When It Comes to Cancer, Your Diet & Lifestyle Can Make A Difference

It was recently announced on the Today show: 10 million Americans are now living with cancer; 1.3 million are diagnosed each year and 1,500 die each day.

Furthermore, one out of every two men and one out of every three women will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. While those statistics sound alarming, indeed, fewer Americans are dying of cancer, according to the latest figures from the nation’s top cancer groups.

The new cancer death and incident report is a joint effort of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. The report states that “a drop in cigarette smoking among adults continues to be one of the biggest driving forces in the drop in cancer deaths, along with earlier cancer detection through screening, and treatment advances. (Still, more than 40 million adults in the United States still smoke, according to the American Cancer Society.)

“While both heart disease and lung cancer kill more American women, breast cancer is the disease most feared by many women.”

And while both heart disease and lung cancer kill more American women, breast cancer is the disease most feared by many women – maybe because we still aren’t certain what causes breast cancer and many of the factors that influence whether you're at risk for breast cancer are outside your control.

"There are a lot of factors that contribute to breast cancer risk that you have no control over: what age you started your period, what age you had children, what age you began menopause, and family history of breast cancer," says Colleen Doyle, M.S., a registered dietitian and nutrition and physical activity director for the American Cancer Society. (Having your first child after age 30 or never having children puts you at higher risk; so do getting your first period before age 12, starting menopause after age 50, or having family members who got the disease.)

"You can't do anything about these risk factors,'' continues Doyle, "but you can do something about your diet and weight, and you can do something about your level of physical activity."

So just what can you do to improve your odds of getting breast cancer? It comes down to something we all heard before: your diet, your weight and your exercise habits not only have a big influence on your overall health but they may make a difference in your risk of cancer as well.

The Right Diet You may have heard it before, but it’s worth repeating: What you eat can help ward off cancer. And proper nutrition doesn’t have to be complex. Just keep in mind some simple guidelines.

First of all, when choosing foods pick a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables – the more the better! For instance, green leafy vegetables are rich in folic acid; red produce, like tomatoes and watermelon, is rich in lycopenes (found to be a cancer-fighting agent); orange produce, like carrots, is rich in beta-carotenes; and many fruits are rich in vitamin C (also shown to have cancer-fighting potential). In addition, include low-fat dairy, whole grains, heart-healthy salmon and other lean protein.

As for specific foods, "there is interesting research around the possible beneficial impact of omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish," says Susan Moores, R.D., a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids include coldwater fish such as wild salmon (not the farm-raised variety), tuna, mackerel and anchovies. There are also plant-based sources of omega-3s in nuts, such as walnuts and almonds, and in flaxseed (ground flaxseed adds a wonderful flavor and texture to cereals, salads and even yogurt).

Preliminary studies also indicate that vitamin D and calcium (in low-fat dairy products) could reduce tissue changes in the breast, according to Moores. (Womenrticle who have changes in breast tissue are thought to be at a greater risk for breast cancer.) And as an added bonus: vitamin D and calcium also help prevent osteoporosis. Unfortunately, 90-95 percent of girls and women aren’t getting enough calcium; and for women over 19, about 80 percent are not getting enough vitamin D.

“Exercise, no doubt, has an effect on your overall health; but it also plays a role in your risk of breast cancer.”

As far as what to avoid in your diet, according to Moores, "Too much caffeine (four to five or more caffeinated beverages a day) isn't linked directly with breast cancer, but it is linked with a change in breast tissue. Women that have changes in breast tissue are at a greater risk for breast cancer.”

Adds Moores, "Women who have too much alcohol are also at a higher risk for breast cancer." In a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers found that women in their early 50s who had one to two drinks a day increased levels of the hormone leptin, which has be linked to an increased breast cancer risk, by 24 percent.

Watch Your Weight Aside from eating the right foods, it is also important to keep calories at a reasonable level to avoid weight gain. Research has consistently shown a link between obesity and breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

According to a recent study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, women who gained 21-30 pounds throughout their adult lifetime are at a 40 percent increased risk for breast cancer, postmenopause.

"Women who gained 70 pounds in adult life were at twice the risk, compared to women who stayed within five pounds of their weight," says Heather Spencer Feigelson, Ph.D., M.P.H., co-author of the study and a senior epidemiologist with the American Cancer Society.

It appears that the more fat a woman has, the more estrogen she will produce (body fat increases estrogen levels), explains Dr. Spencer Feigelson. After menopause, the more estrogen a woman's body produces, the higher her risk of breast cancer.

Get Moving! Exercise, no doubt, has an effect on your overall health; but it also plays a role in your risk of breast cancer.

"There is convincing evidence that increasing physical activity reduces risk of breast cancer, not only because of weight control but also by helping to reduce circulating hormones that are associated with breast cancer – primarily estrogen and insulin," says Doyle of the American Cancer Society.

Also, a recent study presented at an American Heart Association conference found that by lifting weights twice a week for an hour, women can battle the buildup of tummy fat. In the study, 164 overweight and obese women were divided into two groups. One group participated in a weight-training program and the other was given a brochure recommending exercise of 30 minutes to an hour most days of the week. Both groups were told not to change their diets in a way that might lead to weight changes. After two years, the women who weight-trained had only a seven percent increase in intra-abdominal fat, compared to a 21 percent increase in the group given exercise advice. The strength-training group also decreased body fat by almost four percent, while the group just given advice remained the same.

"The overall recommendation for physical activity is at least 30 minutes, five or more days a week," says Doyle. "For breast cancer, it's even more vigorous – 45 minutes of moderate or vigorous exercise five or more days a week," she adds.

For Overall Good Health Making these healthy lifestyle changes will not only help reduce your risk of breast cancer – and other forms of cancer – but it will also help reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and other conditions. For optimal health, remember this trio: eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet; maintain a healthy weight; and exercise regularly. It will benefit you in countless ways!