Last week, I bragged about how October is all about vegetarians and vegans because its Vegetarian Awareness Month. Well, turns out this month is about something else equally important. It’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! I found an interesting article over at the Sacramento Bee that ties these two awareness initiatives together and it got me thinking… could going vegan really make a difference in stopping breast cancer in its tracks?
Why is a meat-heavy diet not so good?
Animal foods high in fat increase estrogen levels, making cancer cells grow faster. In fact, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, of the famous documentary Forks Over Knives, claims “no chemical carcinogen is nearly so important in causing human cancer as animal protein.”
Why is a plant-based diet better?
A vegan diet (whole grains, legumes, fruits, veggies, soy, all that yummy goodness) is high in phytochemicals, which are known to reduce inflammation in the body and get rid of carcinogens. That’s a pretty big deal when you consider the statistic that vegans are 40% less likely to get cancer than non-vegans. Also, cancer cells struggle to survive in an environment with plenty of oxygen. Eating unprocessed foods and avoiding carcinogens help oxygenate your body and encourage an alkaline balance. And it helps much more than you think. A Harvard Medical School study of 90,000 women revealed that those who ate the most meat were almost twice as likely to develop breast cancer.
With all of that in mind, start loading your plate with a few more veggies and, if you don’t want to go full out vegan, at least cut back on animal products. Then pin on your pink ribbon and go support all the beautiful breast cancer survivors out there!
Other sources: Natural News
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