The U.S. National Cancer Institute points out that more than one-third of cancer causes are related to diet, and breast cancer is no exception. The saying passed down by our ancestors, "Green vegetables and tofu bring peace," also has a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
Women who often eat bean-based foods, such as tofu and soy milk, are less likely to develop breast cancer. The reason is that beans reduce the body's secretion of estrogen. Bean-based foods are the most important source of plant-based protein and a good source of dietary fiber, as well as many vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive substances. Soy products have been proven to be rich in phytoestrogens. The chemical structure of these phytoestrogens is very similar to that of estrogen in the human body. Their anti-cancer function may stem from their ability to compete with estrogen receptors in the body, reducing the chance of female hormones binding to receptors, thereby preventing cells from becoming cancerous.
In our traditional diet, soy products used to replace animal protein, such as tofu, dried tofu, soybean threads, and soy milk, contain isoflavones that are beneficial to health. Most soy products can have a positive effect on the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
Coumestrol is found in fava beans, alfalfa, and soybean sprouts, with small amounts also found in Brussels sprouts, spinach, green beans, and snow peas. Lignans can be derived from precursors found in high-fiber grains, beans, vegetables, fruits, and seaweed. These phytoestrogens all have excellent effects on the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.