Photo Dennis Dean Aphrodite Cinefest
Not only what you eat but when you eat it can help to prevent breast cancer.
A study by
researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine has
shown that eating dinner or a snack late at night could raise a woman's risk of
breast cancer, the most common cancer in women worldwide.
Spokesperson
Dr Ruth Patterson commented on the findings: 'The dietary advice for cancer
prevention usually focuses on limiting consumption of red meat, alcohol and
refined grains while increasing plant-based foods.
'New evidence suggests that when and how often people
eat can also play a role in cancer risk.'
This has to
do with control of blood sugar levels. Previous studies have shown that women
with higher blood sugar levels are more likely to develop cancer, even if they
don’t have diabetes.
The San
Diego study reported in the journal Cancer
Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention showed that women who fasted for
longer overnight had significantly better control over their blood sugar levels.
Each three hour increase in night-time fasting was associated with a four per
cent lower glucose level when tested after a meal, regardless of how much women
ate,
Researchers
found that eating meals at set times and eating dinner early to leave a longer
time between the last meal and breakfast reduced the risk developing breast
cancer.
In the
study, women reported eating five times per day and fasted overnight an average
of 12 hours.
Those who reported fasting for longer also indicated the
bonus that they consumed fewer calories per day, ate fewer calories after 10 pm
and had fewer periods of eating.
Increasing
the amount of time women fast overnight – by eating dinner earlier – could be a
new strategy to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
'It may have a big impact on public health without
requiring complicated counting of calories or nutrients.'
Further
large scale clinical trials are needed to confirm the study findings that night-time
fasting results in better blood sugar control and a reduced risk of developing
breast cancer. However, as with other nutrition studies relating to cancer
prevention, such clinical trials are unlikely to happen because of the expense
and lack of interest in such research by the drug companies.
Breast cancer is the commonest cancer among women in UK, affecting 1 in 8 women at sometime during their lifetime. Alarmingly, breast cancer rates have increased by 90% since records began in 1970, according to the Charity Breast Cancer UK. I strongly recommend you to their website below. Their concerns about lack of regulation on hazardous cancer producing chemicals in food and drinks, packaging and household cleaners need your support and action.
Breast cancer is the commonest cancer among women in UK, affecting 1 in 8 women at sometime during their lifetime. Alarmingly, breast cancer rates have increased by 90% since records began in 1970, according to the Charity Breast Cancer UK. I strongly recommend you to their website below. Their concerns about lack of regulation on hazardous cancer producing chemicals in food and drinks, packaging and household cleaners need your support and action.
