What high school girls eat can have a large impact on their risk for future breast disease, even with a positive family history.
It’s never easy getting teens to eat what you prepare, but it may be that the American staple PB & J and other nuts may lower your daughter’s risk of developing benign breast disease, according to a recent study in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. Researchers at Harvard’s Brigham & Women’s Hospital surveyed 9039 females aged 9 to 16 each year about their annual food intake during high school and then followed up on them 2, 4, 6 and 9 years later. They also asked them whether or not they had ever been diagnosed with BBD that was confirmed with a breast biopsy during the study years.
The more vegetable protein and fat the girls ate, the lower their risk of developing benign breast cysts
The researchers found that the more vegetable protein and fat the girls ate, the lower their risk of developing benign breast cysts. Specifically, eating peanut butter, vegetable protein, vegetable fat, peanuts, nuts, beans, and corn lowered their risk. When they looked at favorable foods by age group, at age 11 years peanut butter and nuts were most advantageous. At age 14, vegetable protein was the best food source for predicting a lower risk for BBD. Those girls in the study with a family history of breast cancer were found to have a significantly lower risk of BBD if they were eating these foods.
In addition to other health benefits of a more vegetable based diet, eating veggies has a very favorable affect on our daughters future breast health.
