Health
How to Prevent Breast Cancer
by Dr. Steven Parnell on May 1st, 2009 in Health
In the February issue of Womeninc, we talked about the problems and pitfalls of screening mammography. Unfortunately it will only find cancer if you’ve already got breast cancer. It’s true that early detection is better than late, but I think every woman would agree it would be better to not get breast cancer in the first place. So what can a woman do to reduce her chance of developing breast cancer? Here are some recommendations:
- Achieve an ideal body weight and normalize blood sugar and insulin levels.
- Decrease inflammation by eating healthy, taking fish oils and other anti-inflammatory herbs (green tea, curcumin, quercitin).
- Avoid Trans fats and environmental sources of estrogens. Eat organic whenever possible.
- Consume 30 gms of fiber a day.
- Eat two tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily.
- Drink 48-64 ounces of pure water daily.
- Eat 5-7 servings of cruciferous vegetables per week.
- Consider iodine supplementation.
Work hard to reduce chronic stress. Daily exercise helps this along with achieving an ideal body weight.
If this all seems overwhelming, remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The suggestions above reduce a host of other diseases as well as your risk of breast cancer.