Making certain dietary and lifestyle changes is a potent preventative measure against developing breast cancer. Highly nutritious diet, regular exercising, reduced stress, and lower environmental toxin exposure can reduce the risk of this deadly disease. However, doctors claim that a mammogram is the only option to prevent the development of breast cancer.
But, the mammogram emits radiation that might lead to developing this type of cancer.
On the other hand, iodine is an excellent nutrient that should be introduced in the diet of each women. This nutrient is of great importance for breast health, so it can greatly help in the prevention of this terrible disease.
Also, iodine is essential nutrient for brain development in infants. So, deficiency of iodine can lead to negative health effects in babies and women.
Iodine Deficiency Has Been Associated with an Increased Risk of Breast Cancer
Lack of iodine in the body can increase the body’s ability to create more estrogen, thus elevating the possibility of reproductive cancers, including breast cancer. To be more specific, iodine deficiency can also lead to a higher estrogen sensitivity in breasts, which makes them susceptible to developing cancer.
Additionally, the pioneer in iodine research, Dr. Bernard Eskin, explains that if there is low levels of the mineral in the breast tissue, it is more prone to undergo pre-cancerous alternations.
According to lab studies, iodine resulted in cellular death of cancer and reduction of tumor growth without any side effects.
The Standard Western Diet Is Low in This Essential Mineral
It has been estimated that the number of breast cancer sufferers in Japan is 66% lower than the number of breast cancer sufferers in the U.S. Believe it or not, the main reason for it is that Japanese women follow a iodine-rich diet.
Japanese women usually take 25 times higher amount of iodine than the U.S. women. The U.S. Dietary Reference Intake for this mineral is 150 micrograms per day.
That’s not all, not only diet low in this mineral can lead to iodine deficiency. Namely, increase in environmental toxins can also result in iodine deficiency since it can prevent the body from absorbing the mineral.
How to Increase the Iodine Levels in Your Body Naturally:
There are several foods rich in this mineral. Some of them include eggs, navy beans, cranberries, unpeeled potatoes, and seafood, such as lobster, tuna, salmon, and shrimp.
It is good to know that the standard Japanese diet is rich in seaweed, which is the richest iodine source. For instance, dried seaweed can be found in all Asian supermarkets and larger chains. This iodine-rich food should be added to cooked soups, beans, stews, etc.
There is a Japanese study suggesting that seaweed contains 10 times higher content of iodine and is superior in the treatment of breast cancer than fluorouracil, which is a commonly used chemotherapy drug.
Source: besthealthyguide.com