–The key to breast cancer is to know all the prevention methods.

It is a known fact that 1 in 8 women have a chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime. Various causes can lead to the development of breast cancer, but making simple lifestyle changes can reduce your risk of breast cancer.

Here are 20 effective ways which can help you in breast cancer prevention:

1. It’s never too late to quit smoking:

Though smoking does not link to breast cancer, some researches confirmed that smoking a pack daily for 11 or more years can increase the risk of breast cancer up to 40%.

Also, the studies showed that women who smoked for 20 years or more and had hormone replacement therapy are twice at a risk of developing breast cancer than the women who never smoke or have hormone replacement therapy.

2. Say goodbye to alcohol:

Drinking alcoholic beverages increase the chance of developing breast cancer. Women who take 2-5 drinks in a day are about 1½ times at higher risk than women who don’t consume alcohol.

Alcohol consumption change the way of your body metabolizing estrogen. Most of the breast cancers are fueled by the estrogen hormone.

Postmenopausal women are at greater risk of developing breast cancer. Beginning the consumption of alcohol before the age of 30 is more closely linked to breast cancer risk.

3. Avoid hormone replacement therapy:

Researchers showed a link between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer and suggested that both estrogen and progesterone replacement therapies raise the risk factor. The longer you take HRT, the greater is the chance of developing breast cancer.

Also, the effectiveness of mammograms decreases with HRTs. If you want to undergo hormone replacement therapy, consult your doctor about the risks and your personal condition.

4. Stay on low fat diet:

Low fat diet not only reduces the risk of obesity but also decrease the chance of developing breast cancer. We all know that estrogen has a great role in development of breast cancer.

Fat tissues contain little amounts of estrogen and if you consume high fat diet, it increases your risk.

The studies found that women who ate high fat diet are 15% more likely to develop breast cancer than women who ate low fat diet. Limit the intake of fat up to 20 percent.

5. Maintain healthy body weight:

Gaining weight in midlife, irrespective of BMI can significantly increase the risk of breast cancer. So, maintain your BMI less than 25 throughout your life. Higher BMI increases the risk in postmenopausal woman.

6. Consume fruits and vegetables as much as you can:

According to the studies, fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of breast cancer by 40 percent.

Eat seven or more servings of fruits in a day.

Fruits and vegetables which reduce the risk include: broccoli, Brussels, cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts, dark green leafy vegetables, carrots, tomatoes, cherries, citrus fruits, and berries.

7. Regular physical activity:

Most of the studies showed that regular physical activity offers great safety against breast cancer. Engage for 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activities for five or more days in a week. Consistency and duration are the key factors.

8. Avoid high glycemic index diet:

Avoid the consumption of high glycemic index diet as there are great hazards. Foods like white rice, white flour, sugar, white potatoes, and foods containing these products can trigger hormonal changes in your body, which again lead to cellular growth in your breast tissues.

Instead of these high carb diets, consume whole grains, legumes and beans.

9. Minimize exposure to pharmacologic products containing estrogen:

Avoid the consumption of prescription estrogens unless it is prescribed by your doctor. Exposure to estrogen for greater amount of time can lead to the development of cancer.

Avoid estrogen like compounds found in environmental pollutants like industrial chemicals and pesticides. Minimize your exposure to residual compounds which can be found in non-organic dairy products like poultry and meat.

10. Eat seaweeds:

Consume seaweeds like kelp and nori. Take blue green algae like chlorella and spirulina in a glass of juice daily.

These products contain chlorophyll, which have anti-carcinogenic effect and fight against free radicals.

11. Consume high fiber foods:

Getting large amounts of fiber from beans, whole grains, fruits and vegetables is very important. Fiber stops your body’s metabolism of estrogen and lessens the blood levels of estrogen. Consuming high fiber foods decrease the breast cancer risk up to 54 percent.

12. Get enough amounts of fatty acids:

Consumption of at least three servings of cold-water fish in a week is very important. You will get enough amounts of fatty acids by consuming tuna, mackerel, cod, sardines, mackerel, salmon and halibut. Also, you can get fatty acid from fish oil capsules or vegetarian supplements of algae.

13. Know the secrets of soy products:

Regularly consume soy products like miso, tofu and tempeh. Soybeans and other soy products have genistein.

This is a natural plant estrogen that helps in binding the receptors in your breast and makes it impossible to connect the cancer causing substances of estrogen with the breast tissues.

According to the studies, women who ate lot of soy products are at lower risk of developing breast cancer.

14. Get a mammogram test:

Getting mammography test is as essential as self examination of your breasts.

This test detects the cancer cells in your breast so that you can immediately seek medical help.

Always it is not possible to detect the lumps through self examination, so mammogram is essential to confirm.

15. Have children in early ages:

Having children at 20s decreases the chance of developing breast cancer. Having children in 30s or without children increases the risk.

16. Prefer breast feeding instead of formula feeding:

According to the studies, breast feeding and months without period may decrease the risk of breast cancer. This confirms that early menopause lowers the risk of breast cancer.

17. Take multivitamin:

Start taking a daily multivitamin. Taking vitamin A is necessary for the immune system and also regulates cell growth. This helps in lowering the risk of breast cancer.

18. Take monounsaturated fats:

Research showed that monounsaturated oils like canola and olive oil have less cancer producing substances. So, prefer these oils than using other oils.

19. Take aspirin:

Aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs slow down the production of estrogen with the help of prostaglandins. Aspirin obstructs these prostaglandins, which again blocks the production of estrogen.

Taking aspirin every day can decrease the risk of breast cancer by about 20 percent. Take it after consulting your doctor.

20. Eat allium vegetables:

Consume allium vegetables like onions, garlic, shallots and leeks. For greater benefit, eat raw alliums. Garlic is a best food source for protecting against cancer as it contains anti-cancer mineral selenium, which stimulate the production of white blood cells and leads to death of cancer cells.