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7. 7 Lifestyle Changes You Should Make to Prevent Breast Cancer

Dr. Amodita Ahuja, Consultant Obstetrician, Gynecologist, Laparoscopic Surgeon, and Infertility Specialist, explains a few of the lifestyle changes which can actually decrease the chances of having Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women and the most surprising fact is that earlier the women used to get breast cancer in older age but recently there is a shift in the age group of women suffering from breast cancer and more and more younger women are suffering from it.

People think that if they don't have a family history of breast cancer, then they will not get it but it's a complete eye wash as there are so many factors which are influenced by the lifestyle they live which increase the incidence of breast cancer. Some of them are excessive alcohol intake, lack of exercise, smoking, increased consumption of junk food, etc.

Few of the lifestyle changes which can actually decrease the incidence of breast cancer are:

1. Decrease alcohol consumption

Alcohol consumption makes you crave fatty food. Not only that, the kind and amount of alcohol being consumed also determine the amount of body fat, the more body fat, the more will be the estrogen in the body, hence increased chances of breast cancer. Also, alcohol slows the metabolism of estrogen, further increasing the estrogen content of the body. So it is advised to decrease the consumption of alcohol to 2-3 times a week and not more than 60 ml.

2. Quit smoking

Cigarette smoke has 200 different substances which can be carcinogenic. But the basis behind all this is excessive free radical generation, which damages the DNA of the cell and hence makes it carcinogenic. Heavy smoking increases the risk by 40-50% especially if there is a strong associated family history.

3. Regular exercise

Regular exercise means aerobic exercises which increase the heart rate 4-5 times a week, lasting for 45 minutes a day. It keeps the body fat in check and hence keeps the estrogen in check, thereby reducing the incidence of breast cancer by 40-50%.

4. Eating the right food

Food rich in fruits and vegetables and low in processed and red meat are known to decrease the incidence of breast cancer. Avoid processed and packaged food as the preservatives in these can be carcinogenic. Home cooked fresh food which is not refrigerated or microwaved is ideal.

5. Breastfeeding

While the mother breast-feeds, oxytocin hormone produced in the body inhibits estrogen and progesterone and hence decreases the exposure of breast with estrogen. Therefore, it is known that each year of breastfeeding exposure decreased the risk of breast cancer by 4.3%.

6. Self breast examination

It is a habit which needs to be incorporated in your daily life. It will help you understand your breast more effectively and you will be able to detect even the minutest changes happening. This way, the detection becomes early and treatment becomes easy.

7. Intake of hormones

Intake of hormones for contraceptive purposes or for hormone replacement after menopause should be under strict guidance of a gynecologist because its inadvertent use might increase the risk of breast cancer.

Lifestyle modification plays a vital role not only in the prevention of breast cancer but also in the recurrence if the woman is already suffering from breast cancer. They are very minute changes, but the effects last lifelong. Small changes in your life can either make or break your life. These changes look negligible but have a huge impact in protecting you from cancer.