The Best Foods for Breast Cancer Prevention

The Best Foods for Breast Cancer Prevention

by | Nov 9, 2018 | Book Insights, Super Immunity

“Breast cancer, almost unheard of 100 years ago, now affects 1 in 8 women over their life time…[however] research from the field of nutritional medicine has shown us that there is a clear way to improve and sustain our health and fight off illnesses in all its forms. ” – Dr. Joel Furhman (5)

“What doctors call early detection is actually late detection… A woman is considered healthy until she shows signs of breast cancer, but if she’s been harboring a malignancy for 2 decades, can she truly be considered healthy? People who do the right thing by improving their diets in hopes of preventing cancer, may in fact be successfully treating it as well.” – Dr. Michael Greger, How Not to Die (1)

As I shared in last week’s post on how to prevent cancer (and most other diseases), diets that revolve around whole plant foods (vegetables, whole grains, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds) significantly lower the risk of most cancers, and other diseases as well. This recommendation comes from the American Institute for Cancer Research, as well as many leading integrative oncologists, wellness experts and nutritionists.

In this post I want to talk about some specific food recommendations, based on the latest research, for the prevention of breast cancer.

One study following ~30,000 postmenopausal women (over 7 years) with no history of breast cancer showed the incredible power of food and lifestyle choices in the prevention of breast cancer. Women who followed just 3 out of the 10 recommendations by the American Institute for Cancer Research (limiting alcohol, eating mostly plant foods, and maintaining a normal body weight) had a 62% lower risk of breast cancer on average.

Another study of ~1500 women diagnosed with breast cancer showed that making simple behavioral changes such as eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day and walking for 30 minutes, 6 days per week, was associated with a significant survival advantage. (1)

Meat and Breast Cancer Risk:

When muscle meat (beef, pork, fish and poultry) is cooked using high temperature cooking methods (roasting, baking, pan frying, grilling) it increases your risk of cancer. Boiling meat is safest. Also, eating meat that never goes above 212 degrees F is less DNA damaging compared to meat dry cooked at higher temperatures.

Baking chicken for as little as 15 minutes at 350 degrees F leads to heterocyclic amine (HCA) production which is a carcinogen. The longer meat is cooked, the more HCAs form. This explains why eating well-done meat is associated with increased risk of cancers of the breast, colon, esophagus, lung, prostate, pancreas and stomach.

The Long Island Breast Cancer Study reported in 2007 that women who eat more grilled, BBQed or smoked meats over their lifetime, may have as much as 47% higher odds of breast cancer.

And the Iowa Women’s Health Study found that women who ate their meat very well-done had nearly 5 times the odds of getting breast cancer compared with women who preferred their meats served rare or medium.

These carcinogens (HCAs) can also be found in fried eggs so you should also cook your eggs at low temperature, or boil/poach them.

Luckily, your body can rapidly rid itself of their toxins once exposure ceases (within 24 hours), but when you are constantly consuming meat meal after meal, your body is constantly being exposed and over time this can lead to cancer. So even if you don’t want to give up meat, limit your consumption to a few small servings per week, and choose low temperature and quick cooking methods most of the time such as boiling or a quick wok stir-fry.

Alcohol and Breast Cancer Risk:

In 2010 the WHO formerly upgraded its classification of alcohol to a definitive breast carcinogen.

But you’re probably thinking, what about wine?

Well, interestingly, while the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study found that even less than one drink a day may be associated with a small increase in breast cancer risk, drinking only red wine was NOT associated with breast cancer risk.

Why? According to the study, a compound in red wine (that comes from the skin of dark purple grapes) appears to suppress the activity of an enzyme called estrogen synthase, which breast cancers can use to create estrogen to fuel their own growth. So red wine appears to cancer out the elevated breast cancer risk associated with alcohol intake (when consumed in moderation).

And of course, you can reap the benefits of red wine without the risks associated with alcohol by simply drinking red grape juice (without added sugar) or eating the purple grapes themselves, preferably ones with seeds as they appear to be most effective at suppressing estrogen synthase.

Strawberries, pomegranates, and plain white mushrooms may also suppress the potentially cancer promoting enzyme. (1)

Plants to Eat for Breast Cancer Prevention:

According to Dr. Joel Furhman, to have what he calls “super immunity” you should try to include G-BOMBS in your daily diet: Greens (including cruciferous greens), Berries (& pomegranates), Onions, Mushrooms, Beans, and Seeds.

  • Consuming lots of leafy greens can actually make your DNA less susceptible to changes that can lead to cancer. And in particular cruciferous greens have even more potent anti-cancer fighting properties.
  • The entire allium family, onions, leeks, garlic, and chives, have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant compounds. Increased consumption of allium family vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer at all common sites by detoxifying carcinogens in your body and they also have angiogenesis inhibiting effects that can stop cancer cell growth (5). As for seeds, flax and sesame seeds have the most powerful anti-cancer effect due to their lignan content but its good to eat a variety of seeds, as well as nuts, as they each have different nutritional qualities. The red onion is especially powerful – it can kill up to 75% more cancer cells than other varieties. (6)
  • Mushrooms have also been shown to be particularly effective at preventing breast cancer in both pre- and post-menopausal women. Eating just 10 grams a day (one small white mushroom), can give women a 64% reduced risk of breast cancer, according to one study. And even lower risk was shown with women that also consumed green tea daily (82-89% reduced risk). (5)
  • In terms of beans and seeds, Dr. Furhman suggests consuming 1/2 cup of beans daily, and a handful of seeds.

Inadequate fiber consumption has also been shown to be a key risk factor for breast cancer. A minimum of 25 grams of fiber is needed to reduce breast cancer risk. This is not difficult to achieve if you’re eating a mostly whole foods plant-based diet.

In particular, flax seeds have been shown to be particularly effective at preventing, and even treating, breast and prostate cancers. Just one tablespoon of ground flax seeds per day (3) And the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study showed that those women who ate the most beans had the lowest incidence of breast cancer.

Eating even just one apple a day (with the peel) could lower your odds of breast cancer by 24%, and lower odds of other types of cancers. Apple anti-oxidants are concentrated in the peel so make sure to eat the whole apple, preferably organic as apples are high on the Dirty Dozen list. But if the choice is between eating a conventional apple or no apple at all, eat the conventional apple, as the benefits from eating the whole fruit have been shown to outweigh the risks associated with pesticide contamination (2).

What about soy?

Eating non-GMO soy can also help prevent and treat breast cancer.
Soy has gotten a bad rap because it contains phytoestrogens and the fear is that these act like estrogen in the body and would bind to estrogen receptors in the body. However, in reality they can actually have an anti-cancer effect.

From one of the latest studies on soy and breast cancer (funded by the NCI) including 6,000 patients from U.S. and Canada – results showed that there was a 21% reduction in the risk of death from breast cancer in those women who consumed the most soy.

However, you should only consume the less processed versions of soy (i.e. tempeh, miso, edamame, tofu, and soy milk in moderation), and only organic and non-GMO soy.

Good news for meat eaters…

A study showed that eating a heaping side of broccoli or Brussel sprouts could decrease carcinogen exposure from eating cooked meat, and eating such veggies days or weeks before a BBQ can even be defensive against the carcinogens in the meat.

Broccoli and Brussel sprouts are members of the cruciferous vegetable family – the most potent cancer-fighting family of veggies – presumably eating any cruciferous vegetables would have the same effect. See my blog post about cruciferous vegetables to make sure you’re cooking them the right way to get the maximum cancer-fighting benefits.

The Bottom Line:

Consuming a diversified, mostly whole foods, plant-based diet is best for preventing breast cancer, along with most other cancers and disease. Different foods provide different benefits which is why you want to also vary the types of fruits and vegetables your consume and not just eat broccoli as your only vegetable every day. For example, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, green onions, leeks and garlic abolished breast cancer growth completely in one study, while other vegetables did nothing or only halved cancer growth. And radish did nothing for pancreatic cancer cells but was 100% effective at stopping the growth of stomach cancer cells. (1)

Here’s a summary of the recommendations I shared in this post:

  • Eat G-BOMBS on a daily basis, or as often as possible, to optimize your immune system:
    • Greens (esp. cruciferous greens such as kale, arugula, cabbage, Brussel sprouts & broccoli),
    • Berries & pomegranates,
    • Onions, leeks & garlic,
    • Mushrooms (even just 1 white mushroom a day can give you up to a 64% reduced risk of breast cancer),
    • Beans (at least 1/2 cup a day), and
    • Seeds (at least a small handful a day).
  • Consuming flax seeds can have a significant effect in the reduction and treatment of both breast and prostate cancers. Consume at least 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds daily. See my
  • Drinking green tea daily can reduce breast (and prostate) cancer risk.
  • Avoid or minimize alcohol consumption, and if you do choose to drink, have red wine.
  • Minimize your meat consumption to a few small servings per week and choose low heat cooking methods (such as boiling) over high heat cooking methods (such as BBQing). Also, the longer the meat is cooked at high temperatures the more carcinogens will be formed so opt for your meat rare or medium over well-done. And only consume meat from animals raised in a natural way.
  • Try to always include a big serving of cruciferous veggies (such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, etc.) and/or onions/garlic when eating barbecued or roasted meat and fish, to combat against the carcinogens formed when cooking. It doesn’t have to be consumed during the same meal, but having at least a 1/2 cup serving of cruciferous veggies each day and a 1/2 cup of onions can significantly reduce the risk of breast and other cancers.

References:

  1. Dr. Michel Greger. How Not to Die, 2017.
  2. https://nutritionfacts.org/2013/06/25/apple-peels-turn-on-anticancer-genes/
  3. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/can-flax-seeds-help-prevent-breast-cancer/
  4. Interview with Dr. Keith I. Block on “Modern Breakthroughs in Cancer Recovery” as part of the Hay House World Cancer Summit, 2018.
  5. Dr. Joel Furhman. Super Immunity, 2011.
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh9IcNoineM 
How to Prevent Cancer (& Most Disease)

How to Prevent Cancer (& Most Disease)

by | Oct 30, 2018 | Healthy Eating, Super Immunity

Today’s epidemic of cancer is not predominantly genetic.

 

50-70% of cancers can be prevented through diet and lifestyle factors.

 

I just finished listening to some incredible interviews with leading integrative oncologists, wellness experts, nutritionists, spiritual teachers. I also heard some remarkable stories from cancer survivors who have embraced the power of food as medicine and the role of the mind-body connection in fighting cancer and preventing remission. These interviews were part of Hay House’s Healing Cancer World Summit.

 

At the same time, I am listening to Super Immunity by Dr. Joel Fuhrman and just finished How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger.

 

So, I want to share some of the key advice that was shared when it comes to dietary and lifestyle factors that can prevent many types of cancer. And I’ll also share some of the specific foods that have been shown to significantly lower ones chance of breast and prostate cancer.

 

How to Prevent Cancer, in a Nut Shell

 

When it comes to nutrition’s role in cancer and other disease prevention and treatment, the advice from all these experts is essentially the same: we need to focus on eating a more whole foods, plant-based diet.

 

“When we eat a nutrient scare diet, diseases flourish. With nutritional excellence, our body becomes a miraculous disease-resistant organism.” – Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Super Immunity

 

Unfortunately, most doctors are not trained in nutrition and much of the drugs that doctors prescribe are actually making patients worse. For example, calcium channel blockers people take to lower blood pressure are linked to doubling breast and prostate cancer risk after 10 years of use. The focus needs to first be on promoting the use of food as medicine and then using modern medicine to supplement when needed.

 

It’s up to YOU to take charge of your own health destiny — not just so you can live longer, but so you can live BETTER.

 

I like how Kris Carr — cancer survivor and host of the Healing Cancer World Summit — summed it up:

 

“self-care is health care”

 

Now I want to share my notes on the key take-aways from two of the interviews that focused on the use of food and lifestyle changes to prevent and beat cancer.

 

Anticancer Living: Transform Your Life & Health with the Mix of Six

Interview with Alison Jefferies and Lorenzo Cohen, from the Hay House Healing Cancer World Summit with Kris Carr

 

Alison and Lorenzo share what they call the “mix of 6” — 6 lifestyle factors that can both reduce the risk of cancer, recurrence of cancer, and improve outcomes for patients.

 

The mix of 6:

  1. Social support (and connection with others) à You need to find people who can support you on your journey to improve your diet and lifestyle.
  2. Stress à If you have stress and you’re eating a healthy meal, the impact of that meal on your body can be the same as an unstressed person eating a fast-food meal. This shows just how bad stress is for our health. One of the easiest and most effective practices for reducing stress is diaphragmic breathing – aka deep belly breathing. You can watch videos on Youtube to learn different techniques for this. Meditation is also powerful.
  3. Sleep à While it depends on the person, between 6.5 to 9.5 hours is recommended, as studies show that people who sleep this much are shown to live longer and be healthier.
  4. Exercise à Just exercising by going to the gym or for a one-hour walk once a day isn’t enough. Move more throughout the day; sit less; stand and walk more.
  5. Diet à A whole foods, plant-based diet is recommended. Whether its low fat or low carb it should be a low glycemic load, minimally processed foods diet. You should get as much of your caloric intake from nutritionally dense, calorically light plant foods.
    • Redesign your dinner plate: plan your vegetables first; the veggies need to cover half your plate and then bring in the protein and a whole grain
    • Protein: Minimize red meat and processed meat intake; get more of your protein from plants; aim to eat smaller amounts of meat such as 3 ounce servings of meat only 2-4 times per week; use meat as more of a condiment; eat clean animal protein – from animals that have been raised in a healthy way (the flesh of animals raised in an unhealthy way is coming from a sick animal; not only are people over consuming animal proteins but they tend to eat animal proteins that come from animals that are sick); the WHO, and other organizations, have classified processed meat as a carcinogen (meaning it carries the same risk for cancer as smoking) and red meat falls into a category just below that, esp. for risk of colon cancer.
    • Bottom line: Eating a mostly plant-based diet is going to improve all aspects of your health so aim to eat more plants and less meat, and move away from processed meats and beef and towards fish and chicken raised in a healthy way — look for the certified humane seal to know that the animals were treated well and raised in a natural way.
  6. The environment à minimize your exposure to environmental toxins in whatever way you can; look at what you’re putting on your body and what you’re using in your house.
    • Watch out for chemicals that are either 1) known carcinogens or 2) endocrine disruptors. Known carcinogens are substances that can literally cause cancer in and of themselves, and endocrine disruptors modify the natural hormonal system in your body which can be a risk factor for cancer.
    • Use the precautionary principle: there’s over 85,000+ chemicals currently out there and very few of those have actually been tested for safety; it’s really important that you realize that you’re being bombarded with chemicals and that you actually have a lot of control in your own home environment.
    • For those products that you use daily, try to replace as many as possible with safer products. Use EWG’s Skin Deep database to check the safety of your current products and to help you find healthier ones.

 

The Science of Food as Medicine

Interview with Dwight McKee, M.D., one of the leading integrative oncologists in the U.S, from the Healing Cancer World Summit

 

Dr. Mckee starts off sharing an epiphany he had a few years back: “Yes, the tumor is important, but that tumor also exists within a terrain and we can influence the terrain that the tumor is in.”

 

What should cancer patients be eating? (This is what you should also eat to prevent cancer)

Dr. McKee’s response: “the simple answer is whole foods, real foods. I don’t think that there is an ideal diet for humans and I don’t think that there is a single ideal diet for people with cancer. Probably the closest to that would be the Mediterranean diet (the old plant based one with some fish and occasional meat on celebration times; however, there are some people who have specific nutritional needs.”

 

He also advises: use A LOT of the spices you like!

 

“Spices are like the chemotherapy of the plant kingdom,” he says.

 

Every spice that’s been studied has significant anti-cancer potential. Spices are almost uniformly anti-inflammatory and uniformly have anti-tumor cell activity.

 

What foods should people with cancer avoid? (This will also help prevent cancer)

  • Refined and processed foods
  • Oils heated above their smoke point – When we heat oils that contain double bonds (unsaturated oil), they oxidize and that’s the same thing as becoming rancid. He recommends only cooking with coconut oil, ghee, and butter, below their smoking temperatures. In general, cooking is best done at the lowest temperature. And there is no such thing as healthy fried food.
  • Red meat and factory farmed animals and animal products – one Harvard study (cited in Dr. McKee’s book) found that red meat eaters live on average 10 years less than those who don’t eat red meat. But there is also a big difference in the quality of meat. He suggests avoiding factory farmed meats (whether red meat, chicken or eggs from that setting) because it’s so far from the natural setting and so many drugs and chemicals are used and most of the feed is GMO corn and soy.
  • Most types of farmed fish – though there are a few fish farms using the principles of nature, only using pens and providing small fish and algae as basis of the food system, most farmed fish is raised in an unnatural way and fed GMO corn and soy which results in less of the health omega 3 fatty acids.
  • Refined sugar – cancer’s preferred food is sugar. Refined sugar is very different from the sugar that comes in the form of fruits which comes with fiber. Choose low glycemic load fruits. He says “berries are the biggest bang for your buck because they have the most anti-cancer compounds in ratio to their caloric load and are also low glycemic load, raspberries being one of the lowest.” But be sure to get strawberries organic as they are so heavily sprayed when raised commercially.
  • Dairy – substitute dairy with non-GMO organic soy milk, almond, hemp, or other nut/seed milks; dairy is a very acid-forming food, even more so that some of the other animal proteins. He says “fermented is the best way to go with dairy.” But watch out for yogurts that are loaded with refined sugar – many of fruit flavored yogurts have more refined sugar in them than a candy bar or a soda. “Kefir and yogurt mixed with real fruit are probably the most beneficial in the dairy arena, and also ghee (clarified butter) is a pretty healthy cooking fat if you keep the temperature below the smoking point.” Many tumors are stimulated by a hormone found in dairy called IGF1, esp. dairy from cows treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone (BGH) is high in IGF1. Research has shown that people who are genetically very low in IGF1 have a very low incidence of cancer and live to very advanced ages.

 

 

The Bottom Line:

 

You shouldn’t wait until diagnosis to start eating healthier; you should start now.

 

If you want to significantly reduce your risk of cancer, and other diseases:

  • Eat a whole-foods, plant-based diet;
  • Make vegetables the star of your diet (not meat, refined carbs, & processed foods);
  • Have at least a serving of cruciferous veggies each day;
  • Stay away from refined sugar as much as possible;
  • Minimize dairy, and opt for fermented dairy, such as kefir and unsweetened yogurt;
  • Choose fish or chicken over red meat;
  • Make sure to only consume high quality animal products, raised in a natural way (or from an animal raised in a healthy, natural way in the case of eggs and dairy);
  • Avoid prolonged high-heat cooking for meat and fish (boiling is best, or a quick wok fry under 5 minutes); and
  • Use lots of spices in your cooking for extra anti-cancer benefits (esp. turmeric).

 

In my next blog post I’ll be getting into more specific advice about what plant foods are best for preventing breast and prostate cancer in particular. Stay tuned!