Lower Your Breast Cancer Risk

What lung cancer is to men, breast cancer is to women. Breast cancer is perhaps the most dreaded disease that women face today, and each year, more and more women are diagnosed with it. It’s true that breast cancer can be cured, by you cannot deny the fact that it is a real nightmare that any woman can encounter.
The pain associated with breast cancer is not only felt physically but also emotionally. And while there is a huge chance for the disease to be completely cured, prevention will still be your best option.

One of the many risk factors for breast cancer is smoking. Research shows that women who smoke have a higher risk of the disease than those who do not. A link between second hand smoke and breast cancer has also been proven by some experts. What’s more, if you used to smoke a lot and acquired breast cancer today, there will be several complications that you are going to face while undergoing treatment such as lung damage, slow healing process, and a higher risk for blood clots.

If you don’t smoke, it would be best if you do not start at all. If you do smoke however, do your best to cut off the habit gradually. You can’t break the habit overnight, but if you’re determined, nothing can stop you from doing so.

Drinking is another risk factor for breast cancer you should be aware of. According to studies, alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer, and any kind of liquor can increase a woman’s risk for breast cancer. Alcohol damages DNA in the cells, resulting to the development of cancer. When compared to women who do not drink alcohol, those who limit their alcohol drinking to one glass a day only have a little increase in risk. But those who have at least five drinks of alcohol per day have an increase for breast cancer risk of about 50 percent!

There have only been a few studies done on the link between alcohol and breast cancer but the results show a consistency that cannot be ignored. Drinking alcohol is good for the heart, but that is only if you know how to limit the amount of what you drink. If you love to drink, try to limit your consumption to 2 to 3 servings per day. There are several other ways to keep your heart healthy without compromising the other aspects of your health so it would be best if you do not drink alcohol at all.

Another risk factor for breast cancer is being overweight. Not only does it increase ones risk for developing the disease but also increase its risk to recur. Older women most especially will have a hard time preventing this problem due to the fact that maintaining a healthy weight becomes more difficult as people age. However, with gradual changes to lifestyle, losing weight to reduce the risk for breast cancer can be done.

If you are overweight right now, the first step you need to take is to talk to your doctor about your situation and seek advice on how you can lose weight safely and naturally. Once you’ve received the go signal, you can then create a diet and an exercise plan. Diet and exercise are two of the most excellent ways to lose weight, and what’s more, these two play a huge factor in the prevention of breast cancer.

While there’s no direct link between regular exercise and breast cancer prevention, involving in daily physical activities can help you get rid of unwanted fat in the body. For your information, cancer cells can hide in excess fat, so the less excess fat you have in your body, the less chance you have of developing breast cancer.

When it comes to dieting, there’s no single type of food that can help you prevent breast cancer. On the other hand, a combination of fiber-rich foods and foods high in antioxidant is what you need in order to keep your immune system healthy. Include more fruits and vegetables in your menu, and as much as possible, stay away from processed food and foods rich in salt, sugar, and saturated fat.

The fact that dreaded diseases such as breast cancer can be cured and prevented is truly encouraging for most women. If you make it a habit to live a healthy lifestyle, there is definitely no way breast cancer can come near you.