Foods that Prevent Breast Cancer

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“It is never too late to make a positive change in your life,” said Jeanne Struve, a clinical dietitian with Lee Health.

Change can start with what you eat. “All the studies have shown that diets high in fruits and vegetables are just healthy overall and they do decrease the risk of breast cancer,” said Struve.

One in eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer—of that number 85 percent of women don’t have a family history, which means there are things you can do to increase or decrease your risk. “Soy has definitely been shown to decrease the risk of getting breast cancer and increasing survival rate if you are diagnosed with breast cancer,” she said.

In fact studies show, half a cup of tofu or soy milk a day can decrease your risk of breast cancer by 30 percent. “When we look at breast cancer, cruciferous vegetables really make a difference. Your cruciferous vegetables are things like broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, bok choy, kale, swiss chard, collard greens, those wonderful green vegetables,” said Struve.

Health experts recommend having some sort of cruciferous vegetable every day to lower your risk for breast cancer. “These vegetables contain a component called sulforaphane, and what that does is it suppresses the ability of the breast cancer stem cells to form into tumors,” she said.

It’s also important to limit things like alcohol, red meat, and high-fat dairy products which can increase your risk of breast cancer. “Your body is so wonderful. It wants to heal itself and food is the best medicine.

Medicine that can protect your body from a devastating diagnosis.