Of all tips to prevent breast cancer, the natural way through the consumption of some food is the safest and cheapest. One of the most common body life-threatening cancer on the record of the human being is breast cancer.
Do you know that globally, female breast cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer, surpassing lung cancer? According to a statistic published on cancer.net, an estimated 2,261,419 new cases were diagnosed in women across the world in 2020.
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women, as more and more women are being diagnosed with this disease.
But are you aware that there are natural ways to prevent breast cancer? We spend our lives paying attention to what we put on our bodies, but do you know the significance of what you eat? Eating natural foods is the first step to preventing cancer naturally.
Without much ado, here are some of the effective tips to prevent breast cancer naturally.
Treatment of Breast Cancer
- Medical treatment
- Kitchen tips treatment
Medical Treatment
Our focus here is on the types of natural methods of treating cancers hence there won’t be many talks on the medical solutions. The approved medical treatment of any breast cancer is through surgeries or therapies. Here are some of the 3 types of approved medical methods to treat cancer in the breast.
- Surgeries
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
Natural Treatment
Foods will ever remain the cheapest method of survival for all humans. A healthy diet is a healthy lifestyle. It is the recommended natural treatment for breast cancer because of its nutritional analysis and breakdown.
Here are some effective tips below to prevent breast cancer;
1. Subscribe to Vegetables and fruits
Women who are known to eat fruits and vegetables have lower risks of getting breast cancer. Fruits and vegetables are very helpful for a healthy diet per day. They are low in energy, contain fibers, and they protect you against cancer-causing organisms in your body. They do not have fats which can make you obese and risk having cancer. It is recommended to eat 7 servings of vegetables and fruits per day.
There are cooking tips you can learn here that will make you cook your vegetables perfectly.
SEE: Pizza Hut Vegan Options: The Healthy Choice
How to eat fruits and vegetables easily
- Shop for vegetables and fruits daily
- Cook your meals with vegetables
- Always add fruit juices to your meals
- When taking lunch include salads
- Be creative with the cooking of your vegetables
- Spice your meal with vegetables and decorated with fruits in a fruity salad
Take note that there is nothing like an excessive intake of vegetables. Even if there is, at the moment you are trying to measure your vegetable intake, an excess of fruits or vegetables does not affect the body system. Only a reduced measure of vegetables and fruits will affect the metabolism of your body system.
2. Lower your salt intake
Salt contains natural sweetening that makes your food sweet. However, an excessive intake of salt causes a greater risk to your health if not checked. The body needs salt at all times but your food does not need salt every time.
Your salt intake should not be more than one teaspoon or 5g. The sodium content of salt when in excess can cause cancer in the body and put you at the risk of other diseases.
Ways to reduce your salt intake
- Read the labels of food products properly including the preparation guide.
- Substitute salt with other spices such as onions, pepper, and garlic.
- Get used to consuming more honey than salt. It is a great salt substitute.
- Reduce your purchase of foods from restaurants.
3. Drink Water Regularly
Regular intake of liquid especially water will keep you hydrated and give you nutrients that will negotiate the reproduction of dead or weak cells that are liable to become infectious.
Other liquids that do not contain sugar are also advisable because all liquids have flushing abilities. Besides, some scientists claim that water drinking helps in reducing obesity which also poses a great risk of breast cancer. Try to drink about 2 to 3 liters of water per day.
SEE: How to Preserve Your Distilled Water
4. Avoid processed red meat
Nitrates used in the preservation of meat during smoking and drying are harmful to the cells in your body. Some of the reasons why processed red meat is harmful to the body cells include the fact that the meat gets burned in the process of preservation and the redness of the meat can affect the lining of the cells.
5. Eat good and clean fish
Women especially pregnant women should ensure they consume good and clean fish. Locally produced fish is not advisable and if necessary, it should be well washed and cooked to kill chemical elements known as dioxins.
6. Use the right cookware
It is funny how your pot, spoons, and other cookware can increase your risk of breast cancer. Cookware made of aluminum tends to damage cells in the human body. Aluminum-made cookware should be replaced with steel or cast iron. The steel and cast iron cookware pose little or no risk of breast cancer, therefore it is recommended to do your cooking.
7. Microwave with correct containers
Reading labels on food containers goes a long way in ensuring that you do not use the wrong container to warm your food. Not all plastic can take the full effect of heat. Some react to it and the reactions affect the food content which when you consume can damage your cell lining.
8. Eat enough calories
Calories are relatively advisable for human health but when it comes to reducing the risk of breast cancer, it is advisable to get in more calories. Eat a balanced diet with the inclusion of fruits and vegetables.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer
The early and first symptoms of breast cancers are mostly not seen but it comes as a very minor tumor in the flesh of the breast. It can only be seen by a scan but not felt by random sampling with the hand.
These tumors grow into lumps which at a smaller size are harmless and not painful. However, these harmless lumps pave way for the growth of other lumps which are the results of damaged cells in the breast ducts and lobules.
A shocking fact is that the lump that appears first as a symptom sometimes appears under the armpit.
Other symptoms of breast cancer are:
- Roughness in the breast
- Inconsistent change in the size of the breast
- Inverted nipples
- Peeling of the skin on the breast and nipple
- Discharge in blood from the nipple
- Random sharp pain in the breast
- Dimpling of the breast surface
- Veins become clearer on the breasts
Stages of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer begins from the oversize growth of a cell in the breast, that spreads to other weaker cells. The outcome of the abnormal growth of a cell is the creation of lumps on the breast surface. These lumps appear harmless at initial but when it multiplies, it becomes painful and dangerous for the individual.
A cancerous cell spreads when it comes in contact with blood lymph in the breast which later flows to other parts of the breast or body. That is why sometimes, the symptoms are found in the parts of the armpits.
Types of Breast Cancer
Only a medical diagnosis can give exact identification of the type of cancer affecting an individual. However, there are 6 types of breast cancers but the most common among women and men are Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) and Invasive Breast Cancer (IBC).
1. Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS)
The early stage of cancer in the breast is called Ductal Carcinoma in Situ. It is curable and affects about 1 woman in 6. It is called Stage Zero cancer because it causes little or no harm to the victim. A woman or man with a DCIS can be treated with a simple mastectomy because the infected cells have not gotten to the lymph which infects the blood that later spreads to other cells.
How To Treat DCIS Medically
- Mastectomy
- Hormone therapy
- Breast-Conserving surgery
2. Invasive Breast Cancer (IBC)
This is the cancer stage after the zero stage. The affected cell has affected the tissue of other cells thereby making most of the cells in the breast weak. The effect of this is that lumps or tumors begin to develop after. The lumps are invisible at the initial stages unless the patient uses a scan for diagnosis but becomes much more visible when the lumps multiply.
3. Triple-negative Breast Cancer
This is the next stage of breast cancer after the invasive effect of the cancerous cells. The breast becomes triple-negative when it has no oxygen or progesterone. It is one of the dangerous stages of breast cancer because it spreads faster than the previous ones. Victims with this diagnosis are predicted to live for just five years.
4. Angiosarcoma of the Breast
This cancer type occurs mostly as a result of complications from the treatment of previous stages of cancer. It leads to a change in skin complexion to purple.
5. Inflammatory Breast Cancer
It is also a rare and advanced invasive cancer of the breast. Its symptoms are different from other types of cancers because it does not begin with a lump or tumor. It is common among African-American women and women that are overweight.
SEE: Does Soy Milk Increase Breast Size?
6. Paget Disease of the Breast
This defect affects only the skin of the nipple and the areola of the breast. It is only cancer that hampers only one part of the breast. Paget disease is diagnosed with the first stage and second stage cancer. It is treated with mastectomy, radiation therapy, or breast-conserving surgery. It is sometimes diagnosed with no breast lump and at this stage, the diagnosis is not harmful.
Nutritional Foods that protect against Cancer
| Nutrients | Foods |
|---|---|
| Flavanoids | All fruits and vegetables |
| Indoles | Cauliflower, Cale, broccoli, and cabbage |
| Organo-sulfides | Garlic, onions, and shallots |
| Phenolic Compounds | Garlic, Green Tea, Soyabeans, Flaxseed, and vegetables |
| Isothiocyanates | Horseradish and Mustard |
| Isoflavones | Soybeans and legumes |
| Carotenoids | Dark oranges and vegetables |
Facts About Breast Cancer
- It is also called the “nun’s disease” because of the number of nuns affected worldwide.
- Wasp dung is one of the local tips used to prevent breast cancer.
- The main risk of breast cancer is being a woman.
- It is more common in the left breast than in the right.
- A woman has about 1/8 chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
- Women in about 8 of 10 who are diagnosed with breast cancer did not have a history of breast cancer.
- Aged women are at a higher risk of breast cancer.
- Younger women who smoke risk getting cancer in the breast.
- Breast cancer affects animals too particularly dogs and cats.
- The first surgery on breast cancer was done in 1804, by Japanese surgeon Seishu Hanaoka.
- Shift work patterns could increase a woman’s chance of breast cancer.
- Most of the survivors of breast cancer are from less developed countries.
- Breast cancer creates fear in women as they grow older compared to the fear of pests.
FAQs
What are the immediate benefits of eating healthy?
Overall, good health.
What can you do?
Exercise and maintain a good weight, limit the amount of alcohol you drink and drink more water, add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, especially leafy green veggies like broccoli, kale, spinach, collard greens, etc., avoid using synthetic estrogens, and eat less meat
What is a natural cure?
Natural cure is a term used to describe a treatment that uses natural remedies and methods to cure disease or relieve discomfort.
Conclusion
Nowadays, prevention is the health mantra for most people. This is not surprising since it is better to prevent a disease rather than face the consequences. With the increasing rate of breast cancer cases, it becomes more necessary for women to adopt a healthy lifestyle including following a diet to lower breast cancer risk.
Medical solutions are not just expensive but painful to some extent. To avoid spending on medical solutions, take precautions by adhering to the kitchen tips that will help prevent breast cancer.
These natural foods are readily available in the markets and stores online. It is recommended to consume these foods regularly even if you do not stand a risk of breast cancer.
In conclusion, whether you are young or old you can take steps to prevent breast cancer. It is in your power to avoid this life-threatening disease by giving up harmful habits and taking up a healthy lifestyle.
For more tips and guides, feel free to explore Cheffist. Thanks for reading.
