Whoever said "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die" might have been closer to the truth than many would like to think. Although we might chuckle mildly at the popular amalgamation of Scripture, we can't help wondering if there is a kernel of hidden truth in it.
The Nurses' Health Study reveals that what women eat in their younger years has an impact on their future health.
Adolescent Diet
A group of researchers analyzed nutrition data from questionnaires that were part of the Nurses' Health Study, a research project that includes more than 100,000 subjects. A link was found between adolescent fat consumption and the development of breast cancer later in life. Specifically,
- Eating more eggs during your adolescent years is associated with a decreased risk.
- Eating more vegetable fat reduces your risk.
- Eating more dietary fiber decreases the risk.
- Eating more butter slightly increases your risk (although other studies have found the opposite to be true).
Other studies have found that eating high fat meats increase a woman's risk of breast cancer. Inversely, eating more fruits and vegetables decreases the risk.
Less Meat, More Miso
Another group of researchers looked at the dietary habits of a different age group of the Nurses' Health Study – women aged 26 to 46 years at the start of the study. They found an increased rate of breast cancer in women who ate higher amounts of animal fat (red meat and high-fat dairy). Both saturated and mono-unsaturated fat increased a woman's risk of breast cancer. Vegetable fat did not increase the risk.
Another prospective study involving more than 21,000 Japanese women (aged 40 to 59 at the start of the study) found that frequent consumption of miso soup and soy isoflavones reduced a woman's risk of breast cancer. The same relationship was not found with other soy foods. The researchers reported a strong protective effect even among postmenopausal women.
Summary
Fortunately, your diet doesn't have to cause disease. The foods you eat can have a positive impact on your health too. Eating a largely plant-based diet while you're in your childhood and teens might protect you against breast cancer. But the benefits of a healthy diet don't stop there. The association continues throughout a woman's life. That's good news for women – of all ages.
Here are a few ways you can eat healthfully:
- Substitute soy or olive oils in recipes that call for oil.
- Serve miso soup regularly.
- Emphasize fruits and vegetables in your menu planning.
- Serve meat as a condiment, not as a main dish.
- Use eggs moderately.
- Eat healthy fats, such as in avocados and nuts.
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