Letter to the Editor

Evidence shows food, breast cancer link

Sunday, December 12, 2010

To the Editor:

As a health care professional, I would like to honor Elizabeth Edwards' life and offer my condolences to her family.

She inspired all Americans with her brave battle against breast cancer. She will be greatly missed. I know Americans are also looking for ways to protect themselves and their loved ones from this deadly disease.

Scientific evidence shows that the foods women eat have an important effect on breast cancer risk. Women consuming more vegetables have a decreased risk of breast cancer, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Participants who ate two or more servings of vegetables per day had a 43 percent decreased breast cancer risk, compared with those who ate less than four servings per week.

Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other low-fat plant foods can also help women with breast cancer greatly reduce their risk of recurrence.

For more information about nutrition and cancer, visit www.CancerProject.org.

Sincerely,

Joseph Gonzales, R.D.,

Staff Dietitian,

The Cancer Project,

Washington, D.C.