Diet Affects Breast Cancer Risk

Saturday Jan 16, 2010 (foodconsumer.org) -- A review of previous studies from the Latin-America and the Caribbean suggests that diet has an impact on breast cancer risk.
 
Torres-Sánchez L and colleagues from Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública in México reviewed 27 epidemiological studies published from June-November 2008.
 
They found certain fruits, vegetables, fish, fiber, vitamin B(12), folate, various phytoestrogens, lycopene, and polyunsaturated fats were associated with a protective effect against breast cancer.
 
They also found that an elevated risk of breast cancer was linked to a higher intake of calories, red meat, processed meats, certain meat cooking methods, milk, and some dairy products, saturated fat and sucrose.
 
But the researchers said the impact of specific foods and nutrients on breast cancer risk is inclusive.
 
The review was published in 2009 in Salud pública de México.
 
Breast cancer is diagnosed in more than 170,000 women each year in the United States; the disease and its complications kill about 50,000 women annually.

Reporting by Jimmy Downs and editing by Rachel Stockton