Last week we discussed some myths related to breast cancer as debunked by Dr Kristi Funk, in her book “Breasts, the owner’s manual”.  This week we will discuss the subject of foods that are helpful in preventing breast cancer.  Diet is only one of many factors related to breast cancer development, but happens to be the most important.  It is thus useful to spend some time on this subject.

ALSO READ : Turning the Tide: Breast cancer – Facts and fallacies (Part 2)

Our amazing bodies are designed to maintain homeostasis – living in harmony with destructive and constructive forces.  Each cell is a highly complex megacity of functions working together to maintain function – reproduction, elimination of waste and physiological and structural integrity.  All the information to perform all these functions is encoded in the rather fragile DNA (De-oxyribonucleic acid) strands which are the source of the approximately 25,000 genes that provide guidance to all living functions.  Our diet is the source of hundreds of thousands of phytochemicals which provide profound anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties that target destructive forces seeking to disrupt these delicate processes.  Many factors promote the development of cancers – like cigarette smoke, carcinogens in our diet and in our environment, inefficient immune systems, lack of exercise and chronic stress, to name a few.  It makes sense to learn how we can boost the protective factors in the battle against cancer.  Most of these are found in our diet.  This information relates not just to breast cancer but to all cancers.

Have you ever heard about phytochemicals before?  I have mentioned these on a number of occasions on these blogs.  Here are some of the well-known ones that have been shown to have anti-cancer effects and their main sources:

sulforaphane                                        (broccoli, kale)

indole-3-carbinol                                 (broccoli, kale)

genistein                                              (soy)

diallyl sulphide                                    (garlic)

ellagic acid                                           (berries, walnuts)

curcumin                                             (turmeric)

epigallocatechin gallate                        (green tea)

resveratrol                                            (red grapes)

omega-3 fatty acids                             (flaxseeds, chia seeds, avocado)

procyanidins                                        (berries)

lycopene                                              (tomatoes, watermelon)

anthocyanidins                        (apples)

limonene                                              (oranges)

carotenoids                                          (orange fruits and vegetables)

How do these phytochemicals work?

• Providing antioxidant activity and scavenging free radicals to which our cells are exposed
• Preventing DNA damage
• Repairing broken DNA
• Destroying harmful cells in our body
• Tempering the growth rate of cancer cells
• Inhibiting new blood supply to tumour cells
• Stimulating the immune system
• Regulating hormone metabolism
• Reducing inflammation
• Supplying antibacterial and antiviral effects.

This is certainly a mighty powerful list of activities by these tiny chemicals found so abundantly in plant-based foods.  Unfortunately modern processing methods end up denuding many of our foods of these vital substances.  Food manufacturers then try to impress us by listing the smattering of minerals and vitamins with which they have “enriched” our foods.

Far too many people have never learned to appreciate the flavours and textures of plant foods. 

It behooves especially moms, but also dads to instil in the palates of young children the love for fruits and vegetables and other plant foods. As Kristi Funk says so succinctly “If you really want to defeat cancer, then eat like you mean it.”

How do we obtain all these amazing phytochemicals?  Certainly you don’t find them on the shelves of pharmacies in little bottles of supplements – well you might find a few there.  But they are best obtained in their natural sources – a wide variety of colourful fruits and vegetables – green, yellow, orange, red, purple and white;  in whole grains like oats, and brown or black and wild rice, wheat, barley, quinoa, maize; legumes like soy, beans, chick-peas, lentils; finally, nuts like almonds, walnuts, and seeds like chia and linseeds, etc.  Most of these are accompanied by another health-promoting ingredient – fibre.  This is one essential nutrient absent in animal products.

What can you do to ensure that you are obtaining all you need of these vital substances each day?  Kristi advises that you should consume 10 servings (about 5 cups) of fruits and vegetables daily.  It is helpful to include 2 servings of each of the colours per day – green, red, yellow, orange, brown/white.  That 10 servings is not including all the whole grains and legumes.  By the way if you are eating this plant-strong diet, you can eat an enormous amount of food each day without gaining weight – in fact you will be surprised that you are actually losing weight without even really trying.

Kristi Funk spends a lot of time sharing her research on soy and breast cancer.  She herself at one time discouraged the use of soy in relation to breast cancer, because of its known oestrogenic properties.   However it turns out that soy actually blocks the development of breast cancer, especially if consumed during childhood and youth.  “Soy does not increase breast cancer but in fact decreases the occurrence, recurrence, and death rates in every single study exploring this matter since 2009.”  Good sources of soy proteins include tofu, soybeans (edamame), roasted soybeans and soy milk – both long-life and powdered milk.

There is so much more information in Kristi Funk’s book, which I recommend to your reading.

Next week we will present a synopsis of her chapter on foods to avoid for healthy breasts, and to avoid breast cancer.

The best way to benefit from all this helpful information is to sit down and contemplate practically what you can do to incorporate this into your daily lifestyle.  How will this information affect what you eat for breakfast, lunch and supper/dinner.  How will it affect your grocery shopping behaviour?  Might it be helpful to have a serious conversation with your family and discuss changes you can begin to transform your diet from one that is poor in nutritional value, to one that is bursting with a cornucopia (now there is a fancy word you can look up on your smartphone) of vital nutrients.  This is a journey well worth beginning.

PS much of the information in this blog is mined out of Kristi Funk’s book. However I have added information from other sources where appropriate.  I highly recommend you obtain her book for far more in-depth discussion about the subject.

Have a great week.

Dave Glass

Dr David Glass graduated from UCT in 1975.  He spent the next 12 years working at a mission hospital in Lesotho, where much of his work involved health education and interventions to improve health, aside from the normal busy clinical work of an under-resourced mission hospital. 

He returned to UCT in 1990 to specialise in obstetrics/gynaecology and then moved to the South Coast where he had the privilege of, amongst other things, ushering 7000 babies into the world.  He no longer delivers babies but is still very clinically active in gynaecology.

An old passion, preventive health care, has now replaced the obstetrics side of his work.  He is eager to share insights he has gathered over the years on how to prevent and reverse so many of the modern scourges of lifestyle – obesity, diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, common cancers, etc.

He is a family man, with a supportive wife, and two grown children, and four beautiful grandchildren. His hobbies include walking, cycling, vegetable gardening, bird-watching, travelling and writing.  He is active in community health outreach and deeply involved in church activities.  He enjoys teaching and sharing information.

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