Can the foods we eat affect our chance of getting breast cancer?
A study from China shows that a diet high in Omega-3 fats might lower the risk of breast cancer for women. This research has given us exciting new information to consider.
The Study: Food and Cancer Risk in Chinese Women
Dr. Zhuo-Lin Zhang from Sun Yat-sen University in China and his team wanted to find out if Omega-3 fats affect the risk of breast cancer.
They looked at the diets of two groups of Chinese women. One group of 1,589 women had breast cancer, while the other group of 1,621 women did not. The two groups were similar in age.
The women in the study were asked to fill out a special form about what they usually eat. This helped the researchers understand what kind of fats the women were eating in their diet.
The Results: Omega-3 and Lower Breast Cancer Risk
The results of the study showed that women who ate more Omega-3 fats, especially from fish, were less likely to have breast cancer.
Women who ate the most Omega-3 fats had about half the risk of breast cancer compared to women who ate the least.
The same thing was found for several specific types of Omega-3 fats: alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid.
All of these are types of Omega-3 fats found in foods like fish and some seeds and nuts.
These benefits were stronger in women before menopause and in women whose cancer cells had certain features related to the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Also, the benefits were seen more in women who were overweight or obese, but not in women of normal weight.
A Note on Omega-6 Fats
The study also found an interesting interaction between Omega-3 and another type of fat called Omega-6. More research is needed to understand what this means.
The Takeaway: Diet and Cancer Risk
The study shows that what we eat, especially the types of fats in our diet, can affect our risk of getting breast cancer.
“This study highlights the effect of lifestyle habits and, specifically, dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids on breast cancer risk,” said Dr. Chrisandra Shufelt, president of The North American Menopause Society.
Remember, Omega-3 fats are found in many foods we eat, including fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds. So, adding more of these to our diet might be a good way to keep our bodies healthy.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that aspirin could cut cancer death by 20%, and Yale scientists find the causes of cancer.
For more information about cancer prevention, please see recent studies about vaccines to prevent pancreatic cancer, and results showing what you need to know about supplements and cancer.
The study was published in Menopause.
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