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Breast cancer started as one of the major mortality causes in women, but now has decreased due to advanced technology and studies about it. Most people focus on its risk factors and treatments, but finding supplementary ways to reduce the chances of getting breast cancer is important as well. Since consuming food is a part of our everyday lives, it is important to know about the benefits of eating certain foods. Many people are eating healthy now because the media is slowly influencing people more on what they should or should not eat. Some harmful foods that the media has reported to people are sodium nitrate, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and refined carbs. It was once said that a glass of wine a day is healthy for you, although it’s true for better blood circulation in the body; it actually increases the risk for cancer (Ipshita, 2013). Foods containing antioxidant, whole grains, or allium can be beneficial by reducing the risk of getting breast cancer. When it comes to anti-cancer foods, many people would think about vegetables and fruits. Dark-green leafy vegetables have vitamin B (folate) that strengthens your DNA and low levels of folate have been linked to increased cancer risk (Asp, 2013). Although they are very beneficial, there are a large variety of foods that can help reduce the risk of breast cancer,and here is a short list of some common foods that I think it really is important in your daily diets.
Berries
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All berries contain high “antioxidants and phytochemicals which play a role in reducing oxidation and cancer cell formation in the body” (Ipshita, 2013). Not only do berries have high antioxidants, they are also rich in vitamins. Berries can be easy to find in any local markets and there are varieties of berries available all year long. Berries can be eaten fresh as a part of healthy snack or made into a delicious healthy smoothie.
Whole Grains
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For the category of whole grains, it can be found in wheat, brown rice, barley, and oats. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine (n.d.), “whole grains are unprocessed foods that are high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals”. As stated in “Whole Wheat” (2014), wheat can speed up the metabolism of estrogen, female hormones that promote breast cancer. The studies of whole grain products show that it may have a small decrease in risk of breast cancer (Warren, 2001).
Garlic
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Most people may not be familiar with the term allium, a genus of vegetables such as leeks, onions, and garlics (Ipshita, 2013). Garlic is one of the important ingredients in many European, South American, and Asian dishes. It is believed that garlic adds more flavors to the dish. Although many people do not like garlics because of its taste or smell; it is one of the anti-cancer foods. Garlic is the part of healthy diets because it burns calories by breaking down fat (Butler, 2010). Furthermore, garlic can decrease the breakdown of DNA strand caused by carcinogens, slow down the growth rate of cancer cells by stopping the cell from the process of apoptosis (a programmed cell death), and suppress angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels)” (“Onion and garlic are highly recommended for breast cancer,” n.d.).
After knowing the benefits of these foods, are you considering adding more portions of these foods in your meal? Are these your favorite foods?
References
Asp, K. (2013). What you should eat (and avoid) to beat breast cancer. NBC News Digital. Retrieved
from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39726407/ns/health-cancer/t/what-you-should-eat-avoid-beat-breast-
cancer/#.U6YT3fldVqV
Butler, C. (2010). 10 Foods That Burn Calories. Made Man. Retrieved from http://www.mademan.com/mm/10-foods-burn-calories.html
Ipshita, M. (2013). Top 10 foods that prevent breast cancer. The Times of India. Retrieved from http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/Top-10-foods-that-prevent-breast-cancer/articleshow/17129219.cms
Nutrition for Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors. (n.d.). Johns Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved from http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/avon_foundation_breast_center/treatments_services/nutrition.html
Onion and garlic are highly recommended for breast cancer. (n.d.). Food For Breast Cancer. Retrieved from http://foodforbreastcancer.com/foods/onions-and-garlic
Warren, B. & Devine, C. (2001). Whole Grains, Fiber, And Breast Cancer Risk. Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors. Retrieved from Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine website: http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/Factsheet/diet/fs36.grain.cfm
Whole Wheat. (2014). The World’s Healthiest Food. Retrieved from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=66
Vassana,
ReplyDeleteYour topic is very interesting. Thank you for the sharing your short list of foods that can have an influence over our bodies to either build up the good things that our bodies need, or get rid of, or suppress the harmful things that we don't need. I would be interested in hearing more about the other items on your list. You mentioned that garlic has the ability to slow down the growth rate of cancer cells and, in some cases, can lead to cell death. It makes me wonder why more women who have a genetic history don't look into supplementing more with garlic in their diet, whether it be through their food or a pill. You also mentioned that dishes in Europe, South America, and Asia regularly contain garlic. I wonder how their rates of breast cancer compare to other countries who prepare dishes with less or no garlic.
Lea,
DeleteThat is a very interesting question you have. I have looked at the statistics of the rate of breast cancer in Asian countries, and it shows that Asian women have a lower rate of breast cancer than American women. I believed that foods may have played an important role reducing their risk of breast cancer.
Hi Vassana,
ReplyDeleteI did not know we have the same interest in this topic since breast cancer is a big concern for women nowadays. Your blog is very well organize and concise. I just want to add some more benefits for garlic since I had experienced of it. Garlic can help to prevent common cold and high blood pressure effectively. As i read an article in the nih.gov website, saying that "Breast cancer. Taking garlic does not seem to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer." http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/300.html
and the consumption of garlic should be in fresh condition since garlic power does not seem to offer any good benefit
Hi Yen,
DeleteThank you for the information about garlic. The source that I have read (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/prevention/garlic-and-cancer-prevention) showed that garlic power can reduce the chance of getting breast cancer. Garlic have many benefits to our health, so I believe that garlic may have an association with breast cancer.
Vassana,
ReplyDeleteYour blog was very interesting and very organized. I loved how you separated each type of food and included a heading and an image for each one. I learned a lot reading this and also got very thankful because I am from Lebanon and we use so much garlic in our food! Most Americans do not like garlic because whenever it is incorporated into an American dish, it immediately overpowers the dish and gives it a bad smell. Lebanese food is so subtle with the way that the garlic is used. Anyway, very great and informative post. I learned a lot and look forward to reading the rest of your blogs.
Vassana,
ReplyDeleteI was so glad to read that garlic is a food that helps to prevent against breast cancer, because it probably every day. Now I feel justified in that choice! While I knew berries were important for their antioxidant properties, I did not know that whole grains were also contributors to the fight against cancerous cells. I know that Asian countries as a whole have a lower incidence rate of cancer, and I wonder if the garlic consumption that you mention has anything to do with that. I also think it would be interesting to know if there is any published information on whether or genetics or environmental conditions contribute more to the development of breast cancer in comparison with other forms of cancer.
This is a great and informative post. What I liked about it especially was that these are ideas and principles that we can all embrace now. It is not like other medicines or treatments where you have to wait until you get the disease to get the cure. These foods are a truly proactive solution that everybody can use in their daily lives. It makes me wish that somebody would compile lists of the best foods to prevent all the major diseases and then cross reference them and cut out the duplicates so that we would have a master list of food for good health.
ReplyDelete