Dr. John A. Schmidt, Jr. Suggests 20 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer

BELMAR, N.J. - Oct. 20, 2014 - PRLog -- John A. Schmidt, Jr., MD, one of the leading Internists in Monmouth County practicing in Belmar, NJ, offers 20 suggestions to reduce your risk of Breast Cancer:

1. Maintain an ideal body weight especially after menopause (body mass index under 25). One study found that women in their 50’s who have gained 20 pounds have twice the risk of breast cancer.

2. Have a child before age 30.

3. Breastfeed your children for as long as possible.

4. Limit the dose and duration of Hormone Replacement Therapy.

5. Do not drink alcohol or do so in moderation.

6. Exercise more. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity plus strength training two times per a week.

7. Walk daily. A study of 73,000 postmenopausal woman found that walking at a moderate pace for an hour a day was associated with a 14 percent reduced breast cancer risk.

8. Do not smoke.

9. Take a multivitamin and make sure it includes adequate folic acid.

10. Increase your intake of vitamins D and C. One early study found that postmenopausal women with a high intake of vitamin C may reduce risk of cancer by 16 percent.

11. Eat healthy food that is low in animal fat and high in whole grains or fiber.

12. Fill up on fruits and vegetables such as pomegranates, berries, beans, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, and kale. Increase your intake of fish oils.

13. Eat one to two portions of oily fish such as sardines, salmon or tuna weekly.

14. Switch to Olive or Canola oil. A Swedish study found that women who consumed three fourths of a tablespoon of monounsaturated fat could cut their breast cancer risk in half.

15. Avoid barbecued meat when possible.

16. Limit your exposure to toxic chemicals and radiation. Scientific evidence tells us that some of these exposures can increase breast cancer risk.

17. Avoid unnecessary X-rays.

18. Avoid exposure to radiation and environmental pollution including gasoline fumes and vehicles exhaust.

19. Have a mammogram. The National Cancer Institute recommends that women age 40 and older have a mammogram every one to two years. Higher risk women with a family history of breast cancer or that carry either the BRCA1 or the BRCA2 gene should talk with their health care provider about whether to have a mammogram before age 40 and how often to have them.

20. Do a self-exam regularly.

Dr. Schmidt has two useful calculators on the Healthy Links page of his website [www.SchmidtMD.com]. The first will calculate your risk of breast cancer and the second your body mass index. Visit www.breastcancer.org to learn more about how you can reduce your risk of breast cancer.