Statistics have proven that one in twelve women, at some point in their life, will develop breast cancer. When it comes to the issue of contracting breast cancer there are many risks involved. Fortunately, some of these risks are within your control and don't require a gigantic sacrifice on your part. Some of these risks are not in your control.



Diet

One of the simplest ways to reduce your breast cancer risk is to consume a healthy diet. There is a lot of evidence that suggests that an individual's diet does change their odds of contracting breast cancer. There isn't a specific food that you can eat to produce or prevent cancer, but some foods are helpful in risk reduction and some are not.

One major theory states that if breast cancer isn't caused by free radicals in the blood, then it is encouraged by them. When you eat foods that are rich in antioxidants you render these free radicals harmless. Many studies have shown that consuming antioxidant rich foods will lower an individuals risk for breast cancer.

Eating your green vegetables is great! There are other foods that will help you too. Both apples and strawberries are great. Drinking red wines and green teas at a moderate level will also help you reduce your chances of contracting breast cancer. Both of these items are antioxidant rich.

Exercise

Exercise is another risk factor within your personal control. Along with diet, not only does it help raise the general level of health but it can help smooth hormone levels and provide other health values. Even if you do contract breast cancer, being in good shape helps you deal with treatments in an optimal way.

Hormones

Estrogen and progesterone are strongly believed by researchers to contribute to the risk of contracting breast cancer (the first in particular). These natural hormones are vital for health, but excessive amounts can occur. They are readily stored in fat tissues and regular exercise helps keep your body fat percentage at the appropriate level. Proper diet helps here, too.

Alcohol

Raised levels of alcohol consumption have been said to increase the risk of cancer. Alcohol in general has a poor effect on your health and raises your estrogen levels. Alcohol can additionally interfere with your body's natural ability to utilize antioxidants.

Drinking a glass of wine a day is said to be beneficial. You can even have a tiny drink that contains hard alcohol. But, you need to remember that for every 10g of alcohol that you consume over a period of time you are increasing your breast cancer risk by 10%.

Menstruation

The reduction of the number of menstrual cycles an individual experiences has been said to correlate with a reduced risk of contracting breast cancer, because an individual's hormone levels are altered. It has yet to be determined on the contribution to the risk of cancer, if any, to taking oral birth control. At this point there is no evidence that suggests that the long term use of birth control is harmful and new pills may be created that will eliminate the female menstrual cycle completely.

Pregnancy, of course, is another way of reducing the risk of breast cancer but it has its own set of risks for other problems, of course. For those who wish to bear children, however, having them before age 30 has been correlated with a lower risk of breast cancer.

Even though there isn't a magic trick that can prevent breast cancer, the best way to reduce your risk is to live a healthy lifestyle. If you do happen to contract the disease having better health gives you a greater chance of both detecting it and eliminating it early. Individuals in good health usually run the chances of having a full recovery and surviving for a long time.