I’d like to share the risk factors for breast cancer and how they relate to nutrition as discussed by T. Colin Campbell in “The China Study”. There are at least four important breast cancer risk factors that are affected by nutrition. Risk of breast cancer increases when a woman has 1) onset of periods at an early age; 2) late age of menopause; 3) high levels of female hormones in the blood; and 4) high blood cholesterol. Women who consume a diet that’s rich in animal-based foods and poor in whole, plant-based foods reach puberty earlier and menopause later, and have higher levels of female hormones throughout their lifespan.
Campbell cites the work and words of some of the leading breast cancer research groups in the world: “there is overwhelming evidence that estrogen levels are a critical determinant of breast cancer risk.” Estrogen directly participates in the cancer process and tends to indicate the presence of other female hormones that play a role in breast cancer risk. Increased levels of estrogen and related hormones are a result of the consumption of typical Western diets, high in fat and animal protein and low in dietary fiber.
Earlier onset of puberty and later onset of menopause adds eight or nine reproductive years of blood estrogen exposure to American women compared to Chinese women, who have only one fifth rate of breast cancer of American women. The idea that breast cancer is centered on estrogen exposure is profound because diet plays a major role in establishing estrogen exposure. This suggests that the risk of breast cancer is preventable if we eat foods that will keep estrogen levels under control.
In other words, eating a diet that's rich in whole, plant-based foods with little to no animal-based foods reduces risk of getting breast cancer.
Resources
Campbell cites the work and words of some of the leading breast cancer research groups in the world: “there is overwhelming evidence that estrogen levels are a critical determinant of breast cancer risk.” Estrogen directly participates in the cancer process and tends to indicate the presence of other female hormones that play a role in breast cancer risk. Increased levels of estrogen and related hormones are a result of the consumption of typical Western diets, high in fat and animal protein and low in dietary fiber.
Earlier onset of puberty and later onset of menopause adds eight or nine reproductive years of blood estrogen exposure to American women compared to Chinese women, who have only one fifth rate of breast cancer of American women. The idea that breast cancer is centered on estrogen exposure is profound because diet plays a major role in establishing estrogen exposure. This suggests that the risk of breast cancer is preventable if we eat foods that will keep estrogen levels under control.
In other words, eating a diet that's rich in whole, plant-based foods with little to no animal-based foods reduces risk of getting breast cancer.
Resources
- Campbell, T.C., and Campbell, T.M. The China Study, Dallas, BenBella Books, Inc., 2006, p. 159-161.
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