Optimal Wellness Center / Mercola.com

June 30, 2005

Breast Cancer, the second leading cancer killer among women in the United States, will be diagnosed in more than 211,000 American women and will claim almost 41,000 lives this year alone. However, with the right lifestyle choices, women can confidently bid farewell to this fatal cancer for good.

According to a study, women who exercise more (about 45 minutes of brisk walking or 20 minutes of vigorous exercise per day) and keep their weight under control may drastically reduce their odds of developing breast cancer.

Finding the "Balance"

Researchers reported a strong link between breast cancer and "energy balance;" energy balance signifies the difference between energy intake (eating) and energy expenditure (activity).

Data came from the Shanghai Breast Cancer study, which involved women ages 25-65 years who were newly diagnosed with breast cancer, along with a random sample of healthy controls. Information was collected from in-person interviews of 1,459 breast cancer patients and 1,556 controls; body mass index (BMI) was calculated based on measurements of weight, circumference of waist and hips, and height taken by the interviewers. Researchers said that women with low levels of physical activity and higher BMI were at more than twice the risk of developing breast cancer than women who did about three metabolic equivalent hours (MET) per day, per year, of exercise, and had lower BMI levels. Therefore, the results suggest:

The promotion of behavior patterns that optimize energy balance, such as weight control and increased physical activity, may be a practicable option for preventing breast cancer.

Dietary changes alone aren't enough to prevent cancer, but rather the combination of both exercise and weight control.

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center June 2005

Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention June 2005 14(6):1496-501

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

If anything were ever to be considered a magic pill, exercise would seem to qualify. Among its many benefits, exercise can not only reduce your chances of contracting breast cancer, but, if you already have it, exercise can also help you recover from breast cancer.

Please remember, though, that while exercise is a vital component of optimal health, restricting your health plan to exercise exclusively is a prescription for disaster. The evidence for this assertion becomes apparent when you examine elite endurance athletes who develop cancer.

Achieving optimal health means following a comprehensive program. So, you will definitely want to continue a good exercise program, or start one immediately, but you will also certainly want to adopt the other powerful lifestyle changes that will help reverse not only breast cancer, but nearly all other forms of cancer:

Reduce your carbohydrate intake and do your best to maintain your ideal body weight.

Consume a balanced intake of fats in your diet. This means eliminating vegetable oils and avoiding hydrogenated oils but including fish oil and olive oil.

Make absolutely sure you aren't deficient in vitamin D.

Eat a wide variety of vegetables and consider using broccoli sprouts, which can help metabolize estrogens that contribute to breast cancer. Also eat leafy greens, which are high in folate.

Find effective ways to manage your stress levels, like the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).

Do your best to get regular amounts of high-quality sleep.

Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, air pollution and especially deodorants and anti-perspirants.

Eat more foods high in vitamin A like raw cream, cod liver oil and pasture-raised eggs.

Steer clear of drug-based cures if at all possible. It's actually best to view exercise as your drug, meaning it needs to be precisely prescribed for you to achieve the maximum benefit.