I'm sure you have heard about the risk of breast cancer and how important women's health is. There are many different things that can lead to breast cancer and there are different actions that you can take to help minimize your risk of getting breast cancer.

When it comes to women's health, there are many conditions and diseases that are much more common in women and breast cancer is one of these. You probably know or have known a female with breast cancer at some point in your life. Many women worry about this and want to know what they can do to minimize their risks. In order to understand how you can lower your chances of getting breast cancer, you need to really understand what causes it and then practice prevention strategies.

What causes breast cancer?

So what causes breast cancer anyway? Are some people more prone to it than others? Are there certain things you can do that will lower your chances for getting it?

There are many different factors involved in breast cancer. There is not necessarily one reason for why someone gets it. However, studies have shown that certain conditions can make you more prone to getting it.

Many of these factors you cannot control such as your age or heredity. Some people inherit a breast cancer susceptibility gene and there is nothing you can do about this. If your mother, sisters, grandmother, etc. had breast cancer, the probability of your developing the disease is much higher. Also, women are 100 times more likely to get breast cancer than men are.

Some of the risk factors include:

-· Over 50 years of age
-· Your first pregnancy after age 30
-· Menopause after age 50
-· Menstruation before age 12
-· Never gave birth to children
-· Long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

However, there are some things that you can do that might help reduce your risk of getting breast cancer.

Steps you can take to prevent breast cancer

You will be happy to know that there have been many developments in women's health and there are many steps you can take to help you prevent breast cancer. These can include eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables (organic is best), getting proper exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, practicing stress management, and supplementing with whole food nutritional supplements.

If you have an extremely high risk of getting breast cancer, you might consider getting the breasts removed in what is called a prophylactic mastectomy. This is sometimes chosen by women with a very high risk for breast cancer--for instance, carrying a genetic mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2, having a mother and one or more sisters with premenopausal breast cancer, plus a diagnosis of atypical hyperplasia and a history of several breast biopsies.

Unless a woman finds that anxiety is undermining the quality of her life, she is usually counseled not to choose this physically and psychologically draining surgery. The vast majority of breasts removed prophylactically show no signs of cancer. Moreover, since even a total mastectomy can leave a small amount of breast tissue behind, it cannot guarantee the woman will remain cancer-free.

There are also several vitamins and nutrients that are thought to help reduce your risk of breast cancer. There is also testing being performed in Italy called nutrient chemoprevention. Women who have already been treated for cancer in one breast are given a synthetic form of vitamin A to try to prevent cancer from forming in the other breast. Supplementing with Vitamin C can also be done.

So to wrap it up, whether you have a higher or lower risk of breast cancer, some things you can do are:

-· Follow proper procedures for early detection
-· Get regular mammograms
-· Get regular breast exams
-· Consult your doctor regarding your personal risk
-· Stay informed of new research as it becomes available
-· Exercise
-· Eat a healthy, balanced diet
-· Limit intake of fat and alcohol

Monique Hawkins is an associate with USANA Health Sciences. USANA Health Sciences is all about using nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle that allows you to achieve long-lasting health free from degenerative disease. They also provide an opportunity to start a home based business with them. Visit http://www.usana.com/en/products/us/essentials/what_essentials.shtml/
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