Breast cancer: 8 tips to prevent breast cancer

8 tips to prevent breast cancer

October is dedicated to breast cancer awareness. The opportunity to review numerous studies that show the attitudes to adopt on a daily basis to prevent this scourge which affects more and more women around the world.

The breast cancer is the most common in women, with about 50,000 new invasive cases per year in France . The disease, which is cured in 9 out of 10 cases when detected at an early stage, still causes nearly 12,000 deaths per year in France. If there are genetic and behavioral factors like tobacco or alcohol, how can we prevent this cancer? Overview of the latest scientific research on the subject and the behaviors to adopt to limit the risk.

Take care of your diet

Eating a balanced diet is of course the first element to take into account in order to be in good health. Certain eating habits would also be beneficial in preventing breast cancer.

Eat fatty fish

A Chinese study published in June 2013 found that consuming omega 3 fatty acids from oily fish, such as salmon, tuna or sardines once or twice a week, would reduce the risk of breast cancer. To make this observation, the researchers reviewed 26 studies involving 800,000 women and about 20,000 cases of breast cancer carried out in the United States, Europe and Asia. They showed that the consumption of one to two servings of fatty fish per week was associated with a 14% reduction in the risk of breast cancer. In addition, an increase of 0.1g of omega 3 from fish per day reduced the risk of breast cancer by 5%.

Limit your sugar intake

The sugar may increase the risk of breast cancer if one believes to research published in 2016 and conducted on mice. According to the researchers, a diet high in added sugars , as is the case in Western diets, can cause tumors that otherwise spread to the lungs to increase in size, compared to a diet based on starch, but without sugar. Between 50 and 58% of the mice that had followed a diet enriched in sucrose developed mammary tumors .

Consume fiber

A large study in the United States of 90,534 women found that more fiber during adolescence, especially from fruits and vegetables , helped reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in the early years. -menopause. Researchers found that young women who ate more fiber lowered their risk of developing breast cancer by 12 to 19% than those who included less or less fiber in their diet. A high fiber intakein adolescence would reduce the overall risk of breast cancer by 16% and by 24% that of pre-menopausal breast cancer. The foods that contain the most fiber are kidney beans, lentils, whole grains, fruits and green vegetables.

To eat fruits

A large American study relayed by The BMJ shows that a large consumption of fruit in adolescence - 2.9 servings per day - is associated with a 25% reduction in the risk of breast cancer a few years later, compared to teens who only ate half a serving of fruit per day. The results of this study also showed that two servings per week of apples, bananas and grapes in adolescence are associated with a reduced risk of cancer , as is the consumption of two servings of oranges and kale cabbage a week during. the twenteeth.

Reduce saturated fat

An American study published in 2016 showed that too much consumption of saturated fat and even a low consumption of mono and polyunsaturated fats in adolescence was linked to greater breast density in adult women, a risk factor. significant breast cancer. The " bad " saturated fats are usually found in fatty meats, dairy products such as cheese and butter, while the sources of " good " monounsaturated fats are none other than olive oil or avocado.

Take part in a sports activity

Several studies have confirmed the benefits of sport in preventing breast cancer. In 2013, for example, an American study published on the  Plos One websiteshowed that women walking one hour a day could lower their risk of breast cancer by 14%. The authors of this study also found that women who practiced intensive sport for one hour a day reduced the same risk by 25%, compared to the more sedentary. In 2015, a team of Canadian researchers suggested that doubling your physical activity from 150 to 300 minutes per week may have an influence in preventing the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Finally, in 2016, an American study carried out on 1.4 million people showed that by increasing their physical activity, it was possible to lower their risk of developing breast by 10%.

Say goodbye to classic deodorants

The toxicity of "traditional" deodorants has been demonstrated time and time again. In 2016, for example, Swiss researchers established a link between the aluminum salt contained in these products and breast cancer. To get around the risks, there are natural alternatives. The best is still to make your own antiperspirant . For those who want to continue using a deodorant in the classic format, choose an organic deodorant. As for alum stone, it also appears as the 100% natural alternative to industrial chemical products.. In contact with water, this translucent mineral salt releases aluminum oxides and hydroxides, the action of which can last for several years depending on the frequency of use. Today, no study has been devoted to alum. These compounds are even authorized in natural and biological cosmetology, unlike aluminum hydrochloride or aluminum chloride, which are produced industrially and whose harmlessness was questioned at the end of 2011 by Affssaps (French product health safety agency). health) as components of deodorants or antiperspirants. In the meantime, as a precautionary measure, it is better to avoid synthetic alum stone, recognizable if the packaging label mentions "ammonium alum", and prefer,

Go to the dentist regularly

Dental health and cancer are linked. After following more than 65,000 women aged 54 to 86 for about eight years, an American study found that those who suffered from gum disease (gingivitis and periodontitis) had a 14% increased risk of developing cancer, and more specifically breast cancer. Some scientists suggest that the pathogens could be carried by saliva and dental plaque, or could pass from the gum tissue into the blood.

Avoid exposure to blue light

A study published in April 2018 suggests a link between nocturnal exposure to blue light and increased risk of breast cancer. The spectrum of natural light is made up of a set of wavelengths corresponding to colors. The potential danger of blue light (wavelengths between 380 and 500nm) comes from the shorter wavelengths (perceived as blue-violet). Found in natural light, this light is also abundantly produced by screens, as well as by some LED lighting systems. Researchers assessed the indoor artificial light exposure of 4,000 people through questionnaires and the nighttime artificial light exposure of Madrid and Barcelona based on images taken from the International Space Station. The results show that in these two cities,

Limit night work

Night work could increase the risk of breast cancer , especially in pre-menopausal women. This was demonstrated by an international study, published in September 2018, in the European Journal of Epidemiology. Canadian, Australian, and European researchers interviewed more than 13,000 women aged 55 to 59 from five different countries (Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Spain). Result: Women who worked at least three hours every night between midnight and 5 a.m. had a 12% increased risk of developing breast cancer. compared to women who had never worked nights. Among premenopausal women, this risk increased to 26%. In addition, in pre-menopausal women who worked more than 10 hours a night, their risk of breast cancer jumped to 36% compared to women who had never worked nights. This increased risk reached + 80% among women who worked more than 10 hours per night more than three nights per week. The researchers noted, however, that the risk tended to decrease two years after stopping night work.

Proper dosage of food supplements 

In an interview with AFP / Relaxnews in 2016, Marie-Christine Boutron-Ruault, Inserm research director at the Gustave-Roussy Institute, said that it was better to " look for vitamins in the diet than in food supplements which can have a counterproductive action, even deleterious in terms of cancer.We have shown that there was an increased risk of breast cancer of the order of 50 to 60% in women who took 500mg of vitamin C every day, in addition to a diet that contained enough. Same observation for vitamin D. We tend to consider the deficiency when the level shows 20ng in the blood. Between 20 and 30ng, the rate should be considered normal. There is no reason to supplement. For people who are overweight or obese or have a BMI less than 25, I recommend daily drops . "

Breastfeed her baby if possible

In addition to its nutritional function, breastfeeding is known to have beneficial effects on both the health of the infant and that of the mother . According to a study published in 2016 in the journal The Lancet, this practice could also prevent the death of 20,000 mothers each year from breast and ovarian cancer. In addition, according to the 2017 American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) report, based on 18 studies, the risk of breast cancer in nursing mothers drops by 2% for every five-month period. breastfeeding . According to this document, breastfeeding has protective effects because it can delay the return of menstruation, thereby reducing a woman's exposure to hormones such as estrogen, which are linked to the risk of breast cancer. Additionally, loss of breast tissue after lactation can help get rid of potentially damaged DNA cells.