Diet, supplement and environmental strategies.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I think that the most terrifying words in the English language for a woman are “you have breast cancer.” But knowing that genetics only play a role in 5% of breast cancer cases should be very encouraging news for all of us because it means that we have nearly total control over the destiny of our bodies! The stats suggest that 1 out of 8 woman can develop breast cancer sometime during their lives yet, more women than ever before are survivors because of early prevention, detection, and awareness.
Diet wise, keep in mind that the omega-3s found in flax and fish oils have a protective effect against the development of breast cancer. Japanese women have a very low incidence of breast cancer and they are large consumers of cold water fish rich in the awesome omega-3s. Get on the right fat track—at least one to two tablespoons of ground flaxseeds (high in hormone-balancing lignans) and/or a minimum of 1 to 2 g of fish oil daily.
The women of Mediterranean countries also have a very low incidence of breast cancer and they receive about 40% of total calories from fat—in the form of delicious olive oil, a monounsaturated fat that can be used for salad dressings and stir-frying.
There is another promising disease-defying nutrient on the horizon: the antioxidant Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Perhaps best known for its role in preventing heart disease, CoQ10 is so vital to your health that is it found in virtually every single cell in your body. It helps to convert energy in the mitochondria from glucose and oxygen. The highest energy organ of the body—like the heart—needs twice as much CoQ10 as other body parts, but this super supplement has also been linked to the breasts!
