There is lots of evidence popping up through research that links what teen girls eat now – and the lifestyle followed – matters in adulthood, specifically in breast cancer risk. A 2005 report released after an International Research Conference on Food, Nutrition and Cancer stressed the importance of decreasing intake of saturated fat and polyunsaturated fats (found in vegetable oils and salad dressings) and substituting omega-3 fish oil and olive oil.
A 2006 review of 18 studies found that girls who began a pattern of eating the many forms of soy products – like soy milk, soy nuts, tofu and edamame – cut their risk of future breast cancer. A 2008 article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute discovered that teens who regularly exercised, and kept it up as time went on, cut their risk of breast cancer in maturity.
New Research Shows Fiber and Nuts Cut Risk of Later Breast Cancer
New research reported this year finds that higher consumption of nuts and fiber eaten by teen girls appears to have a preventative effect against breast cancer in later years. The study had 29,480 adult women record their eating habits while they had been in high school via questionnaires. The research, done at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School and part of the Nurses’ Health Study II, found that 682 adolescents had developed rapidly-developing benign breast disease (BBD), a marker of increased breast cancer risk.
Teens who had consumed the highest amounts of fiber had a 25 percent reduced risk of BBD, compared to those who ate the lowest amounts of fiber. In addition, girls who ate two or more servings of nuts per week ended up with 36 percent less risk of BBD, compared to those getting less than one serving per month. The research study was published online in the journal Cancer Causes & Control on March 14, 2010.
Nuts and Fiber are Part of the Mediterranean Diet
For some time, health educators have noted the importance of eating nutritious food – like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. This food is the essence of the Mediterranean Diet, which also includes eating moderate amounts of seafood, red grape juice (or red wine if an adult) and olive oil. The diet is really a healthy lifestyle way-of-living that encourages daily exercise too.
Help Teens Choose a Healthy Lifestyle
In addition to wholesome eating and daily physical activity, a healthy lifestyle includes taking a daily multivitamin. Even though multivitamin use had a small link to breast cancer in a recent study done in Sweden, a similar study – the Women’s Health Study of 38,000 women for 10 years – found no connection with multivitamins and risk of breast cancer.
In fact, most experts agree that taking multivitamins enhances health by filling in nutritional gaps, and are heart-healthy. Parents can help teens establish a healthy eating plan, carry out regular exercise and take a multivitamin; all may cut risk of future breast cancer.
This is an educational article only. Consult your health care professional for advice.
Reference:
Shanley, Ellen. Fueling the Teen Machine. Palo Alto, CA: Bull Publishing Co., 2001.
Arlene Lengyel - Arlene is a graduate of Clayton College of Natural Health with a Doctor of Naturopathy degree. Naturopathy promotes an all-inclusive, ...
