A woman may not be able to change her family history of breast cancer, but she can typically control what she eats and drinks. And consuming more vegetables, whole grains and less alcohol, just might trim her chances of getting the disease, according to an analysis of published studies.
As the incidence of breast cancer continues to rise, with many of the risk factors for the disease non-modifiable, potentially modifiable risk factors such as diet are of interest," Dr. Sarah Brennan of Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland, who led the analysis, noted in an email to Reuters Health.
It's estimated that more than 120 out of every 100,000 American women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, yielding a lifetime risk of about 1 in 8. The idea that diet might influence these numbers is not new; yet solid evidence for such a link has remained elusive.
Since foods and beverages are never consumed in isolation, this more holistic view of intake better reflects a person's diet than looking at particular nutrients, Brennan and her colleagues explain in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.