http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-reduce-breast-cancer-risk-by-the-numbers.html
Reduce Breast Cancer Risk: By the Numbers
The incidence of breast cancer in the United States began climbing in the early 1970s, and is now the highest ever seen in human history. Nearly 50,000 American women die of the disease every year. In the face of this tragedy, a great deal of attention has been given to genetics, but the presence of the breast cancer gene, called BRCA-1, only accounts for at most 5 percent of breast cancers.
Exercise is very important to breast cancer risk. In fact, women who exercise (walk) for four hours per week lower their risk by 33 percent. And women who exercise more than that lower their risk even further.
But diet, it turns out, is even more important.
What we Know
- Death rate from breast cancer in the United States: 22.4 (per 100,000)
- Death rate from breast cancer in Japan: 6.3 (per 100,000)
- Death rate from breast cancer in China: 4.6 (per 100,000)
- Primary reasons for difference: People in China and Japan eat more fruits and vegetables and less animal products, weigh less, drink less alcohol, and get more exercise than people in the United States.
- Breast cancer rate for women in Italy who eat a lot of animal products compared to women in Italy who don’t: 3 times greater
- Breast cancer rate for women in Uruguay who eat a lot of animal products compared to women in Uruguay who don’t: 4.2 times greater
- Breast cancer rate for affluent Japanese women who eat a lot of animal products compared to poorer Japanese women who rarely or never eat meat: 4.2 times greater
- Impact on breast cancer risk for adult women who are 45 pounds overweight: Double
- American women who are aware that there are any dietary steps they can take to lower their chances of developing breast cancer: 23 percent
- American women with less than high school educations who are aware that there are any dietary steps they can take to lower their risk of developing breast cancer: 3 percent
- American women who believe that mammograms prevent breast cancer: 37 percent
Excerpted from The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Save the World (Conari Press, 2001) by John Robbins
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add your comment »Another question: some people are saying that cow's milk will cause cancer and others are saying it's good because of the vitamin D. Do I drink milk or not? Where else do you get vitamin D besides milk and sunlight, both of which apparently cause cancer. What's a girl to do?
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Really? Bras cause breast cancer now? Seriously? Guess I'm screwed. I have to war a bra; for us top-heavy girls there isn't really a choice. I just find this really hard to believe; haven't Western women word constricting undergarments for hundreds of years? Why didn't that cause cancer? Maybe it's just coincidence, like women happened to start wearing bras instead of corsets or whatever around the same time we began to understand cancer. I mean, just because they happened at around the same time doesn't prove or even imply causality. I'd need to see some actual proof of this particular claim before I can take it seriously. If there's a link to this information I would love to see it.
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Good to see this - as a vegan fledgling nutritionist i know that the animal oestrogens in dairy are a prime cause of the rise in breast cancer rates including among young women - other thrings contribute also of course but this is a prime and avoidable risk factor - the phytooestrogens in soy are about 1/1000th the strength of the dairy milk - cows are kept constantly pregnant for big bucks, but of course cow milk is designed for baby cows not humans - the soy position can be a little bit complex - live soy has many health benefits and it is a good idea to get girls on it pre-puberty to avoid detrimental breast tissue changes that pre-dispose to breast cancer later - the jury is out re peri/menopausal women, a conservative stance is if you are not consuming soy at that age don't start but definitely avoid dairy - organic tofu is the safest form though
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Do you mean like this?:
"Why, you bra wearing, sun blocking, mammogram getting sinner, you?!" Yeah, not very productive, I'm sure! A friend of mine, who was as flat-chested as a 4 year old boy, got breast cancer, despite her overall very healthy lifestyle. Stuff happens. In fact, a friend's very young granddaughter just had to be operated on... hardly her fault. Still, the more info we all have, the better.
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There is a problem, some women have led 'blameless' lives with 'perfect' diets and high levels of exercise, BRCA 1 and/or 2 may be present or absent, there is talk of perhaps 8 BRCA genes being involved, testing isn't the answer. Learning to be breast aware and having someone who will be there through all your treatment to love you is all that matters. It is too easy to look at statistics and misinterpret what they mean.
There could be a significant correlation between breast cancer (or any other cancer) and playing the note D on a musical instrument, but it does not make it a significant correlation.
If is going to happen to you, it will male or female. In a way it is like tripping up and breaking a wrist, once it has happened, and you know you were sober that day, you go to hospital have your treatment and DON'T BLAME YOURSELF, it will only make it worse.
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The data on vitamin D preventing breast cancer is overwhelming. Take a look at the data at www.vitaminD3world.com The canadian Cancer society started recommending over two years ago that everyone take vitamin D to prevent cancer
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Another irony is that it turns out that sunblock is the leading cause of melanomas! They block out UV-B only, which is what triggers the production of Vitamin D and tanning. Tanning is the body's number one protection from UV-A, which causes melanomas, and Vitamin D is THE most important protection from all cancers - including breast cancer! I can imagine the lawsuits 10 years from now when the link is prosecuted.
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There is information on the Internet pointing the finger at bras for contributing to breast cancer. Prior to the widespread use of these undergarments breast cancer was almost unheard of.
I also think Bill is on to something regarding the radiation directed at tissues prone to cancer.
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Apparently, and ironically, mammograms, which subject the woman to radiation, contributes significantly to the incidence of breast cancer! It seems self examination is the way to go.
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