If you’ve had an especially stressful life event lately, you may be at increased risk for breast cancer. When a team of researchers from Ben-Gurion University compared 225 women younger than 45 years of age who had breast cancer to 367 healthy women of comparable age, they discovered that two or more “severe life events” increased the risk of breast cancer by 62 percent. Dr. Ronit Peled, head of the study, described losing a parent, close relative, or spouse; or divorce of parents before age 20, as “severe life events.”
Other researchers have also found a link between stressful life events and increased risk for the recurrence of breast cancer. For example in a study of 94 patients with breast cancer, those who experienced a traumatic event remained cancer-free an average of 30 months; those who had less stressful life events were cancer-free for 37 months; and those without a severe or moderate stressful life event were cancer-free for 60 months.
Stress Hormones and Breast Cancer
Ongoing stress can threaten breast-health, in large part, because it disrupts the natural daily natural rhythm of circulating hormones. For instance, one hormone that rises with stress is cortisol, which has been directly linked to breast cancer. Cortisol has a daily rhythm that reaches its lowest level during sleep, it climbs to its highest level by late morning, and then subsides in the afternoon. But when you experience ongoing stress—especially high-pitched, trauma-based stress—the natural ebb and flow of circulating cortisol loses its rhythm and instead, remains elevated. In turn, chronic levels of elevated cortisol weaken the ability of your immune system to fight disease, including not only breast cancer, but also high blood pressure, elevated blood glucose (linked with increased risk of weight gain and diabetes), and osteoarthritis.
Breast-Smart Strategies
Reducing stress will reduce your risk for breast cancer occurrence and recurrence. Some strategies:
· Find someone who is empathetic and compassionate to talk to about stressful situations;
· Try meditation, yoga, or tai chi to calm the mind and immune system, which will bring your hormones into a better rhythm;
· When you are under stress your body creates more blood glucose, which provides an ideal environment for some types of cancer cells to flourish. One solution is to reduce or eliminate simple carbohydrates, such as white flour and sugar, and instead, make calories count with lots of nutrient-dense foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Still another breast-smart strategy is to burn up extra glucose and body fat with aerobic exercise and other forms of physical activity. Each of these solutions will not only reduce your risk for breast cancer, they will make life a lot more enjoyable.
Deborah Kesten, MPH, is a nutrition and lifestyle researcher, lecturer, and author, with a specialty in preventing and reversing overweight and heart disease through lifestyle changes. The author of The Enlightened Diet, The Healing Secrets of Food, and Feeding the Body, Nourishing the Soul, she also writes about food and mood and the spiritual “ingredients” in food. Visit her at www.Enlightened-Diet.com to learn more about her Whole Person Nutrition Program for wellness, weight loss, and heart-health; and her coaching programs and books.
Thanks Deborah, I think stress is definitely under-rated in terms of its link to our health. I noticed my first skin cancer after a very stressful time in my life, coupled with the birth of my daughter, birth being a huge event in itself.
After a while of being clear, I discovered another strange spot, and only when I noticed the third later did I jon the dots that all 3 were related to stressful times in my life.
Amazingly enough, when I made the connection, my 3rd spot disappeared on its own, literally like magic. The same thing happened when I got the next one, I just took stock, went within, changed my perception, and the spot disappeared with no surgery required.
I am now keenly aware of the need to remain stress free because stress triggers my skin cancer.
Love
Toni