Reduce Your Risk of Ovarian Cancer with Plant Foods
Ovarian cancer is the 8th most common cancer diagnosed in Australian women. Although the ranking of ovarian cancer is out of the top 5 cancers diagnosed in Australia, the 5-year survival rate of this cancer is 45%. Diet and specifically fiber may help you to reduce your risk of developing this cancer.
How fiber may work in decreasing your risk of ovarian cancer is by decreasing your blood estrogen levels and decreasing the availability of steroid hormones in your body. Higher levels of oestrogen in your blood have been linked to promoting abnormal cell development and cancer growth in your ovaries. A higher fiber diet is linked to a decreased risk of developing ovarian cancer due to these health promoting properties.
A strong research study assessing all available evidence and research on dietary fiber and ovarian cancer found that those people who had the highest levels of fiber in their diet had a 22% decreased risk of developing ovarian cancer compared to those with the lowest amount of fiber in their diet. For every 10g of dietary fiber included in your diet was linked to a 12% lower risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Adults need between 25-30g of dietary fiber a day for health. More than 70% of Australian adults are not meeting this recommendation. Including plants foods which each meal and snacks made with whole grains (such as Corn Thins slices), nuts, seeds, legumes, vegetables, and fruits can help you to meet this goal amount.
Take home message: Give your body the health it deserves while reducing your risk of ovarian cancer. Include enough fiber in your day to help your body to keep working like a well-oiled machine.
References:
- Huang, X., Wang, X., Shang, J., Lin, Y., Yang, Y., Song, Y., & Yu, S. (2018). Association between dietary fiber intake and risk of ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis of observational studies. The Journal of international medical research, 46(10), 3995–4005. https://doi.org/10.1177/0300060518792801
- Zheng B, Shen H, Han H, Han T, Qin Y. Dietary fiber intake and reduced risk of ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis. Nutrition Journal. 2018;17.