Researchers have found a possible link between women’s eating habits during their teenage years and their risk of breast cancer as an adult. Many immigrant groups have low rates of breast cancer, however within a generation their risk of developing breast cancer tends to equal that of the general population--a pattern that prompted researchers to examine the effects of diet on cancer risk.

Teens who ate one egg every day, along with those who ate vegetable fat and fiber, were less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer as adults. Consumption of butter, on the other hand, appeared to increase the risk.

However, study findings may not have been completely accurate, as data was acquired by asking adult women to report based on memory what they had eaten during their teenage years, up to 47 years prior.

Data was collected from 121,700 women between the ages of 40 and 65 years. The women were asked how many servings of foods such as milk, fruit, vegetables, meats and sweets they had eaten everyday when they were 12 to 18 years old.

Women who ate one egg daily as teenagers were 18 percent less likely to develop breast cancer as adults. Risk of cancer as an adult was also lower among women who had eaten the most vegetable oils and fibers during their teen years, as compared to those who ate the least.

Women who reported eating one pat of butter per day during teenage years had a slightly higher risk of adult breast cancer.

Eggs contain many high levels of essential amino acids, minerals and vitamins, which may explain their protective effect. Fiber may have yielded a protective effect because the nutrient could lower levels of estrogen, a hormone that promotes growth of the disease.

More studies are needed to further assess the link between adolescent diet and risk of breast cancer, according to researchers.

Breast Cancer Research February 24, 2003;5:R59-R64

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Part of the confusion in the above study is related to an increase in breast cancer from eating butter. I believe this is related to the fact that most butter is from grain-fed cows and therefore has an imbalance in the omega 6:3 ratio. I suspect that the rate of breast cancer would actually be lower in women who had consumed butter from grass-fed cows. The omega 6:3 ratio and sufficient EPA and DHA fats are vitally important to prevent and treat breast cancer as is reviewed in last issue’s article, How Fish Oil Can Prevent & Treat Cancer. Eggs are one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It is the only protein that seems to be good for all metabolic types. However, most people don’t receive the full benefit from eggs because they are eating them cooked--ideally eggs should be eaten raw. If you haven’t read my article on raw eggs I strongly encourage you to do so as it will put your fears of salmonella infection to rest. You have a much better chance of winning the lottery than getting a salmonella infection from an egg as only one in 30,000 eggs are infected. You can reduce that risk even further by obtaining your eggs from high-quality sources. Ideally your eggs should come from chickens that are cage-free and fed healthy foods that contain a source of omega-3 fat. This can either be from ground flaxseeds or kelp. The best place to purchase your eggs is from the farmer directly; this way you can be certain of the quality. It is also wise to not refrigerate your eggs. If you visit countries outside the United States you will find that it is actually quite uncommon for eggs to be refrigerated as they lose some of their nutritional value when refrigerated. However, if you purchase eggs commercially it may be necessary to refrigerate them, as they might be a month old by the time you actually purchase them. Related Articles: Raw Eggs for Your Health -- Major Update Infants Tolerate Adult Equivalent of 40 Eggs Per Week