7 Tips for Breast Cancer Risk Reduction

Cancer is a serious topic. Many people avoid talking about it because it makes them uncomfortable. The majority of breast cancers arise from circumstances in life rather than heredity. Still, you should feel hope that you can alter some aspects of your lifestyle to lessen your risk of developing breast cancer. Try changing some things up and seeing how much better you feel in other ways, too.

Preventing cancer starts with something as small as watching what you eat. There are plenty of superfoods that you can work into your weekly meal plan to help you fight against the risk of breast cancer. If you want to destroy your risk of developing cancer, foods like broccoli and garlic are staples to add to your meal plan. Luckily, they can go great with just about any meal. You can also eat berries — such as blueberries and strawberries — for a snack that can help you feel strong and healthy.

Being active has several benefits. You may find that your blood pressure is lower or that your cardiovascular health has improved simply by adding a short walk to your day. Walking, or any other form of exercise, can reduce your risk of breast cancer when done frequently enough. Staying active can benefit you beyond lowering cancer risk, so it’s worth it to build more into your day. Try to get at least 30 minutes of activity in a day, then work your way up from there.

Some activities you may try include walking or yoga. These activities may not be as strenuous on a person as other, more intensive routines, so they’re great for beginners. Otherwise, you might choose something like biking or HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), which involves you exerting great energy for a short time.

While they may not directly cause breast cancer, the presence of breast implants can foster lymphoma. This lymphoma can develop in the scar tissue resulting from a breast augmentation procedure. You can choose to avoid breast implants to nearly eliminate this risk of cancer that develops specifically from this sort of procedure.

One of your best chances to catch cancer or anything to look out for is by going to a screening. In fact, mammograms can detect cancer or any other abnormalities nearly two years before a patient can feel them. Getting a routine mammogram can potentially save your life. Make sure to talk to your doctor about how often you should be screened for breast cancer risk, and try not to miss an appointment.

Having children before 30 and breastfeeding them can help reduce your risk of breast cancer, too. In addition to providing your children with the nutrients they need to grow, breastfeeding can lessen the number of menstrual cycles you go through. You’ll likely reap these benefits as long as you breastfeed for longer than a year. Before you pick up the formula, consider breastfeeding or pumping. It’ll benefit your children and you.

Because different forms of birth control typically affect your hormone production, they can increase your risk of developing breast cancer. The good news is that if you stop birth control, your chances of breast cancer fall back to a normal amount within ten years of quitting. Consider changing your birth control methods or finding other, non-hormonal types of birth control that can perform the same functions.

Alcohol in excess isn’t great for anyone, but it’s also something to watch out for if you want to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. Even one drink a day can increase your risk of developing breast cancer by almost 10%.

You should avoid drinking alcohol altogether, but if you want to treat yourself once in a while, try to stick to one drink only. The recommended drink number is slightly different for men, who should drink two or fewer drinks a day to stay healthy. Err on the side of not making daily drinking a habit of yours.

Just by changing a few things in your life, you can reduce your risk. Not everything could be doable for some people, but you should see a decent payoff as long as you make little efforts. As always, check with your primary care doctor before you radically change up your lifestyle. They may be able to recommend other lifestyle changes that can reduce your risk of breast cancer. Remember to change your habits only for the better, so you can live a fuller, happier life, cancer-free.