October is Breast Cancer awareness month

By Dr. Vikas Goswami 

As we know that October is Breast Cancer awareness moth so, here are few tips to reduce the risk of breast cancer. 

1. Indulge yourself in household chores: Being active reduces a woman's risk of breast cancer. From cleaning the house to decorating it, indulge yourself in such activities. Also take time out to exercise as it reduces the number of fat cells, which are responsible for the release of hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone. This can reduce breast cancer risk by at least 20%..  

2. Breastfeeding is very important: Women who breastfeed their babies for about a year or so cut downs the risk of developing breast canc er by atleast 5% than those who don't breast-feed at all. It is an analysis of cancer statistics by the World Cancer Research Fund found. The longer a woman breast-feeds, the lower her chances of getting the disease.   

3. Refrain yourself from alcohol: Regularly drinking alcohol increases your risk of developing breast cancer and the more drinks you have

each day, the greater your risk will be.  

4. Avoid heating your food in plastics: Do not use canned food and drinks and avoid reheating the food in microwave especially food stored in plastic containers as they contain chemicals that behave like oestrogens, increasing breast cancer risk.   

5. Vitamin D is important for women: Natural sunlight is the best way of increasing stores of vitamin D, which can lower your risk of breast cancer. A Canadian study says that breast cells can convert vitamin D to a hormone that has anti-cancer properties. But that doesn’t mean that you sit whole day in sun as you then might expose yourself to skin cancer. However doing this in a limit is fine.   

Fight cancer, stay fit.