Breast health may just be at the top of any woman’s better-health list. After all, according to the website Cancer.gov, about 12.4% of women born today will experience breast cancer during their lifetimes.  Lifestyle choices, including regular exercise and a healthy diet, are at the top of the list when it comes to striving for one’s best breast health. In these recent studies, calcium and omega-3s showed promise as nutrients that lower chances of breast cancer.

Calcium

Doctors reviewed 11 studies covering 26,606 women with breast cancer out of a total of 872,895 participants. Overall, those with the most calcium from diet and supplements were 8 percent less likely to develop breast cancer compared to women who got the least calcium from diet and supplements.

Premenopausal women saw the greatest benefit from good calcium levels: those with the most calcium were 25 percent less likely to develop breast cancer compared to women who got the least calcium. Postmenopausal women who got the most calcium also saw a benefit, with chances for developing breast cancer 6 percent lower compared to women who got the least calcium.

Reference: British Journal of Nutrition; 2016, Vol. 116, No. 1, 158-66

Omega-3s

Doctors in this study measured omega-3 and fish in the diets of 1,463 women within three months of a diagnosis for breast cancer, and followed up for 14.7 years.

Compared to women who never consumed fish, women who got the most fish in the diet were 25 percent less likely to have died from any cause over the 14-year follow-up period. For omega-3s, compared to those who got the least EPA, women who got the most EPA in the diet were 25 percent less likely to have died over the 14-year follow-up period, and women who got the most DHA were 29 percent less likely.

Doctors also looked at the omega-3 DPA and found, compared to women with the lowest levels, women who got the most DPA in the diet were 34 percent less likely to have died from any cause over the 14 years of follow-up.

Reference: Cancer; 2015, Vol. 121, No. 13, 2244-52

Betsy’s Note: This article is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before taking any supplement, especially if you have a medical condition or take medications. For example, omega-3s thin blood and calcium is contraindicated with certain medications and medical conditions.

Article copyright 2016 by Natural Insights for Well Being. All rights reserved. Used with permission.