Nutrition for Breast Cancer Prevention

We talk a lot about breast cancer awareness and treatment in the month of October, let's highlight some nutrients that can help is prevent breast cancer in the first place.

• Leafy greens: Foods such as kale, arugula, collard greens, and spinach contain high levels of beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, and lutein. A 2015 study found that higher blood levels of these antioxidants reduced the risk of breast cancer by 18-28%.

• Onions and garlic: Onions, leeks, and garlic are members of the allium family. The contain vitamin C and flavonoids. In a 2020 study of 660 women, researchers found that higher consumption of onions and garlic was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. More research is still needed.

• Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits include limes, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and tangerines. They are packed with folate, vitamin C, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, quercetin, and hesperidin. In a 2013 study, researchers found that those who consumed higher levels of citrus fruits had a 10% reduced risk of breast cancer.

• Berries: Foods such as raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries are packed with anthocyanins and flavonoids. A 2013 meta-analysis of 75,929 women found that those who consumed berries, especially blueberries had a reduced risk on breast cancer.

• Peaches: Peaches are packed with polyphenols. A 2013 study found that women who consumed 2 servings of peaches a week had a 41% reduced risk of developing breast cancer. A 2014 study found that polyphenols also reduce the spread of breast cancer cells.

• Salmon: Salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, astaxanthin, and selenium. A 2013 study found that individuals who consumed salmon weekly saw a 14% reduced risk on breast cancer. More research is needed to conclude if this is due to the omega-3 fatty acids or other components.

• Fermented foods: Fermented foods, such as kimchi, miso, yogurt, and sauerkraut contain probiotics and healthy bacteria. A 2015 meta-analysis of 27 articles found that a higher consumption of fermented foods was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. More research is needed to draw firm conclusions.

• Beans and lentils: Beans and lentils are packed with magnesium, iron, fiber, protein, phosphorus, and protein. In a 2018 study, researchers found that women who consumed beans 2-3x/week saw a 30% reduced risk of breast cancer. In a 2020 study, researchers found that women who consumed beans and lentils regularly had a 28% reduction in the risk of breast cancer.

Resources:

Bigman, G., Adebamowo, S., & Adebamowo, C. (2020). Matched Case-Control Study of Beans Intakes and Breast Cancer Risk in Urbanized Nigerian Women. Current Developments in Nutrition, 4(Suppl 2), 310. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzaa044_009

Desai, G., Schelske-Santos, M., Nazario, C. M., Rosario-Rosado, R. V., Mansilla-Rivera, I., Ramírez-Marrero, F., Nie, J., Myneni, A. A., Zhang, Z. F., Freudenheim, J. L., & Mu, L. (2020). Onion and Garlic Intake and Breast Cancer, a Case-Control Study in Puerto Rico. Nutrition and cancer, 72(5), 791–800. https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2019.1651349

Eliassen, A. H., Hendrickson, S. J., Brinton, L. A., Buring, J. E., Campos, H., Dai, Q., Dorgan, J. F., Franke, A. A., Gao, Y. T., Goodman, M. T., Hallmans, G., Helzlsouer, K. J., Hoffman-Bolton, J., Hultén, K., Sesso, H. D., Sowell, A. L., Tamimi, R. M., Toniolo, P., Wilkens, L. R., Winkvist, A., … Hankinson, S. E. (2012). Circulating carotenoids and risk of breast cancer: pooled analysis of eight prospective studies. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 104(24), 1905–1916. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djs461

Eliassen, A. H., Liao, X., Rosner, B., Tamimi, R. M., Tworoger, S. S., & Hankinson, S. E. (2015). Plasma carotenoids and risk of breast cancer over 20 y of follow-up. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 101(6), 1197–1205. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.105080

Fung, T. T., Chiuve, S. E., Willett, W. C., Hankinson, S. E., Hu, F. B., & Holmes, M. D. (2013). Intake of specific fruits and vegetables in relation to risk of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer among postmenopausal women. Breast cancer research and treatment, 138(3), 925–930. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-013-2484-3

Noratto, G., Porter, W., Byrne, D., & Cisneros-Zevallos, L. (2014). Polyphenolics from peach (Prunus persica var. Rich Lady) inhibit tumor growth and metastasis of MDA-MB-435 breast cancer cells in vivo. The Journal of nutritional biochemistry, 25(7), 796–800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2014.03.001

Nindrea, R. D., Aryandono, T., Lazuardi, L., & Dwiprahasto, I. (2019). Protective Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Fish Consumption Against Breast Cancer in Asian Patients: A Meta-Analysis. Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP, 20(2), 327–332. https://doi.org/10.31557/APJCP.2019.20.2.327

Sangaramoorthy, M., Koo, J., & John, E. M. (2018). Intake of bean fiber, beans, and grains and reduced risk of hormone receptor-negative breast cancer: the San Francisco Bay Area Breast Cancer Study. Cancer medicine, 7(5), 2131–2144. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.1423

Song, J. K., & Bae, J. M. (2013). Citrus fruit intake and breast cancer risk: a quantitative systematic review. Journal of breast cancer, 16(1), 72–76. https://doi.org/10.4048/jbc.2013.16.1.72

Zang, J., Shen, M., Du, S., Chen, T., & Zou, S. (2015). The Association between Dairy Intake and Breast Cancer in Western and Asian Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of breast cancer, 18(4), 313–322. https://doi.org/10.4048/jbc.2015.18.4.313

Zhang, N. Q., Mo, X. F., Lin, F. Y., Zhan, X. X., Feng, X. L., Zhang, X., Luo, H., & Zhang, C. X. (2020). Intake of total cruciferous vegetable and its contents of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, glutathione S-transferases polymorphisms and breast cancer risk: a case-control study in China. The British journal of nutrition, 124(6), 548–557. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114520001348