Now
that National
Breast Cancer Awareness Month has begun, many doctors and nutritionists are
dishing out dietary advice to help women ward off the deadly disease. After
reviewing the latest research, responsible medical experts, including those
with the American Cancer Society and New York's Montefiore Einstein Center for
Cancer Care, have come to a consensus: Women should eat a plant-based diet rich
in phytochemicals, which fight inflammation and knock out carcinogens. This invaluable
advice should shift our focus from wearing pink to eating green--in other words,
to eating wholesome vegan
foods.
While
fruits, vegetables, beans, grains and soy foods contain cancer-fighting
phytochemicals, all that animal-based foods have to offer are cholesterol and cancer-causing
substances, including concentrated protein, hormones and saturated fat. As many
as one-third of common types of cancer, including breast cancer, are linked to
excess weight and inactivity, and it's much easier to maintain a healthy weight
if you eat vegan foods. They tend to be low in fat and calories, unlike fatty animal-based
foods, such as hamburgers, chicken and cheese. Studies even show that vegans
are nine times less likely to be obese than meat-eaters and that vegans are
about 40 percent less likely to get cancer than nonvegans. Perhaps it's no
coincidence that October is also World Vegetarian Awareness Month.
A
Washington State University professor recently identified more than 40
plant-based compounds that help slow the progression of cancer. His findings,
which are published in the journal Cancer
and Metastasis Reviews, support the claim that people who eat a plant-based diet are
less likely to get cancer.
High-fat
animal-based foods raise estrogen levels, accelerating the growth of cancer
cells. In contrast, plant-based foods tend to keep estrogen at a safe level. Researchers
with Boston University tracked more than 50,000 African-American women for 12
years--1,300 of them developed breast cancer, and 35 percent of the cases were
estrogen receptor-negative, a highly aggressive form of the disease. The women
who ate at least two servings of vegetables a day were 43 percent less likely
to develop highly aggressive breast cancer than those who ate less than four
servings of vegetables per week. Women who eat carrots and cruciferous
vegetables, in particular, seem to have a reduced risk of breast cancer.
The
lead researcher noted that high vegetable consumption offers significant health
benefits, including protection against cancer. This conclusion is hardly an
earth-shattering revelation, but it should give both men and women some food
for thought. People who are concerned about cancer--or heart disease, diabetes
and other health conditions--would be wise to choose vegan foods.
Another
study, conducted by the University of Utah, found that women who eat healthy "native"
Mexican foods, including beans, spices and tomato-based sauces, have a 32
percent lower risk of breast cancer than women who eat a typical Western-style
diet, which is heavy in meat
and cheese.
Dr.
T. Colin Campbell, who stars in the acclaimed documentary Forks Over Knives, says that "no chemical carcinogen is nearly
so important in causing human cancer as animal protein." He urges people
to eat vegan meals in order to prevent cancer and other common diseases. More doctors
should follow his example. While many physicians can perform mastectomies, administer
chemotherapy and offer other important medical services, the ones who give
patients preventive dietary advice will ultimately be the real lifesavers.
Heather Moore is a staff writer for the PETA Foundation, 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510; www.PETA.org.