Prevent Cancer by Wise Food Choices

We are what we eat, and that isn’t always a good thing. Some pesticides used on fruits and vegetables have been linked to breast cancer. And exposure to estrogen-like hormones used in raising livestock may increase your risk for the disease. Read labels, ask your grocer to stock organic produce and hormone-free meats and dairy products, and look for organic food at your local farmers’ market.

GO ORGANIC:
* Organic produce is grown without harmful man-made chemicals.
* Some organochlorines, chemicals made of chlorine and carbon, are estrogen mimics that cause breast cancer. Organochlorine chemicals are found in pesticides and plastics.

PICK ANTIOXIDANT-RICH FOOD:
* Antioxidants, such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Beta-Carotene protect our cells’ DNA against damage by free radicals—harmful chemicals that are found in car exhaust, tobacco smoke, x-rays and sunlight. Free radicals can attack cell membranes and damage the DNA of cells, which ultimately causes cancer.
* Studies suggest that many women’s cancers can be prevented by eating foods rich in antioxidants, high in fiber and low in fat.

CHOOSE HORMONE-FREE MEATS AND DAIRY:
* When we eat meat, poultry, fish and dairy products, we’re also eating the residue of what those animals ate, including pesticides, growth hormones, and contaminants.
* Hormone-free beef or dairy eliminates those traces of hormones that can enter our bodies and contribute to an increased risk of breast cancer.

FILL UP ON FIBER:
* A women’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is directly related to her lifetime exposure to estrogen. Fiber helps the body get rid of excessive estrogen.
* There are two types of fiber, and both are equally beneficial. Soluble fiber can be found in rice bran, oatmeal and barley. Insoluble fiber can be found in wheat bran and woody stems of vegetables and fruit.

Source:http://www.pureprevention.org/act_eatsmart.php