Breasts: An Owner’s Manual: Every Woman’s Guide to Reducing Cancer Risk, Making Treatment Choices and Optimising Outcomes. Kristi Funk

• Reduce breast cancer risk • Neutralize carcinogens • Slow cancer cell growth • Lower heart disease Isoflavones (daidzein, genistein, glycitein), phenolic acids, protein kinase inhibitors, sphingolipids Soy: tempeh, miso, nattō, soybeans, edamame, soy milk, tofu • Reduce breast cancer risk • Slow cancer cell growth • Reduce hot flashes • Lessen breast pain Lignans Ground flaxseed • Reduce breast cancer risk • Decrease inflammation • Slow cancer cell growth Inositol, flavonoids, lignans, polyphenols, protease inhibitors, saponins, sterols, triterpenoids Beans (kidney, pinto, black, white, green, garbanzo), peas (green, snow, snap, split, black-eyed) • Reduce breast cancer risk • Decrease inflammation • Slow cancer cell growth • Stimulate cancer cell suicide • Lower cholesterol Flavonoids (beta-carotene, naringenin, lycopene), carotenoids, limonoids Citrus fruits: grapefruit, orange, tangerine, clementine, tangelo, lemon, lime • Reduce breast cancer risk • Slow cancer cell growth • Stimulate cancer cell suicide • Limit free radical damage • Protect vision • Lower heart disease Flavones, isoflavones, polyphenols, L-ergothioneine Mushrooms: shiitake, oyster, portabella, maitake, crimini, white button • Reduce breast cancer risk • Decrease inflammation • Boost immune function • Slow cancer cell growth Ellagitannins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, phytosterols Walnuts • Reduce breast cancer risk • Neutralize carcinogens • Slow cancer cell growth • Stimulate cancer cell suicide • Limit free radical damage Flavonoids (anthocyanins—red apples, epicatechin, quercetin), triterpenoids Apples • Reduce breast cancer risk • Slow cancer cell growth Caffeine, flavonoids (epigallocatechin gallate—non-herbal tea) Tea: green, matcha, hibiscus, black, white, rooibos, chai, chamomile • Reduce breast cancer risk • Neutralize carcinogens • Slow cancer cell growth • Stimulate cancer cell suicide • Limit free radical damage Caffeine, diterpenes, phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid, quinic acid) Coffee • Reduce breast cancer risk • Decrease inflammation • Neutralize carcinogens • Slow cancer cell growth • Stimulate cancer cell suicide • Lower heart disease

      In 2009, researchers used data from surveys that capture what Americans eat on a daily basis (the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, NHANES), as well as data about nutrient content from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other published literature to estimate “the phytonutrient gap”—that is, how far we fall short of the recommended five to thirteen fruit and vegetable servings a day.¹⁶ They grouped our phytonutrient A-listers above into one of five color categories depending on the primary pigment of the foods in which they are found. Based on this report, here’s your fun and informative breakdown of the rainbow we eat (or don’t eat, as the case turns out):

       • Green: 69 percent fall short (kiwi, honeydew melon, broccoli, kale, spinach, avocado, peas)

       • Red: 78 percent fall short (apples, grapefruit, raspberries, tomatoes, beets, kidney beans)

       • White: 86 percent fall short (pears, cauliflower, chickpeas, garlic, onions, mushrooms)

       • Purple/blue: 88 percent fall short (plums, grapes, blueberries, eggplant, turnips)

       • Yellow/orange: 79 percent fall short (banana, pineapple, peach, lemon, carrots, yams)

      Yowza—a phytonutrient gap exists in 8 out of 10 Americans. Ideally, you should consume ten servings of fruits and vegetables daily (this quantity averages about five cups). While we could debate the exact balance of servings per color, a simple goal should be to eat two servings from each color each day. Choose the richest, most vibrantly colored foods whenever possible, since color generally reflects phytonutrient content.

      THE TEN BREAST SUPERFOODS

      Ready for the ten most powerful superfoods that just might stop breast cancer cold in its tracks?

      #1: Cruciferous Vegetables and Leafy Greens

      These include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, turnips, radish, watercress, kale, arugula, collards, bok choy, and Swiss chard. The high isothiocyanate exposure from cruciferous vegetables may be the primary reason for breast cancer reduction.¹⁷ In order to get the most bang for your broc, eat it lightly steamed or raw, and chew it thoroughly to break down the cell walls, which then allows the molecules to mix together, creating (yes, it was not there before) sulforaphane, the superstar of all isothiocyanates. Sulforaphanes display ridiculous talent when it comes to seeking out and destroying potential breast cancer cells.¹⁸ And broccoli sprouts contain one hundred times the sulforaphane of broccoli. If that weren’t enough, greens also provide indole-3-carbinols, which exit excess estrogen out the urinary door.¹⁹ A study following nearly 52,000 African American women for twelve years analyzed food consumption and found that cruciferous veggies cut breast cancer by 41 percent among premenopausal ladies consuming more than six servings a week.²⁰

      #2: Dietary Fiber

      Think whole grains, beans, and veggies. Estrogen feeds and fuels 80 percent of all breast cancers. Unfortunately, most women don’t know this fact, or that estrogen can be suppressed with a targeted diet. Fiber crushes cancer’s dreams when it binds estrogen and toxins in your gastrointestinal tract (you poop them out!), improves insulin sensitivity, and releases a litany of antioxidant vitamins and anticancer compounds.²¹ High vegetable intake even quells the more aggressive estrogen-negative tumors.²² Strive to consume more than 30 grams of fiber per day to decrease breast cancer risk by as much as 50 percent.²³ Even just 20 grams gives you a 15 percent cancer reduction.²⁴

      What does 30 grams look like? It’s three to five servings a day of high fiber foods, such as the following:

       • one cup of boiled split peas, lentils, black beans (15 grams), lima beans (13 grams), baked beans (10 grams), green peas (9 grams)

       • one avocado (13.5 grams)

       • one half cup of passion fruit (12 grams)

       • one medium artichoke (10.3 grams)

       • one cup of raspberries (8 grams)

       • one cup whole wheat spaghetti (6.3 grams) or pearled barley (6 grams)

       • one medium pear (5.5 grams)

       • three-quarters cup bran flakes (5.5 grams)

       • one cup of broccoli (5 grams)

      How many American adults fail to consume enough daily fiber? Ninety-seven percent.²⁵ You and I will be in the 3 percent. Long live legumes (and us)!

      #3: Berries

      In decreasing order of antioxidant/free radical scavenging power, please meet and greet the wild blueberry, cranberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, and cherry. Compounds like ellagic