The possibility of hearing a positive breast cancer diagnosis sends a chill down the spine of even the most stoic woman. While the medical community does not know everything about the causes of breast cancer yet, strides are made every day toward gaining a more complete understanding of the disease. However, they have been able to rule out or confirm certain risk factors and they myths associated with them.
Does A Person’s Weight Cause Cancer?
While not all obese women will end up a victim of breast cancer, obesity is a proven risk factor for it. Fatty tissue stores estrogen and other hormones as well as pollutants brought into the body through food, smoking and other sources. For those reasons, large amounts of extra fat are a risk factor.
Does Regular Exercise Decrease the Risk of Cancer?
For the reason mentioned above, losing weight through exercise can only increase the body’s ability to resist cancer. Exercise also helps with circulation and it has been proven to boost the immune system to help fight off potential cancer cells from forming.
Does Diet Have an Effect on Breast Cancer?
A diet rich in red meat and animal fat seems to have an adverse affect on the body. Research has begun to show that when a woman eats a lot of red meat, bacon, lard or high fat dairy products, her chances of receiving a diagnosis of cancer is much greater than those of a woman who restricts those items in her diet. Not only is the actual food product mentioned above a risk factor because of the cholesterol they contain, but these food items are often filled with hormones, antibiotics and pesticides which are then retained in the woman’s body.