Cancer Risk and Walnuts

by Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH

If you’re
like most women, you have a great deal of admiration and respect those whose
lives have been impacted by breast cancer. Thanks to their teachings, we’ve
learned that breast cancer awareness and prevention is critical.

In
addition to breast self examination, regular checkups, and mammograms as
needed, diet plays an important role in protecting women from developing breast
cancer. The results of a new study* underscore the importance of diet in reducing
the risk of this devastating disease.

The
study, published in the journal, Nutrition
and Cancer,
demonstrated that the risk of breast cancer dropped significantly in mice when
their regular diet included small amounts of walnut. Findings in female mice
are relevant to women, and mice are routinely used in breast cancer research.

For the
study, the researchers compared the effects of a typical diet and a diet
containing walnuts throughout the lifespan. The mothers of unborn mice ate
walnuts from the time of conception and continued to eat walnuts while the
newborn mice nursed. Once the mice were weaned, they received walnuts in their
own diets. The walnut-containing test diet contained the human equivalent of
about 2 ounces of walnuts per day.

During
the study period, the group of mice whose diet included walnuts at both stages of
development acquired breast cancer at less
than half the rate of the group with the traditional diet. In addition, the
number of tumors and their sizes were significantly smaller.

These
findings are particularly impressive when you realize that the mice in the
study were genetically programmed to develop cancer. Even in the presence of a
pre-existing genetic mutation that practically guaranteed the development of
cancer, the walnut-eating mice were far less likely to develop breast cancer
than their counterparts who ate traditional, walnut-free diets. Previous
research has clearly demonstrated that multiple ingredients in walnuts reduce
the risk of developing cancer and also slow its growth.

As
part of a healthy diet, walnuts can reduce the risk of breast cancer, not only
in adult women, but also in their unborn babies. If you need a little more
motivation to eat a wholesome, nutritious diet, just think about this: The food
that you eat today could help protect your children, and even your
grandchildren, from cancer.

No
pressure!

* Marshall University
Research Corporation (2011, September 1). Breast cancer risk drops when diet
includes walnuts, researchers find.