Few words produce such imminent fear in women as the words “breast cancer”.  However, one comforting fact remains in the fight against breast cancer and that is that the best protection against breast cancer is knowledge of the ways you can reduce the risk of acquiring the disease.
Some of these promising treatments and detection tools for breast cancer include genetic testing for certain risk factors that can help women determine preventive courses of action if they are at a higher risk, advanced ways of detecting breast cancer earlier including more sophisticated biopsy methods with minimal invasion, and new and improved breast cancer drugs and tailored courses of treatment. 
Heck, I was even reading just the other day about one company that is coming out with new, natural “biochemical” remedies against cancer and other serious maladies that we have yet to discover excellent, non life threatening treatments. Eating a healthy diet can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. 
Reducing alcohol or eliminating it completely helps to protect against breast cancer.  If you drink alcohol, limit your consumption to less than one drink per day.  While there has been discussion and debate about whether red wine may help fight cancer, it is still wise to watch your consumption of even this, since it is, in essence, processed and broken down as a sugar, which causes inflammation. 
Inflammation is thought to be a major contributor to all types of cancer, and I tend to agree with this philosophy from the information I’ve been privy to.  Many of the popular diets now that promote overall health, weight maintenance and blood sugar stability are often “anti inflammatory” in nature, they just aren’t always advertised that way.    
Keep your weight at a healthy level for your age and height.  Be especially vigilant not to gain any postmenopausal weight as this increases your odds of getting breast cancer.  The excess fatty tissue in your body increases your estrogen and the degree of estrogen exposure in your lifetime is linked to breast cancer.
Exercising can help with weight loss or maintenance of a healthy weight, therefore lowering your risk of breast cancer.  If you do the weight bearing aerobics, you will have the extra bonus of keeping your bones strong.
Limit the amount of fats in your dietary intake.  A lower fat diet has a moderate effect, but still decreases the risk of breast cancer.  Hormone replacement therapy taken long term has been associated with an increase in breast cancer.  If you are taking hormone replacements, you may wish to talk to your doctor about other therapies to minimize menopausal symptoms. 
There is not clear cut evidence linking birth control pills and a higher incidence of breast cancer.  The newer oral contraceptives have a lower dose than the older contraceptives.  Studies continue on this subject.

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Posted in Breast Cancer Prevention by Breast News Girl No Comments Yet