“Preventative dietary measures include reducing the intake of alcohol, red meat, and fat while increasing intake of fiber and vitamin D as well as phytoestrogens from various food sources,” according to one study that looked at the role of diet and breast cancer risk. All in all, nutrition impacts 35 percent of all breast cancer cases, the study found.

This study specifically links meat and dairy to an elevated risk of breast cancer: Women who ate just one-quarter of a cup of full-fat milk or dairy a day had an increased risk of breast cancer. Doctors encourage patients to adopt a healthy lifestyle of daily exercise and a minimally processed, low-fat diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans. Whole foods, high in fiber and rich in antioxidants are crucial to reducing the risk of breast cancer.

Adding more fiber and antioxidants to your diet is the best way to reduce your risk of breast cancer. The best part is you may be eating these foods on a daily basis already. Here are the best antioxidant-rich and fiber-packed foods to reduce your risk of breast cancer, according to the latest studies.

How to Eat to Reduce Your Breast Cancer Risk

Decreasing the number of fatty foods in your diet and replacing them with whole foods will reduce your risk and have been shown to improve the survival rate of breast cancer patients. One study showed that a low-fat diet reduces the risk of death from breast cancer by 21 percent. Adding fiber and antioxidants–found in fruit and vegetables–to a diet low in animal fat is optimal for breast health. Women on a high-fiber diet were 8 percent less likely to develop breast cancer, compared to those who ate less fiber. An increase in dietary fiber lowers blood sugar and estrogen levels in the body, which is key to slowing or halting tumor growth.

Fiber-rich foods typically are also high in antioxidants, which are not only important for preventing breast cancer but in treating it as well. Antioxidants contain nutrients that boost your immune system and protect against free radicals, which are molecules that damage tissue and can lead to cancer growth. Antioxidants also block the cancer-causing effects of carcinogens and can help women in remission lower their risk of reoccurrence.

So whether you’re genetically predisposed by having one of the genetic markers, recently diagnosed for the first time, or are recovering from breast cancer treatment, a plant-based diet is known to improve breast health, according to a growing number of recent studies.

Foods to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

1. Dark Leafy Greens

Dark leafy greens, such as broccoli and kale contain a chemical called sulforaphane that has anti-cancer properties, according to studies. One study found that sulforaphane in broccoli not only possesses anti-cancer properties but also restricts tumors from growing in the lab and can prevent cancer from spreading. Kale is packed with antioxidants since it is high in vitamin C with 80 mg in one cup, which prevents cancer from forming in the lab.

Research showed the carotenoids in kale can boost the body’s immunity against diseases and stop free radicals from damaging cells that can lead to cancer growth. Women who ate the most carotenoids had the lowest levels of cancer in that study. Carotenoids are found in vegetables such as carrots, corn, and tomatoes

2. Soy

This may come as a shocker to most people, but soy foods don’t increase the risk of cancer, new studies have found, but may even help to prevent it. Incorporating soy foods like tofu, miso, edamame, and soy milk once a day for over a lifetime reduces the risk of breast cancer because the phytoestrogens that mimic estrogen actually suppress the amount of actual estrogen in the body.

Isoflavones are the soy protein often linked to breast cancer but whole food sources, such as tofu don’t have high enough levels of it to trigger cancer growth. Soy supplements are known to have high levels of Isoflavones, so if breast cancer runs in your family, you may want to stay away from concentrated levels or supplements. A small amount of plant-based phytoestrogens appear to be protective, so your best bet may be to just eat a regular serving of edamame or tofu a day.

4. Green Tea

Researchers discovered that women in Asia are about 5 times less likely to develop breast cancer than those who live in North America. Possible explanations include the fact that green tea consumption is higher in Asia and has been found to decrease risk by about 30 percent,

In one study researchers discovered that those who drink one green tea daily have a lower overall risk of cancer. Doctors stress that patients shouldn’t substitute green tea for any cancer treatments or medications but should opt to drink one glass daily along with their regular course of treatment. The antioxidant, EGCG in green tea is what makes this hot beverage so powerful: A study showed that an EGCG supplement can decrease breast density in young women, which in turn reduced the risk of cancer.

5. Walnuts

“Walnuts contain multiple ingredients that, individually, have been shown to slow cancer growth, including omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and phytosterols,” says one leading study. “In previous research, consumption of walnuts has slowed the growth of implanted breast cancers.”

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help fight inflammation which in itself is beneficial in avoiding heart disease and a host of other chronic conditions, but it is also linked to cancer. One study showed that adding walnuts to your meals daily may slow the growth of breast tumors. Walnuts are the most studied nuts and researchers believe that even seven whole walnuts a day are enough to pack major health benefits. Specifically, nutrients such as ellagitannins, melatonin, and gamma-tocopherol in walnuts are believed to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, which can ultimately lead to cancer growth.

6. White Mushrooms

In the lab, “white mushrooms have been shown to block estrogen synthase enzymes which fuel tumor growth, and researchers found that when comparing 1,000 breast cancer patients to the same number of healthy controls, those who ate more than just one half of a mushroom per day experienced a 64 percent risk reduction over women who ate no mushrooms,” a study found. This powerful effect from such a tiny amount makes us want to eat mushrooms every day of our lives. Sneak them into your smoothie or salad!

7. Garlic and Onions

Eating garlic and onions in large quantities may protect against breast cancer, according to a new study out of Puerto Rico. The authors looked at women 30 to 79 and found that those who ate “moderate to large” amounts of garlic and onions had the lowest rates of breast cancer. Other cancer risks were also found to be lower, including lung, stomach, and prostate, possibly due to the flavonols and organosulfur in garlic and onions which have been shown to prevent cancer cell growth.

Sofrito, a popular base in Latin American cuisines, uses tons of garlic and onion along with a variety of peppers. The study found those who consumed sofrito once per day had a 67 percent reduced risk, compared to those who never consumed it. Researchers found that Puerto Rico, where garlic and onion are a staple of the cuisine, has the lowest breast cancer rate among women in the U.S.

8. Curcumin

Curcumin, the main active ingredient in turmeric, is known for relieving inflammation and pain but also for having an effect on lowering the risk of breast cancer. A study found that “curcumin has chemopreventive and antitumoral activities against some aggressive and recurrent cancers,” the study said. Another study found curcumin not only stops tumor growth but also prevents malignant cancers from spreading: The “anticancer effect”  of curcumin relates to the fact that it appears to half “cell cycle and proliferation,” as well as “cancer spread and angiogenesis,” the study says, which is how the body supplies new blood vessels to a tumor.

Foods That Have Been Linked to Breast Cancer

Studies say that along with avoiding meat and full-fat dairy, you should stay away from all fried foods, pre-packaged baked goods, and junk food to cut down on saturated fats and trans fats in your diet as well as lowering your alcohol intake. Alcohol consumption has been known to increase estrogen levels in women and just three drinks a week is enough to increase your risk of breast cancer by 15 percent.

Meat is not only high in fat but when it gets cooked at high temperatures it releases toxins that are known to cause cancer. Processed meats and cold cuts are high in fat, salt, and preservatives, meaning you should limit or avoid intake to lower your cancer risk.  The same study that found drinking 1/4 of a cup of milk led to a 30 percent increase in the risk of breast cancer also discovered that drinking one full cup of milk per day drives up your risk from 30 percent to 50 percent. So the more milk you drink, the higher your breast cancer risk.

An overall healthy, balanced diet filled with whole plant-based foods is proven to be the most beneficial for overall breast health and reduces your lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. We’ll see you in the produce aisle, buying mushrooms.

For more research-backed advice, visit The Beet’s Health & Nutrition articles. 

The post The 8 Best Foods Scientifically Shown to Help Lower Breast Cancer Risk appeared first on The Beet.

In contrast, actual estrogen acts in the opposite way: By binding with alpha receptors for estrogen, they push “go” on the growth of cells. That means that estrogen functions as an “on” switch for potential breast cancer cells, while plant estrogen in soy is an “off” switch.

Why does this matter? Because there is a widespread misconception about diet and cancer, says Lee Crosby, RD, LD, a resident dietician and breast cancer expert with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Founded and led by Dr. Neal Barnard, PCRM has been raising awareness about the impact of diet and cancer –– especially where dairy is concerned. Barnard even went so far as to propose the USDA require warning labels on cheese since studies show that eating full-fat dairy or other estrogen-promoting foods (including alcohol) can raise your risk of cancer, especially breast cancer.

We spoke with Lee Crosby to find out what foods you can eat to help lower your risk of breast cancer.

How to Eat to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

Lee Crosby wants you to know that dietary choices can have a positive effect on your health through habit. Her clear explanation about soy came up in the middle of a fascinating interview with the RD and breast cancer expert in the context of finding out what we can do, individually and as a society, to lower our personal risk of ever getting breast cancer.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and though the words “breast cancer” may sound scary, this month is actually a great reminder that we each have the power to take care of ourselves, and that includes our whole selves, including the part of us that we call breasts. This means exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, moderating our alcohol consumption, learning other ways of coping with stress, and eating a mostly plant-based diet full of antioxidant-rich foods –– and avoiding saturated fat.

Breast cancer no longer has to be a taboo subject and it should in fact be something you talk to your doctor about all year long, but especially in October, when it’s a perfect chance to call her and ask whether you should be getting regularly screened either with mammography or a more detailed scan or both. Your medical provider can only do so much, however, and the rest of your health outcome is largely up to you, and to a lesser extent, your genes.

The Two Biggest Breast Cancer Risks

According to the CDC, smoking and obesity are the top causes of cancer in America. If you’ve quit smoking or never started, kudos. The next step is to eat as healthy as possible, and that means adopting a mostly plant-based diet of whole foods, filling your plate with vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

That’s where the soy question inevitably comes up: Soy is one of the cleanest forms of protein on the planet, with 28.6 grams per cup, and it beats out most other beans for protein. Soy is a vital part of a healthy plant-based diet.

Is Breast Cancer Risk Genetic?

Breast cancer occurs in one in 8 women in their lifetime –– or about 13 percent of American women. The vast majority of those cases are not genetically driven (only 5 to 10 percent of all breast cancer cases are tied to hereditary factors, according to BreastCancer.org) so it’s important to take steps to lower your risk, whether or not breast cancer runs in your family.

The good news: When caught in its earliest stages, stage 1 or earlier, breast cancer is 90 percent survivable, meaning not recurring within a five-year period, the closest thing science can consider a cure. Still, the numbers of new cases are staggering: An estimated 281,550 cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S. this year, along with 49,290 cases of non-invasive (in situ, extremely early) breast cancer, according to BreastCancer.org.

Men also get breast cancer but it’s much rarer: About 1 in 833 men will be diagnosed in their lifetime or about 2,650 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the US this year, so it’s worth understanding the facts and being vigilant about symptoms, and smart about prevention.

How Estrogen and Soy Are Related

Yet as much as we know, we still have questions, including what can we do to avoid ever hearing the words: “You have breast cancer.” And how to be healthy and survive it if we do get diagnosed. (Other than keeping our weight in a healthy range and eating less saturated fat?)

Lee Crosby, RD, LD, has spent most of her professional life researching the connection between diet and cancer, specifically breast cancer, ever since she herself had a scare. First, she had a biopsy in one breast, then her doctor found a “thickening” of tissue in her other breast and though both turned out not to be cancer and the course of actions was to “watch and see” her continued scanning proved to be an interesting case study of one, she said.  When her diet went off the rails, for about three months, subsequent tests showed that this suspicious tissue grew. It was enough to get her to straighten out her diet and then later, that same “thickening” shrunk again. While not scientific, this experience led her down a new path.

Over the course of researching every study about cancer and diet, Crosby became an expert. Her findings convinced her to go mostly plant-based and to give up meat and dairy in favor of plant-based foods such as soy, legumes, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Yes, soy.

Crosby clears up what might be the biggest misconception in the diet-cancer connection, which is the role of plant estrogens found in soy once they enter the body. Plant estrogens, or phytoestrogens, are not actual estrogens, she explains, and they work on an entirely different mechanism in our bodies.
“When it comes to estrogens, especially those that our own bodies make, there are two types of receptors,” Crosby explains. “Alpha receptors and beta receptors for estrogen. Alpha receptors act like accelerators and tell cells to grow, while beta receptors act as braes and tell cells to stop growing. Estrogen binds to the alpha receptors and sends the signal to grow, while plant-estrogen binds to the beta receptors and does the opposite: Tells the cells to stop growing.” This is why soy has been found to be beneficial in women’s diets when it comes to measuring the effect of soy foods such as tofu and soybean on breast cancer rates, especially the rate of recurrence in women who have already been diagnosed.

How to eat to reduce your risk of breast cancer: A diet that is rich in full-fat dairy and red meat is harmful more because of the saturated fat content in the animal products, Crosby explains, rather than the animal estrogens that are in dairy. She advises that while lactating cows are pumped with estrogen to keep them producing milk, the studies show that saturated fat in whole milk, full-fat cheese, fat-filled yogurt, and ice cream is the culprit when it comes to driving up breast cancer risk.

“The same foods that are bad for heart disease and drive up cholesterol are also indicated to increase the risk of breast cancer,” Crosby explains. So the healthiest diet, for heart disease and cancer risk, is one of whole, plant-based foods. She also hates to admit it at parties but alcohol intake is also associated with increased cancer risk. Here is Lee Crosby’s take on how to reduce your risk of breast cancer.

How Eating Plant-Based Can Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

Lucy Danziger: Can the things we eat really affect our breast cancer risk?

Lee Crosby: It absolutely can. I want to be clear up front, it can’t prevent breast cancer. It’s like when you put a seat belt on in the car you reduce your risk to get hurt. The data suggest that it can, the more whole foods the person is eating the less the risk. There are other lifestyle choices too but as a dietitian, foods are near and dear to my heart.

Lucy Danziger: What kind of foods do you recommend eating?

Lee Crosby: So I’m thinking things like fruits, things that kind of looked like they started out of the ground, things we can recognize at some level. These are foods like vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, split peas, and even tofu. We’re trying to stay away from the foods that may technically be vegan but they’re not really foods you would want to fuel your body with.

For example, soda is vegan but it’s not something you want. Potato chips and Oreos technically all come from plants and I don’t have anything against Oreos specifically, it’s just these are highly processed foods that we know are not linked to good health outcomes.

Lucy Danziger: How do we biologically lower our risk of breast cancer?

Lee Crosby:: Actually, I work with a campaign called “Let’s Beat Breast Cancer” at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and it’s all about food but also other lifestyle choices we can make to reduce the risk of breast cancer. First, it’s all about choosing to eat minimally processed plant foods. Second, regular exercise is so important and I’m happy to get to the science behind some of that. The third one is to limit or avoid alcohol because a glass of wine is really not in your best interest and the last one is to aim to maintain a healthy weight.

Lucy Danziger: As breast cancer is a hormonally trigger cancer, how do you feel about estrogens that find their way into our foods like dairy and then find their way into our bodies?

Lee Crosby:: Well it’s interesting because there’s not a huge amount of data that shows estrogen in the dairy per se to cause the issues because it’s at a very low level but that’s not to say it doesn’t. In today’s dairy industry, cows are milked deep into their pregnancy which sends estrogen levels in the milk they produce much higher. However, the bigger piece is foods high in sat fat because they will drive up the estrogen in your body naturally. These are foods like cheese and ice cream. These are the kinds of foods. I want people to avoid them because they can drive up your own body of estrogen.

Does Soy Cause Breast Cancer?

Lucy Danziger: There’s still a misconception about soy and tofu. What are your thoughts on that?

Lee Crosby: Soy does contain things that have been referred to as phytoestrogens called isoflavones, a phytochemical, which don’t act like the estrogen your body makes and that’s good because if they did then I would say we need to steer clear of soy, however, the soy in tofu acts differently.

There are two distinct types of estrogen receptors, those are little docking sites for your estrogen and they hang out on the surface of the cells in your breast the estrogen that your own body makes binds to the alpha receptor and the soy isoflavones bind to the other one called the beta receptor and Here’s how I like to think of those.

The alpha receptor is like the accelerator when your estrogen binds to it, it pushes on the accelerator and wants that cell to grow. But when isoflavone receptors bind to beta, it’s like putting on the brakes, so they say slow down, we don’t need to grow. Soy isoflavones want to bind to these beta receptors.

Lucy Danziger: Wow, no one has explained it better than you. Tell us about your background.

Lee Crosby:: So, I have not had breast cancer myself but back when I was about 30 I had a biopsy done on one breast and that came back with some fibrocystic types of changes so I want to see a breast surgeon at that point and they found the thickened area in the other breast and they wanted to do a biopsy right away and I was just I was done with the test so I said let’s can we just keep an eye on it. So, therefore, I researched the heck out of how I can reduce my risk. I did a thorough review of the science and I landed on a plant-based diet, eliminating alcohol, and staying active.

So, in the first three months check up on that area in my breast, there was no change. In the second check-up, there was no change, and in the third three-month checkup there was no change. Then, in the fourth three-month check-up I completely fell off the wagon. I stopped exercising, eating a meatier, sugary diet, and in my fourth-month check-up that thickened area doubled in size. This time the results came back as atypical. That was the push I needed to become a registered dietician.

Lucy Danziger: What should we eat in a day to be our healthiest?

Lee Crosby:: I love oatmeal for breakfast and I recommended this. It’s loaded with soluble fiber which lowers cholesterol. I would stay away from butter and additive sugars. Sweeten your oatmeal with berries, figs, vanilla. I also love when people have greens for breakfast. I always have a salad for breakfast, baby greens with fruit on it. For a snack, nuts for most people in moderation.

A piece of fruit is the ultimate fast food. I also like veggies and hummus. I love leafy greens and collard greens. Also, you can do a really quick black bean and salsa in a corn tortilla and roll it up. A salad for lunch is optimal but load it up with chickpeas, tofu, grains, whole-grain croutons, and whole-grain toast. Give your salad the staying power. A salad at every meal is great. For dinner, take whatever you love to eat and make it vegan. If you like burgers, make a veggie burger with black beans. If you like spaghetti, make a plant-based version. I am a huge fan of cooking dark leafy greens for breast and bone health. Have your fruits for dessert.

Lucy Danziger: I don’t think we would be doing our full job if we didn’t tell women that one of the best things about breast cancer awareness month is going to get your screening. Talk to your doctor about breast cancer, it doesn’t have to be scary. It’s such a healthy thing and we can talk about it without being scared.

Lee Crosby: I agree with you completely this isn’t supposed to be a scary thing in fact the survival rates for breast cancer are pretty darn good and we’d like to keep making them better.

For more plant-based advice, check out The Beet’s Ask the Expert articles. 

The post How Eating Plant-Based Can Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer appeared first on The Beet.

Are consumers right to shy away from soy milk or is soy protective, and not getting its due? Soy products have been misleadingly associated with a higher risk of cancer, especially breast cancer because soy contains isoflavones, a type of phytoestrogen. Phytoestrogens are natural plant compounds structurally similar to human estrogen, but thousands of times weaker.

These isoflavones are now believed to be “chemopreventive”  according to the latest epidemiological studies, as they bind with estrogen receptors in the body and block the uptake of animal estrogen, which in turn lowers the risk of cancer.

On the subject of misinformation and soy, the worry that soy produces “man boobs” has been well researched, and the only cases that are known happened where someone took extreme amounts of soy. Studies of children and men eating normal amounts of soy have shown no feminizing effects. Eating edamame or drinking soy milk is not the same as ingesting seven times the number of isoflavones in whole soy products.

Should we go back to eating soy? Research says it’s protective against cancer

These plant-estrogens can provide some protection in terms of breast health, according to Dr. Kristy Funk a board-certified breast cancer doctor, researcher, author, and speaker, who asserts that on a cellular level, phytoestrogens act more like estrogen blockers.

Recent studies have shown that higher soy consumption, especially early in life, is associated with an “approximate 30 percent reduction in the risk of developing breast cancer,” to quote one study. Meanwhile, soy consumption after a breast cancer diagnosis may prevent cancer recurrence, according to the analysis of 11,000 patients. The abstract claims epidemiological studies have shown that “postdiagnosis soy intake statistically significantly reduces recurrence and improves survival.”

Soy and heart health

In terms of heart health, isoflavones have been shown to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by improving metabolic parameters, such as fasting blood sugar levels, blood lipids, and systolic blood pressure – key markers for cardiovascular health.

Soy is also known to be beneficial to heart health, and substituting soy protein for animal protein has been shown to help lower LDL cholesterol. High in protein and containing both monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat, soy products have a lot to offer the plant-based consumer. In the ongoing debate about whether soy milk is good for you or whether there are serious health risks to consider, here’s what the latest research has to say.

Soy and menopausal symptoms

Isoflavones in soy can help manage symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, according to research, and have been shown to have protective effects for bone health.

One small study that examined the effects of soy on hot flashes found that women following a plant-based diet that included ½ cup per day of cooked soybeans saw their hot flashes reduce by 79 percent, compared to only 49 percent in the control group.

What is soy milk and are there any health benefits to drinking it?

Soy milk as we know it derives from the milky substance produced during traditional tofu making.  In modern production methods, soy milk is made from whole soybeans or soy flour. The whole dry beans are soaked for several hours, ground into a pulp with added water, and then boiled and filtered to remove any fibrous residue. Commercial soy milk is usually sweetened or flavored and fortified with vitamins and minerals like vitamin D and calcium.

The nutrient profile of soy milk

Nutrition-wise, soy milk is a valuable source of plant protein, providing way more protein than its close rival, almond milk. This data is from the United States Department of Agriculture.

Where did the idea come from that soy milk is bad for you?

Fears around soy consumption stem from outdated associations between isoflavones and estrogen-dependent cancers. Animal studies from the 1940s and ’50s first highlighted links between soy and estrogen, and over the year rumors have persisted about soy foods being linked to hormonal cancers and gynecomastia – the overgrowth of male breast tissue commonly known as man-boobs.

“Soy has a relatively high concentration of certain hormones that are similar to human hormones and people got freaked out about that,” says Isaac Emery, a food sustainability expert, quoted in The Guardian. “But the reality is you would have to consume an impossibly large amount of soy milk and tofu for that to ever be a problem.”

Plus, results from animal studies don’t readily translate to humans. Newer human research clarifies the safety of isoflavones regarding hormonal cancers, such as breast, prostate, and ovarian, and as previously reported on The Beet, eating soy in its natural form does not in any way contribute to the development of male breasts.

Newer research finds soy in its whole form can help prevent breast cancer

As the plant-based cancer surgeon, Dr. Funk explains, the key to soy’s health benefits is to incorporate organic, non-GM whole soy foods into your diet rather than soy isolates and extracts.  As well as soy milk, other natural whole forms include:

• Miso
• Edamame
• Tofu
• Natto
• Tempeh

One of the largest studies to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of soy foods is the Shanghai Women’s Study. The study aimed to evaluate the association of adolescent and adult soy food intake with breast cancer risk in 73,223 Chinese women.  The authors confidently concluded that women who consumed a high amount of soy foods consistently during adolescence and adulthood had a substantially reduced risk of breast cancer. There was also strong evidence of a protective effect of soy food intake against postmenopausal breast cancer.

Thyroid function and soy foods

Other concerns around soy have centered on its goitrogen content. Goitrogens are naturally occurring compounds that can inhibit thyroid function. Sources of goitrogens include:

• Soy
• Brassica vegetables: broccoli, cabbage, kale, arugula, radish
• Millet
• Okra
• Lima beans
• Nuts
• Strawberries
• Pears
• Plums

However, goitrogens don’t pose as much of a threat to thyroid function as originally believed, and the compounds can be inactivated by cooking. Soymilk production involves high-temperature cooking, meaning goitrogens are inactivated and pose no risk.

A thorough technical review paper published earlier this year concludes that neither soy foods nor isoflavones can be classed as endocrine disruptors, and they do not adversely affect thyroid function. In addition, available evidence shows that no adverse effects have been seen on breast or endometrial tissue or estrogen levels in women, or testosterone or estrogen levels, or sperm or semen parameters in men.

Dairy cannot make the same claims, however.  As a study in the Journal of Epidemiology shows, that while there is no apparent connection between soymilk intake and breast cancer, dairy milk (both full-fat and reduced-fat) is associated with a higher risk of developing breast cancer.

The study tracked the dietary habits of 52,795 women in North America (average age of 57 years) for nearly 8 years and found the cancer risks among dairy milk drinkers were the same whether the women were pre- or post-menopausal. Dairy contains animal estrogen, passed from the lactating cow to our bodies.

Soy is better for the environment

Not only is soy packed with phytoestrogens and plant protein, but it is also more environmentally sustainable than almond milk.  Almond trees are thirsty, requiring more water than any other dairy alternative – 130 pints to produce one glass of almond milk. Around 80 percent of the world’s commercially grown almonds are grown on enormous mega-farms in California’s Central Valley where deepening droughts are threatening almond production.

(This is one reason that oats are gaining in popularity since they are much kinder to the environment and replenish nitrates to the soil so they don’t require as much land to grow.) Along with water demands, almond milk production is bad news for bees since almond trees rely on bees for pollination. Each year thousands of bees are drafted into the farms to pollinate the blossoms, with around one-third dying from pesticide exposure.

Soy scores higher for sustainability, so long as you opt for soy grown on organic farms in the US or Canada, thereby avoiding soybeans grown on land cleared in the Amazon rainforest.

How to make soy milk

Soy milk can easily be made at home from scratch with a pan and blender or by using a soymilk maker that takes care of all the soaking, blending, filtering, and cooking in one pot.

Try these easy steps for homemade soy milk:

• Soak the soybeans in water for 12hrs or overnight
• Drain, and remove the outer skins of the beans
• Blend the soybeans with fresh water until they form a smooth paste
• Strain the mixture using a cheesecloth or a nut milk bag
• Pour the mixture into a pan.  Add at least 250ml of water, bring t boil, and simmer for around 20mins.  Skim the foam from the top occasionally.
• Allow the milk to cool
• Add any flavorings such as vanilla or dates and blend again if necessary
• Store in the fridge for up to 5 days

Bottom line: soy milk is now believed to lower risk of breast cancer.

Once vilified, soy has been found to be heart-healthy, lower the risk of breast cancer and other hormonal cancers, and is also among the most environmentally sustainable dairy alternatives.

The phytoestrogens in soymilk help reduce the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease and can help manage perimenopausal symptoms.

Read more on The Truth About Soy and How Much You Should Eat.

The post Is Soy Actually Protective Against Disease? Here’s What the Research Says appeared first on The Beet.

After receiving the terrifying news, Thibeault – a former public relations executive – knew she had to make a drastic change to fight back against the uterine and breast cancer invading her body. So she turned to a plant-based lifestyle to take back control of her health, a decision she credits with keeping her cancer-free to this day. Here is her story.

The Shock of My Life, Then the Fight for My Life

“I didn’t suspect anything. I was completely numb when I was told the news. My mind started racing and I had a total panic attack. I remember my life whizzing by me and I could not believe that it was actually me they were talking about. I kept thinking they had made a mistake and it couldn’t be me.”

The Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef decided to change her diet, right then and there. She adopted a fully vegan diet and began to learn to cook for herself in a whole new way. The mother-of-four thought that she was just learning to cook for herself, but ultimately this learning to make vegan foods led her to make a major career change, transitioning from the beauty industry to the culinary world, so she could share her passion for plant-based cooking.

In 2012 Kristen became Executive Chef at the Four Seasons San Francisco restaurant Kombu, the first plant-based restaurant inside the luxury hotel chain.

Three years later, Kristen, now an award-winning chef, became the co-founder and Executive Chef for Nybll, a high-end food delivery service that provides healthy, plant-forward meals to pro athletes and Fortune 500 companies like Amazon.

Fighting Back Against Cancer While Pursuing Her Dream Job

“In 2008, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer and was in the throes of all of that,” she recalls. “If you or anyone you know has had cancer, you know that you start grappling with everything in your life. You start trying to figure out what you can cling to save yourself if you will. I spent eight years of my early career at AVEDA and The Body Shop where I was exposed to a plant-based lifestyle. I wasn’t plant-based back then, but it was always in the back of my mind. So, the first thing I did after my diagnosis, was to dive straight back into healthy living.”

Thibeault says that she believes eating dairy is a factor in “almost every” chronic illness.

“For me, that was a big thing. I’m 11 years cancer-free and I am on zero medication. I rarely see a doctor, even though I have a very high-stress job. For years, I’ve been up at three in the morning working 14 to 18 hour days, but I’m able to maintain my health at a high level.

Healthy, Cancer-Free and Off All the Meds.

“Physically, I feel like I have a higher level of energy. At the same time, I’m more conscious of how I feel now than I was back then because I was dealing with so much. When you’re dealing with a life or death situation, you don’t notice the subtleties of what something does. But, in retrospect, I think I have much more sustained energy and I feel more in control of my life. It’s pretty extraordinary.”

While recovering from cancer, Thibeault wasn’t able to travel. She spent a lot of time cooking for herself in those days. A friend asked if Thibeault would cook for her, too. It was the beginning of her new business.

“Then, all of a sudden, I had not two people, but ten people, and then 15 people who wanted me to cook for them. A lot of them were new moms who simply wanted to be healthier. Suddenly, I was like, ‘Wait a second. I can actually see doing this for a living and not having to go back on the road.’ That was the birth of my career.”

For more information about Nybll, head over to Nybll.com where testimonials from the San Francisco Giants, Upstart, Glu and individual clients rave about the foodservice.  Most importantly, Chef Kristen is healthy, thriving and loving her new career and plant-based life.

Finding a Silver Lining

“So, I was working in Boston doing personal meal planning when I started cooking for a health club chain called Sports Club LA. Then they asked me to do the first plant-based restaurant at a Four Seasons in San Francisco. That sort of changed everything, as you can imagine. It was pretty high-profile. Suddenly, I was in one of the most competitive food markets in the world! People were really hungry for healthy, plant-forward food.”

“From there, I got a call from my first sports team, The Oakland A’s, because they had a few vegan players. Afterward, I jumped to the San Francisco Giants then the Golden State Warriors. I’ve been with them for the past three seasons. In 2016, I was asked to do the World Series at Dodger Stadium. Everything just exploded after that.”

“Two years ago, we served 2,000 players 6,000 meals over five days. Everything was plant-focused. There’s definitely been a radical shift in sports. Every team that I work with has vegan players now. It’s a little bit slower in football than in basketball but it’s rising faster lately. We serve all four major franchises across football, baseball, and basketball.”

Taking Control of Her Health

“One of the most powerful things about making a choice is it’s what you need, right? I think as a society – I don’t want to call it brainwashed – but everybody sort of just steps in line. Everybody goes to McDonald’s. Everybody grabs stuff that’s easy to prepare,” she says. “Then you realize, ‘What a second. It can actually be easier.’ I decided I’m not going to have a microwave. I’m just going to cook on the stove. I was testing myself and, sure enough, I still don’t have a microwave.”

Thibeault says we’ve been “indoctrinated with this belief” that media validates behavior. If we see it in a magazine, it must be worth doing–even when it comes to processed “healthy foods.”

“I realized it’s just as easy to make a smoothie or peel a banana as it is to eat a processed bar. That’s when I felt a real shift in my own body. I own my future. I own my own health.”

Snack Attacks, Minus the Meat

Thibeault is an advocate of intermittent fasting,  so she skips breakfast.

“My first meal of the day tends to be something like an avocado and kale salad. It depends if I’m in working in the kitchen or not. When I’m with my family, I do a lot of lazy, quick sauteed vegetables. I also do a really good vegan bolognese that my kids love a lot.”

“I love, love, love kale chips. Roasted carrot puree is an awesome, healthy treat to have around. A lot of times I’ll just eat half an avocado. My kids and I love coconut ice cream. That’s easy to buy or make yourself as well.”

What She Tells Clients: Start Small for Big Results

“Start with something simple. Rather than half and half in your coffee, switch over to Ripple [vegan creamer made from peas]. If you are a processed food person, just increase the number of veggies you cook every day. That’s what I always recommend to clients. Get your palate used to things slowly. If you’re a high salt user, try using less salt. Or slowly transition away from sugar. After a while, you won’t even notice. I haven’t eaten sugar in probably eight years. Now if I do, it tastes super sweet to me. There are also so many great dairy-free cheeses. And the vegan butter is phenomenal. I use to butter everything up! Now I use vegan butter across the board in my kitchen. We don’t use traditional butter in recipes ever, even if it’s a non-vegan item. People don’t even know.”

Why Eating Plants Is Easier Than Ever

“It’s really not hard to today. Almost every restaurant has options and that’s getting better and better. It’s not hard to shop, even at low-end grocery stores. It’s not hard to find recipes. And you can go to pretty much any city and find at least one vegan restaurant. I think it’s more just a matter of convenience. People think, ‘Oh gosh, someone cooked for me and I’m going to their house. I have to eat it.’ In certain cultures, that may be the one exception to the rule. But, if you’re in your own home or a restaurant, there are plenty of options.”

The Bottom Line

“Everybody should consider eating this way because it’s better for you,” Thibeault says. It’s really simple. You will live longer if you eat a plant-based diet. Every single study points to that fact. We know what happens in our bodies when we get cancer and what is supposed to happen. These chronic diseases kill us.”

“The only thing we die from isn’t related to plants. It’s slipping and falling, but that’s because our bones are weak in our lower extremities. That comes from a lack of exercise. But the four main killers all come from eating fat. They all come from eating meat and dairy. Some people say it’s too hard or it’s inconvenient. But you’ll live longer, so I say it’s worth it. It’s really just that simple.”

The post Going Plant-Based Helped This Chef Regain Her Health After Breast Cancer appeared first on The Beet.

This doctor says that what happens when you go to the bathroom, and how frequently you eliminate, is a vital message about your diet, and can even predict your risk for breast cancer. If you don’t want to read more, fair warning: We are going to talk about poop. Because what’s happening in your toilet bowl can give you daily information that can help save your life. Remember, this is all about your health, so here goes:

Dr. Terry Mason, Former COO of Illinois’ Cook County Department of Public Health and a leading Urologist, wants to get into the nitty-gritty on the connection between your health and your bowel movements. While we all understand that, like any machine, what goes into it matters in order for it to run well, and we can see from what comes out of it whether things are going smoothly: Cars have exhaust pipes, juicers have pulp catchers and we humans also have a way of seeing if everything is running smoothly in our system, too, but we rarely take advantage of this data.

For our bodies to run well we need to check both the inputs and the outputs. But chances are you never think of your bowel movements as a vital sign for health and wellbeing. Yet Dr. Mason explained why this is vital, during a recent interview for The Beet and my Awesome Vegans Influencer Series, that he wants you to check the quality, the frequency, and the consistency of what is in the bowl.

Dr. Mason’s heart attack sent him on a journey to plant-based eating

First a little background. In 2004, Dr. Terry Mason experienced everyone’s worst nightmare: while running on a treadmill, he had a heart attack. Immediately medical experts committed him to a life of pills and future procedures, to help return him to normal life. Thinking back on his own medical education and realizing that he only received, like most doctors, about four hours of nutritional information while in med school, so Dr. Mason, decided to dive into the facts. Rather than live a life on pills and have to endure multiple operations, Dr. Mason researched what he could do to avoid a life on meds. Ultimately, he found his way to a whole-food, plant-based diet. In doing so, he subsequently lost nearly 50 pounds.

Since then, Dr. Mason has made it his mission to help people find their way to a healthy quality life through plant-based eating, so that they, too, don’t have to commit themselves to a life of pills, doctor appointments and generally not being their most active or healthy. Because who wants a poor quality of life? The average person eats over 57 pounds of chicken a year, Mason tells us, and over 240 of meat. Yet few of us get our recommended five servings of vegetables and fruit a day. It is no wonder that so many Americans are unhealthy and suffering from heart disease, elevated blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Mason’s conviction is that knowing your body and being your healthiest starts with eating healthy, and ends with what comes out of it. Think you are healthy? Eating a mostly plant-based diet filled with fiber can get things moving, in your bowels, your intestines, and that does a body good!  (Consider that Americans need this information. Fun fact: One of Oprah’s most popular TV shows ever was on the subject of poop.)

Here Dr. Mason explains that the link between diet and frequency of bowel movements and cancer. In one study, women with frequent bowel movements had a 46 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those who go to the bathroom less frequently. The act of moving waste through the body, called bowel motility, helps excrete estrogens in the waste, thereby lowering estrogen in the body, to the point that your breast cancer risk goes down. The best way to move things along, Dr. Mason says, is to increase the amount of fiber in your diet.

Fiber only exists in plant-based foods, since it is the cellular infrastructure of plants (animals have skeletons and muscles to keep them upright, plant-based foods need fiber to reach for the sun.) Fiber causes your bowel movements to be regular and less dense, so if you need to keep eating more fiber until you achieve this healthy outcome, just keep adding whole plant-based foods to your diet.

A more recent study backs up the connection between fiber and breast cancer risk. The higher the fiber quotient in your diet, the lower your breast cancer risk. One reason why is the elimination of estrogen through your bathroom habits.

The fact is a regular elimination of bowel acids is healthy, Mason explains, since toxins from the bowel can get re-absorbed into the body if they sit there for too long, and these toxins get stored in the breast, which can increase risk of breast cancer, the study showed. Dr. Mason explains that the more fiber you eat, the more frequently you eliminate your bowels, the healthier it is for your body and your lifetime cancer risk.

“It is totally normal to eliminate right after breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and some people have convinced themself they are not comfortable going in a foreign place,” he says. “But if you are eating plant-based and drinking the right amount of water that should lead to regular bowel movements. And if you don’t go at least once a day, add more fiber to your diet.”

Eat more fiber foods to keep things moving

Here is the Interview with Dr. Terry Mason:

Dr. Terry Mason: A study revealed how any woman who has fewer than three bowel movements a week has a four times greater likelihood of developing breast cancer.

Elysabeth: I thought everybody had bowel movements every day. No? Sorry the conversation’s taking a turn now we’re talking about bowel movements.

Dr. Terry Mason: But that’s all a part of life.

Elysabeth: Right, of course. It’s what you put in to get what you put out.

Dr. Terry Mason: What you put in determines when you let it out and how often and what happens is (that) when you’re only having two to three bowel movements a week but you’re eating two to three times a day…

Elysabeth: I don’t…how can your system actually hold that?

Dr. Terry Mason: Well that’s what we have right now. That’s what people are doing because a lot of the foods they’re eating don’t have any fiber.

Elysabeth: Meat has no fiber! I just learned this. I knew it had cholesterol, but I didn’t know it had no fiber.

Dr. Terry Mason: Fiber comes from the cellulose in the plant.

Elysabeth: Can’t be healthy without fiber.

Dr. Terry Mason:  You can’t be healthy without fiber. So what happens, according to the study, these 1,481 women were in the study, and basically they looked at those women who have fewer than two bowel movements a week. An aspirator took out fluid from their breasts and they found that there were pre-cancerous changes in that fluid [called dysplasia]. And it’s because they weren’t eliminating the excess bile acids which are necessary to help break down the fats and the cholesterol in your blood.

But when you’re not eliminating those every, single day it gets reabsorbed into the bloodstream and when it gets reabsorbed into the bloodstream it concentrates in the breast. They checked these bile acids and checked to see if they themselves could cause cancer and they did. That’s what the study showed.

When you go from eating the standard American diet to eating a plant-based diet and you’re drinking water and now you’re having a far more normal frequency of bowel movements like: You eat, you poop. Just like your kids. It’s totally normal that after breakfast you should poop, after lunch you should poop.

Elysabeth: So you think people should poop three times a day?

Dr. Terry Mason: If they’re eating three times a day.

Elysabeth: Okay, noted.

Dr. Terry Mason: Well a lot of people don’t because they’ve trained themselves that they don’t like to poop in foreign places.

Elysabeth: Please weigh in everybody I’d love to know what you think about this. Yes, you also have to be comfortable in the spot.

Dr. Terry Mason: Well that’s what I say. They don’t like going in a foreign place and so you can always hold it but theoretically when you’re eating plant-based and you’re drinking the water, you will poop.

Elysabeth: Yeah and it’s wonderful!

Dr. Terry Mason: Yes and it’s important.

So eat your plants! Another option for someone with constipation is to use a fiber supplement such as Metamucil. Get your fiber! And head to the bathroom several times a day, for your health. To watch the full interview, click here.

Elysabeth Alfano is a plant-based expert for mainstream media, breaking down the plant-based health, food, culture, business, and environmental news on radio and TV. Follow her @elysabethalfano on all platforms.

The post To Be Your Healthiest, Pay Attention to What Happens In the Bathroom appeared first on The Beet.

Let’s back up for a second and review: Fiber is found in plants, not animals. It’s the fibrous tissue in the peel of the apple, the stalk of the asparagus, or the membranes of the clementine, and it’s the strong sturdy cells that keep a plant growing, gives the zucchini its shape, and allows plants to literally shoot up and reach for the sunlight from its seed in the earth. Animals contain no fiber: We have skeletons, muscles, tendons and ligaments to stand up and move. Plants have all the fiber, as do beans, oats, and seeds. Fiber is Mother Nature’s powerful stick and she yields it to create forests from seeds since it is what gives trees their tensile strength. And when we eat it, good things happen to our health.

Fiber Does More Than Help us go to the Bathroom; It Keeps Blood Sugar in Check

FIber is essential in our bodies, because it slows the movement of food through the gut, allowing your body to reap the full benefits of the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and energy that the apple or asparagus gives us. It also keeps your blood sugar from spiking and your insulin levels steady. That means your body never has the chance to send the signal: Incoming calories! Store these extra ones as fat! Insulin is the caller in that equation. Fiber keeps insulin calm and quiet. So chalk one up for fiber. The more you eat (as a ratio of your total dietary intake) the slimmer you’re likely to be.

Diets High in Fiber Appear to Lower Breast Cancer Risk by 8 Percent

People have been “adding” fiber to diets for decades. Those not-so-good overly dry bran muffins, the hard-to-swallow twig-like cereals, and the well-known “old folks” fiber drinks that are supposed to keep you regular have given fiber a bad name. In fact, fiber is in every single fruit and vegetable you eat, and it is easy to get if you fill your plate with healthy salads, greens, and anything you could theoretically grow in your own garden.  And now a new study shows that there’s yet another reason to love fiber: It reduces your lifetime risk of Breast Cancer in both pre- and post-menopausal women.

While this study only looked at breast cancer, fiber has also been linked to maintaining a healthy weight, and found to lower other cancer risks as well.

Research published in the peer-reviewed American Cancer Society journal CANCER shows women who consumed high-fiber diets saw an 8 percent reduced risk of developing breast cancer. It’s the first review of its kind.

This was a review study that looked at 20 observational studies where they could track both diet and breast cancer incidence, and found that all in all, those with the highest fiber intake reduced their risk 8 percent. “Soluble fiber” is associated with lower risks of breast cancer,  and higher total fiber intake was associated with a lower risk in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women,” according to the study’s author, Maryam Farvid, Ph.D., of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Foods with soluble fiber include Dried beans, oats, oat bran, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, apples, strawberries, peas, and potatoes.

“Our study contributes to the evidence that lifestyle factors, such as modifiable dietary practices, may affect breast cancer risk,” said Dr. Farvid. “Our findings provide research evidence supporting the American Cancer Society dietary guidelines, emphasizing the importance of a diet rich in fiber, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.”

Importantly, the findings point to eating more fiber to lower cancer risk

“A high intake of total fiber also was found to be significantly associated with a decreased risk in both premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancers,” lead researcher, Farvid told U.S. News & World Report.

“With the risk for breast cancer being as significant as it is, we are always looking for ways in which we can decrease a woman’s risk for developing this disease,” said Dr. Lauren Cassell, chief of breast surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

So where do you get your fiber? Beans, Oats, Vegetables and Fruits

The best sources of soluble fiber are oats, dried beans and some fruits and vegetables. Experts recommend a total dietary fiber intake of 25 to 30 grams per day with about one-fourth, about 6 to 8 grams per day, from soluble fiber.

Fiber may be effective in lowering breast cancer risk by reducing estrogen levels through balancing insulin circulation. The chain reaction goes something like this: Rises in insulin are linked to body fat storage. Fat cells produce estrogen. Estrogen is linked to breast cancer.

The study didn’t specify which sources of fiber were most beneficial—if at all—in reducing the risk. “The reduction in risk appears to be similar for intake of all sources of fiber,” Farvid’s group said.

According to the researchers, whole grains and cereals make up nearly half (45%) of all fiber intake for women in the U.S., with vegetables coming in second (23%), followed but fruits, nuts, beans, and seeds.

Sources of Soluble and Insoluble Fiber

Sources of fiber

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Both are a part of a healthy diet that can help lower your cancer risk, Erma Levy, a research dietitian in Behavioral Science at MD Anderson Cancer Center, explains. Soluble fiber attracts water and turns to gel during digestion, slowing the digestive process. Foods high in soluble fiber include:

• Oats
• Barley
• Nuts and seeds
• Peas
• Avocado
• Oranges
• Brussels sprouts

• Apples
• Whole grains
• Wheat bran

Juice is not a good source of fiber since the fiber is often removed in the juicing process. “Ideally, you want fiber to come from whole food sources, not supplements or juices,” Levy says. Foods with at least 2.5 grams of fiber per serving are considered good sources of fiber. And foods with at least 5 grams or more per serving of fiber are considered excellent sources of fiber.

About that oatmeal: One cup of oatmeal cooked in water has 170 calories, 6 grams of protein, 4 grams of fat and 4 grams of fiber, or 16 percent of the daily value for fiber. Most of us eat closer to a cup and a half or two cups in a bowl, so you’re one-thrid of the way there.

The post Add to the Many Health Benefits of Fiber: “Reduces Breast Cancer Risk” appeared first on The Beet.