Shinichiro Teranishi writes:
Mrs. Yuki Masuda is a postmenopausal
48-year-old native Japanese housewife who has recently returned to Japan
after living in Canada for almost 20 years. Mrs. Masuda is approximately
15 kilos overweight. She is a somewhat worried about developing breast
cancer later in life. Many of her friends in North America have had relatives
or acquaintances who have had breast cancer, but she is not sure whether
she should be overconcerned since she understands that fewer Asian women
develop this disease than women in the West.
You say, I just want you to tell me what I can do so I don't get cancer.
So, I will advise you about what you can do so you reduce risks for cancer.
First, I will tell you the basic risk factors for your developing breast
cancer. Then, I will explain the links between lifestyle choices like diet
and health problems like breast cancer. Perhaps You will find what you
should do so you don't get cancer and the importance of diet. And you will
find you must pay more attention to your own health and lifestyle.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Genetic,
environmental, and gene-environment interactions are now considered as
key elements in breast cancer etiology. Women who eat diets rich in animal
foods reach menarche (the first occurrence of menstruation) earlier, thereby
producing more estrogen over their lifetimes and developing breast cancer
at a significantly higher rate. In other words, low-fat, high-fiber diets
are linked with lower levels of female hormones and a lower risk for breast
cancer. But all fats are not a problem. Certain kinds of fat, such as olive
oil, may actually be protective. The best established dietary risk factor
is alcohol intake, which appears to increase risk for breast cancer even
among moderate drinkers. Also, weight gain in adulthood may be a risk factor
for breast cancer. I have discovered that you are a moderate drinker, you
eat quite a bit of beef and pork (these are high-fat containing foods),
you cook a lot of your food using sweet coconut oil or margarine, you dislike
most vegetables and you prefer to eat Western-style desserts like rich
cakes and ice cream. In addition, you are approximately 15 kilos overweight.
These conditions indicate that you are now at risk of developing breast
cancer. I think you need to improve these conditions not to get cancer.
For years, researchers had theorized that a high-fat diet was associated
with breast cancer, in part because they knew that Asian women, who generally
eat a diet much lower in fat than do Western women, have far lower rates
of breast cancer. But fat may be a small part of that equation; other factors
such as heredity, fewer environmental toxins, and even a high soybean intake
may have a greater effect on keeping breast cancer rates low in Asian women.
But some research has shown that when women move from a country with a
low incidence of breast cancer, such as Japan, to a country with a high
incidence, such as the United States, their breast-cancer risk goes up.
Because Japanese women consume lower-fat diets than do U.S. women, researchers
have hypothesized that a fat-rich diet is the cause behind the rise in
cancer risk. Also the influence of a diet containing soy protein has been
researched with regard to certain health benefits. Women's intake of soy
protein is potentially beneficial with respect to risk factors for breast
cancer and may in part explain the low incidence of breast cancer and its
correlation with a high soy intake among Japanese and Chinese women. I
hear that you are not sure whether you should be overconcerned since you
know that fewer Asian women develop this disease than women in the West.
But, your lifestyle considered, I conclude that your risk of having breast
cancer is not low, but very high. Mammograms and other laboratory tests
indicate that you are cancer-free, but your LDL-level is above normal.
So, in addition to being overweight, tests indicate that you have consumed
too many of the wrong kinds of food.
Finally, I will show you general dietary guidelines. A low fat diet is
widely recommended. Fat is likely the culprit with the epidemic proportions
of breast, colon and prostate cancer. The incidence of these cancers and
others is decreased in cultures eating a low fat, high fiber diet. In a
vegetarian type diet the incidence of cancer in general is markedly decreased.
Even in women already having a diagnosis of breast cancer, obesity is an
adverse prognostic factor, that is, women who are overweight do not respond
as well as do women of normal weight. When you are in the market read the
labels regarding fat content. Strive for the lowest fat diet you can reach.
Animal meat consumption should be avoided as much as possible. Fish, turkey
and chicken should be your source of non-vegetable protein. The majority
of medical articles now suggest that we eat complex carbohydrates -- starches
that require digestion to break them down to simpler carbohydrates and
eventually sugars. Simple sugars should be avoided. Their consumption results
in jumps in blood sugar with the body reacting with insulin production
and frequently hypoglycemia. Eating complex carbohydrates avoids this.
Coarse-grained breads, whole wheat and bran cereals, raw or lightly steamed
vegetables, fresh fruits are all in this class of complex carbohydrates.
In conclusion, below is what you should change for your healthy life without
risk of having breast cancer.
- Limit consumption of alcoholic beverages, if you drink at all.
- Cut down on total fat intake.
- Eat a varied diet. Don't eliminate certain foods.
- Include a variety of vegetables and fruits in the daily diet.
- Eat more high-fiber foods such as whole grain cereals, legumes, vegetables,
and fruits.
On the above, the most important thing is that you should make changes
gradually. Just as there are no "super foods" or easy answers
to a healthy diet, don't expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight.
Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success. Begin to remedy
excesses or deficiencies with modest changes that can add up to positive,
lifelong eating habits. For instance, if you don't like the taste of skim
milk, try low-fat. Eventually you may find you like skim, too.
- Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger,
often resulting in overeating. When you're very hungry, it's also tempting
to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger,
but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal. You tell
me that you try to diet, you try to skip eating breakfast. You say, but
after a few days of dieting like this, I have to have something sweet and
delicious. This shows you have the wrong idea. Skipping meals is not the
right way to diet.
- Maintain a desirable body weight. Maintain a healthy weight. The weight
that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height,
age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood
pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other
illnesses. If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered
dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight
management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy
weight.
In addition, several animal studies have already suggested that exercise
may help to reduce risk for cancer. So, I recommend you to do fast walking
for about 30-60 minutes. I think fast walking is one of the better ways
for maintaining our good health. Because exercising burns body fats and
cholesterol level lower.
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