Does plant-based food lower the risk of breast cancer?
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As the Vegetarian Festival begins on October 3
No matter if you’re a meat lover or a vegetarian, there’s still a risk of breast cancer.
Many patients ask, ‘Doctor, if I eat vegetarian or follow a plant-based diet, will that reduce my risk of breast cancer? If I stop harming animals, will I also be protected from cancer?’
What food causes breast cancer?
My answer is, ‘That’s not true.‘ Whether you follow a vegetarian, plant-based, macrobiotic, or eat meat, you can still develop breast cancer. The exact cause of breast cancer is still unknown, so no specific food can be blamed for causing or preventing it.
Patient often ask about Specific foods like soymilk, tofu, meat, fried foods, dough sticks, birth control pills, supplements, and coffee—will they cause breast cancer? Or On the other hand, can herbs, cordyceps, vitamin C, or a vegetarian diet really prevent breast cancer?
The answer is quite simple: ‘You can eat anything, as long as you eat well.’ This means eating in moderation, selecting high-quality, well cooked, and hygienic food from all five-food groups. For the best results, choose foods that aren’t overly sweet, salty, or greasy. While the causes of breast cancer is unknown, genetic factors such as a family history of breast cancer or testing positive for the BRCA gene mutation are well-established risks.
What are breast cancer risks factors? Does early menstruation lead to breast cancer?
Most risk factors for breast cancer are unrelated to diet. These include:
- Increasing age, especially over 40.
- A personal history of breast cancer or cancer in the other breast.
- Previous exposure to Chest radiation.
- Hormonal factors, such as not having children, having your first child later in life, not breastfeeding, early menstruation before age 12, late menopause after age 55, using birth control pills for over 5 years, or taking hormone replacement therapy during menopause.
- Obesity, especially after menopause.
- Lack of physical activity.
- Alcohol consumption
- Smoking
- Chronic stress.
From my experience treating breast cancer patients over the years, I’ve observed that many people who are overweight heavy meat eaters, or long term users of birth control pills often have normal On the other hand, some individuals who are extremely careful with their diet—following a clean, vegetarian, or plant-based diet—are sometimes diagnosed with breast cancer.
What I should eat to avoid cancer?
So, when patients ask me, ‘What should I eat to avoid cancer?’ my answer is always: ‘Eat well and eat in moderation.’ Doesn’t that seem like sound advice?
Health Article byTapanutt Likhitmaskul, M.D. Breast Surgeon,
Breast Center, Bangkok Hospital Pattaya
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