Understanding Breast Cancer Risk Factors: Diet/Nutrition

Some factors that increase the risk to developing breast cancer, like being a woman and getting older, are not things you can change. But other factors, like maintaining a healthy weight and eating right, may help lower your chances of getting breast cancer.

• Eat at least 2 ½ cups of fruits and vegetables every day. Recent studies showed that those who ate the most fruit had a slightly lower risk compared to those who ate the least fruit, and that eating vegetables may slightly lower the risk of estrogen receptor-negative cancers.
• Choose 100 percent whole grain foods (like 100 percent whole grain breads and cereals, brown rice, popcorn and quinoa) more often. 
• Limit red meat and processed meat (choose chicken, fish or beans instead).
• Cut down on "bad" fats (saturated and trans fats), and eat more "good" fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, like olive and canola oil).

Learn more:  http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/HealthyBehaviorsampRisk.html