Few words produce a fear factor for women as the words "breast cancer". The best protection against breast cancer is knowledge of the ways you can reduce the risk of acquiring this dreaded disease.

While it is currently true that there are some very promising advances in breast cancer research and treatment, it is still a prudent course of action to use prevention as your best defense against getting this cancer in the first place, and that is what we are ready to discuss.

Some of these promising treatments and detection tools for breast cancer include genetic testing for certain risk factors that can help women determine preventive courses of action if they are at a higher risk, advanced ways of detecting breast cancer earlier including more sophisticated biopsy methods with minimal invasion, and new and improved breast cancer drugs and tailored courses of treatment.

Heck, I was even reading just the other day about one company that is coming out with new, natural "biochemical" remedies against cancer and other serious maladies for which we have yet to discover excellent, non life threatening treatments.

Perhaps the most obvious of all prevention measures is, of course, eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables and "live" foods instead of processed, dead foods. Reducing alcohol or eliminating it completely helps to protect against breast cancer. If you drink alcohol, limit your consumption to less than one drink per day.

While there has been discussion and debate about whether red wine may help fight cancer, it is still wise to watch your consumption of even this, since it is, in essence, processed and broken down as a sugar, which causes inflammation.

Inflammation is thought to be a major contributor to all types of cancer, and I tend to agree with this philosophy from the information I've been privy to. Many of the popular diets now that promote overall health, weight maintenance and blood sugar stability are often "anti inflammatory" in nature, they just aren't always advertised that way.

Keep your weight at a healthy level for your age and height. Be especially vigilant not to gain any postmenopausal weight as this has been proven to increase your odds of getting breast cancer. The excess fatty tissue in your body increases your estrogen and the degree of estrogen exposure in your lifetime is linked to breast cancer.

Exercising can help with weight loss or maintenance of a healthy weight, therefore lowering your risk of breast cancer. If you do the weight bearing aerobics, you will add the extra bonus of keeping your bones strong.

Limit the amount of fats in your dietary intake. A lower fat diet has a moderate effect, but still decreases the risk of breast cancer. Hormone replacement therapy taken long term has been associated with an increase in breast cancer. If you are taking hormone replacements, you should probably talk to your doctor about other therapies to minimize menopausal symptoms.

There is not clear cut evidence linking birth control pills and a higher incidence of breast cancer. The newer oral contraceptives have a lower dose than the older contraceptives. Studies continue on this subject, but it may be something to think about when considering forms of birth control.

Excessive use of antibiotics is being scrutinized as a possible risk factor in the development of breast cancer. Exposure to pesticides is also being looked at in relation to breast cancer. Use caution concerning long term use of antibiotics and limit exposure to pesticides.

Areas of research that are promising and natural are retinoids and flaxseed. Retinoids, a form of vitamin A, may inhibit growth of cancer cells. Flaxseed lowers the amount of estrogen circulating in your body.

Both flaxseed and retinoid compounds are being studied for their role in breast cancer prevention, and are also known to be of benefit in heart and circulatory health, and flaxseed is known for it's digestive benefits as well. Most foods that are beneficial for cancer prevention wear many hats when it comes to health benefits, which is always a good thing.

Regular screenings by mammograms and self examinations will help to detect any early signs of breast cancer. Nothing is guaranteed to eliminate the risk, however lifestyle changes can reduce your risks significantly and are often simple and easy steps to take. You just have to know what they are...