breast cancer update

[Guest guest]

Study: Vegetables, Sunlight Fight Breast Cancer

 

By Michael Smith, MD

WebMD Medical News

 

(Jan. 9) -- While some studies have linked diet -- especially fat

intake -- to an increased risk of breast cancer, others have been

unable to confirm this. A new study shows that diet plays a big role

in breast cancer -- and sunlight actually does, too.

 

William B. Grant, PhD, who specializes in dietary and environmental

links to disease, performed one of the most detailed studies to date

looking at this association.

 

Grant studied the diet and sun exposure of women in 35 countries. Sun

has been linked to a decrease in breast cancer in the past -- thought

to be due to an increased production of vitamin D in the body.

 

Dietary fat was found to be the sole biggest predictor of dying from

breast cancer. However, when Grant looked at multiple dietary

factors, he found that the amount of calories consumed from animal

products is actually the key factor.

 

On the other hand, Grant found that the more calories derived from

vegetable products, the lower the risk of breast cancer. In his

analysis, vegetable products included fruits, whole-grain cereals,

and vegetables. This also covered the nutrients found in these

products, such as vitamin C and beta-carotene.

 

Grant says women who live in countries with a high-fat diet generally

eat more animal products, drink more alcohol, and eat less fish. Over

a lifetime, women who eat more animal products produce more estrogen

and more insulin-like growth factor. This growth factor stimulates

cells and tissues to grow. Grant also says that alcohol increases the

effects of estrogen, which is already known to be linked to breast

cancer.

 

Grant also found a link between sunlight and breast cancer deaths.

His results show that exposure to UV-B light lowers the chance of

dying from breast cancer. He points out that breast cancer deaths in

the Southwestern U.S. are only half that in the Northeast.

 

Regions further north have less sunlight, especially in the winter.

So Grant recommends use of vitamin D supplements, especially in the

winter in the Northeastern U.S. and northern Europe.

 

It's important to note, however, that UV-B light is also the cause of

tanning, burning, and skin cancer. You should talk to your doctor

about your risks of skin and breast cancer before pursuing that

golden tan.

 

Reviewed By Charlotte Grayson

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