researchers compared consumption patterns of tofu and other soy products of 362 women with breast cancer with 362 women of the same age who had never been diagnosed with breast cancer. The study reports that “high soy protein intake was associated with reduced breast cancer risk” in premenopausal as well as postmenopausal women. The breast cancer preventive effect was more evident in premenopausal women for whom the cancer risk decreased as tofu consumption increased.
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