|
|
Food
|
Amount
|
Rationale
|
|
Cold-water fish
(salmon, cod, halibut)
|
8 ounces,
2–3x/week.
|
Contains omega-3 fatty
acids, which support cell health and boost immunity.
|
|
Cruciferous
vegetables
(broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts)
|
At least one serving per
day.
|
In addition to being rich
in vitamin C (shown in studies to be a strong protective agent
against breast cancer) and other antioxidants, these vegetables
contain nutrients that prevent estradiol (one of the three primary
forms of estrogen) from being broken down into a compound
associated with breast cancer.
|
|
Flaxseeds
(whole seed, not just the oil)
|
2 tablespoons, ground, per
day.
|
Help balance hormones by
preventing excess estrogen from being reabsorbed into the body
through the digestive tract. (Women with higher estrogen levels are
at increased risk for breast cancer.) Also contain omega-3 and
omega-6 fatty acids.
|
|
Green tea
(Camellia sinensis)
|
Any amount is beneficial,
but the more the better to inhibit tumor growth.
|
A potent antioxidant,
green tea contains compounds called catechins or polyphenols
(epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG) shown in studies to inhibit
cancer growth.
|
|
Olive oil
|
Whenever cooking with
vegetable oil, replace with pure olive oil. Drizzle olive oil on
vegetables and fresh bread.
|
Contains health-promoting
antioxidants. Associated with lower incidence of breast cancer in
Mediterranean populations.
|
|
—R.M.
|
|
Sources: Mark Gignac,
ND, of the Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center;
“Vegetables, fruit, antioxidants, and cancer: a review of
Italian studies,” European Journal of Nutrition, 2001,
vol. 40, no. 6; “Green tea inhibits vascular endothelial
growth factor (VEGF) induction in human breast cancer
cells,” Alternative Medicine Review, 2002, vol. 7, no.
5.
|
