Diet and Breast Cancer

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Does what you eat play a role in whether you’ll end up with breast cancer?

Maybe, find researchers who studied about 200 healthy women between ages 20 and 40 for one year. Their research finds those who ate a low-fat, high-fiber diet containing at least eight servings of fruits or vegetables a day had lower levels of the hormone estradiol in their blood than those who ate their usual diets.

The study stemmed from previous research indicating lifetime exposure to ovarian hormones may play a role in the development of breast cancer. Doctors know, for example, that earlier menarche, later menopause, fewer children, and delayed childbirth all increase a woman’s risk of getting breast cancer. The role diet plays in the process, however, has been less clear, although studies do suggest low-fat, high-fiber diets might reduce the amount of hormones in a women’s system.

The current study measured several factors related to ovarian hormones, including estradiol and progesterone. A link between diet and the hormones was seen only for estradiol.

The authors write, “The results of this randomized trial indicate that an isocaloric diet (characterized by low-fat, high-fiber, and a high fruit and vegetable content) did not produce substantial changes in ... ovarian hormone levels in premenopausal women ... However, the observed 7.5 percent reduction in estradiol could have biologic significance if it persisted over many years.”

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SOURCE: Cancer, 2003;98