Plate Debate

Does what you eat – or not eat – affect your risk of breast cancer? Alex Mlynek separates fact from fiction and offers a few fork-worthy tips to help reduce your overall cancer risk.

- Alex Mlynek

THE TRUTH IS, THERE AREN’T MANY solid answers when it comes to how diet and breast cancer risk work, says Pauline Wisdom-Gilliam, a registered dietitian at the Odette Cancer Centre at Sunny brook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. “There’s no definitive research to show that specific foods increase your risk of developing breast cancer,” she explains.

However, there is a connection between alcohol and your risk of breast cancer, which is why she recommends that women drink no more than one glass of alcohol a day. And, though it hasn’t been proven yet, she says that some research shows that higher insulin levels may put people at greater risk of developing breast cancer. It’s still in its early days on that point, but she encourages people to avoid sugary drinks and be mindful of added sugars.

As for foods that are protective against breast cancer, Wisdom-Gilliam says that soybeans and flaxseed – both of which contain phytoestrogens – may help lower your risk, especially in young women whose breasts are still developing.

While there may not be many foods that target breast cancer, there are ways to tweak your diet to potentially reduce your overall cancer risk. Where to start? Focus on eating mostly plant-based foods and as many different types of them as possible. Try out a rainbow of fruits and veggies, give different whole grains a whirl, and expand your repertoire of legumes.

“There’s protection in variety,” she explains. You’re more likely to cover your bases in terms of nutrients and cancer fighting phytonutrients by eating many types of these foods in their whole form. Why whole? Many beneficial compounds are thought to be prevalent in the skins of fruit.