Vitamins Associated With a Decrease in Breast Cancer
Second only to skin cancer, breast cancer is the most-commonly diagnosed cancer for women in the United States. More than one in four cancers are breast cancer, and the breast cancer rate for U.S. women is 13 percent, or one in eight. While researchers battle over the exact details of a cancer-preventing lifestyle, there are vitamins associated with the disease which may offset the risks.
The Role of Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are harmful molecules in the body that steal electrons from healthy molecules, damaging a cell's membrane as well as genetic material. Vitamin C saves cells by offering free radicals their own electrons, and offers a protective effect against breast cancer.
According to the Nurses' Health Study, premenopausal women with a family history of breast cancer who added slightly over 200 mg of vitamin C a day to their diet had a 63 percent reduced risk of breast cancer than women who ingested 70 mg daily. In addition, the Swedish Mammography Cohort reported that overweight women who consumed 110 mg of vitamin C daily through food had a 39 percent reduction of developing breast cancer compared to overweight women who just consumed 31 mg daily.
Excellent Vitamin E
Like vitamin C, vitamin E is an antioxidant. In another study by the Nurses' Health Study, 83,234 women who did not have breast cancer were assessed over a period of 14 years. The research indicated that while vitamin E may protect against environmentally induced breast cancer, it has far more benefits in reducing genetic-predisposed . In the study, premenopausal women with a family history of breast cancer who consumed higher doses of vitamin E had a 43 percent reduced risk of developing breast cancer compared to a smaller 16 percent risk reduction for women who did not have a family history of breast cancer.
Vitamin D Defense
Women with vitamin D deficiencies have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. The vitamin appears to stimulate a protein that reduces the growth of breast cancer cells. According to the Journal of Biological Chemistry, women with vitamin D levels exceeding 53 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) have a 50 percent reduction in developing breast cancer as women with level of 13 ng/ml.
Beta-carotene for the Breast
Beta-carotene, the yellow pigment found in fruits and vegetables, is a powerful antioxidant similar to vitamins C and E. According to the Department of Biochemistry at Tufts University School of Medicine, large doses of beta-carotene can decrease cancerous tumors. Just by eating one-third of a carrot daily, postmenopausal women can reduce their risk of breast cancer by 50 percent.
Dosages
The Cancer Treatment Center of America recommends not taking vitamin C if you are prone to kidney stones. Otherwise, 250 to 1,000 mg is recommended, taken in divided doses of two or three times a day.
Overloading on vitamin D can be toxic, so do not take more than 600 international units (IU) daily unless prescribed by your physician.
Vitamin E recommendations indicate 400 IU daily. Consult your physician if you take blood thinners.
Beta-carotene can be taken in daily amounts of 10,000 to 25,000 IU.
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