30 foods that pack a punch against postmenopausal breast cancer

There’s a reason they call it “the change.”

During menopause, everything about your body (and life) is in flux…

Your mood’s all over the place. Your sleep cycle’s erratic. And we won’t even get into your body temperature.

On top of all these physical changes, menopause often strikes at a time when life circumstances are shifting. Maybe your children are setting off on their own for the first time. Or your relationship with your spouse is evolving… or ending.  Maybe you’re embarking on a new career. Or downsizing your house.

Now, a lot of good comes from change. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s dang hard while you’re going through it. And you know what makes these life changes even harder?

The sudden arrival of a serious disease like breast cancer.

Unfortunately, for women going through these midlife changes, a breast cancer diagnosis is a very real threat. Your risk for breast cancer increases after 40 and keeps going up. It’s at its highest after your 70^th birthday.

Luckily, a new study just identified a plant compound that can help keep you breast cancer-free during those midlife changes and beyond…

Phenolic acids lower breast cancer risk more than 60 percent

A new study from researchers at the University of Navarra in Spain shows that if you want to keep postmenopausal breast cancer from beating down your door, you should eat a diet rich in phenolic acids.

Phenolic acids are polyphenols (aka antioxidant compounds) found in a lot of foods. In this study, researchers looked at data from 11,028 Mediterranean women who filled out a food frequency questionnaire. They followed up with women an average of 11.8 years later, and there was something in common among the women who remained breast cancer free…

They all ate a lot of foods that contained phenolic acids. More specifically, they ate a lot of a certain type of phenolic acid — hydroxycinnamic acids.

And the more hydroxycinnamic acids the women ate, the lower their breast cancer risk was.

In fact, those who ate the most hydroxycinnamic acids lowered their risk of breast cancer by a whopping 62 percent compared to those who ate the least.

But women who ate more of a specific type of hydroxycinnamic acid — chlorogenic acid — lowered their risk even more. They were 65 percent less likely to get breast cancer than those with the lowest intake.

Why do these compounds prevent breast cancer so powerfully?

Researchers suspect it’s for one of three reasons (or possibly all three). Hydroxycinnamic acids, in general, and chlorogenic acids specifically are known to fight inflammation in fat tissue, reduce oxidative stress and ward off insulin resistance. All these factors are tied to obesity, which is closely linked to postmenopausal breast cancer.

Hydroxycinnamic acid-filled foods that fight postmenopausal breast cancer

So, how do you get your hands on some breast cancer-fighting hydroxycinnamic acids?

That’s easy. They’re all over your grocery store… especially in the produce aisle. They’re also at your favorite coffee shop. Here are some of the best sources of hydroxycinnamic acids:

• Coffee
• Tea
• Apples
• Pears
• Carrots
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Blueberries
• Cereal grains and bran
• Cherries
• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Grapes
• Lettuce
• Olives
• Oranges
• Pineapples
• Plums
• Potatoes
• Prunes
• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Sunflower seeds
• Turmeric
• Basil
• Marjoram
• Oregano
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme

Sources:

1. Study shows high phenolic acid intake — associated with a healthy diet — is associated with reduced breast cancer risk — MedicalXpress
2. Breast Cancer After Menopause — AARP
3. Chlorogenic Acid — ScienceDirect
4. Hydroxycinnamic Acids — ScienceDirect