There are several healthy habits we can implement to prevent breast cancer, of course there are some things like our genetics that we cant change but you can still prevent genetic expressions from occurring by using preventative measures.
Some Facts
-Women who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Oestrogen is produced in fat tissue, so women who are overweight have higher oestrogen levels compared to women of a healthy weight.
- The World Health Organisation recommends that adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week WHY.. because regular exercise helps you to maintain a healthy weight and can reduce the levels of oestrogen, insulin and insulin-like growth factors in your body. These substances all contribute to the growth of breast cancer cells.
- Alcohol consumption!!! Drinking alcohol has been firmly established as a risk factor for developing breast cancer. Alcohol changes the way the body metabolises oestrogen, causing blood oestrogen levels to rise. There is no safe level of alcohol consumption and as few as two drinks a day increases the risk of breast cancer.
- Use of combined hormone replacement therapy. Results from huge studies showed that women taking combined hormone replacement therapy, using both oestrogen and progestogen, had an increased breast cancer risk during use and for 2-5 years afterwards. The longer you use it for, the higher your risk. Oestrogen-only HRT( prescribed for women who no longer have a uterus) is associated with little or no change in breast cancer risk.
- Oral Contraceptive Pill and Depo Provera use also raises risk of breast cancer.
- Not having children or having your first child over the age of 30 increases your risk of breast cancer because of the continuous exposure to oestrogen during menstrual cycles. Having children at a younger age and having multiple children reduces the risk, as does breastfeeding, especially if you breastfeed continuously for at least a year. These factors are most strongly associated with the risk of oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer.
- Avoid herbicides, pesticides fungicides and xenoestrogens which mimic oestrogen in the body.
- Eat more greens like kale and broccoli - they contain I3C and its substrate DIM. A powerful anticancer agent, DIM has been shown to convert the aggressive form of oestrogen (oestradiol, estradiol) to its safer sisters, limit metastases, and even correct non-estrogenic cancers. You can supplement under the guidance of your practitioner.
Have you heard of BRCA gene?
The BRCA gene is when you have a genetic predisposition to developing specific cancers, one of them is breast cancer.
*Now 2 decades ago if you had the BRCA gene you had a 1 in 5 chance in developing breast cancer, in 2019 if you have the BRCA gene you have a 50% chance of developing breast cancer. We must look at our environment and what is switching on these gene mutations.
A high incidence of oestrogen dominance from xenoestrogens eg:plastic water bottles, toxic beauty products. As well as stress & lack of ovulation (progesterone - to contract oestrogen) is contributing to this.
So you can see that living an active lifestyle with a diet rich in plant content is beneficial; for your health right to the point of preventing cancers.
If you have a family history of breast cancer or symptoms of oestrogen dominance then i recommend working with a practitioner, preventative medicine is much easier then treatment.
