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2025
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf
This study examined the link between cadmium (Cd) exposure and breast cancer risk using data from nearly 6,000 participants and a meta-analysis of 20 studies. The researchers found that higher cadmium levels significantly increased breast cancer risk, with the strongest association in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer subtypes, and identified glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c, a marker of blood sugar control) as a potential mechanism linking cadmium exposure to cancer development. The findings suggest that cadmium, an endocrine-disrupting metal found in the environment, may contribute to breast cancer through metabolic disruption. These results highlight the importance of reducing cadmium exposure and understanding how environmental toxins interact with metabolic health to influence cancer risk.
2025
Nutr J
A prospective cohort study of 13,567 Chinese women followed for nearly 15 years found that consuming one or more servings of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) per week was associated with a 58% increased breast cancer risk compared to consuming less than one serving weekly. The association was partly mediated by body mass index (4.2%) and uric acid (18.8%), with genetic analyses identifying additional metabolic mediators including cholesterol and fatty acid ratios accounting for small portions of the effect. Interestingly, higher soy milk consumption (3-6 portions weekly) was associated with a 69% reduced breast cancer risk, while dairy milk showed a non-significant trend toward increased risk, and no associations were found for juice, coffee, tea, or alcohol, suggesting that reducing SSB consumption and addressing the associated metabolic disruptions could be effective breast cancer prevention strategies.
2025
Sci Rep
A study of 50 breast cancer patients and 50 healthy women found that 60% of breast cancer patients had metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions including high blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol) compared to 40% of healthy controls, and breast cancer patients had significantly lower levels of beneficial gut bacteria—specifically Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. These beneficial bacteria normally help protect against disease and regulate the immune system, suggesting their depletion may play a role in breast cancer development. The findings support a connection between metabolic health, gut bacteria composition, and breast cancer risk, pointing to potential new avenues for cancer prevention through dietary or probiotic interventions, though more research is needed.
2024
Maturitas
A prospective study of 24,892 Spanish women (639 breast cancer cases) from the EPIC cohort examined associations between three dietary patterns (Western, Prudent, Mediterranean) and breast cancer risk over time. Women with moderate-to-high adherence to the Western dietary pattern showed a non-linear 37% increased breast cancer risk compared to those with lowest adherence (HR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.07-1.77 for third quartile and HR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.03-1.83 for fourth quartile), with particularly strong associations in postmenopausal women (HR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.04-1.94 in highest quartile) and for ER+/PR+/HER2- tumors (HR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.11-2.63 in highest quartile), while Prudent and Mediterranean patterns showed no clear associations. The findings suggest that Western dietary patterns characterized by high-fat dairy, red and processed meats, refined grains, sweets, caloric drinks, and convenience foods may increase breast cancer risk, especially for hormone receptor-positive tumors in postmenopausal women.
2023
Eur J Clinc Nutr
A prospective study of 65,574 postmenopausal French women followed for 20 years found that high adherence to a Paleolithic diet—characterized by high intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, and lean meat while limiting dairy, grains, legumes, refined sugar, and alcohol—was associated with a 17% reduced breast cancer risk compared to low adherence. Each standard deviation increase in Paleolithic diet score was associated with an 8% lower breast cancer risk, and notably, the protective association was consistent across all breast cancer subtypes, suggesting involvement of non-hormonal mechanisms. These findings provide the first long-term evidence linking Paleolithic dietary patterns to breast cancer prevention and suggest that this eating pattern—which emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods while restricting potentially inflammatory foods—may offer protective benefits beyond what has been observed with other dietary patterns, though further research is needed to identify the specific biological mechanisms involved.
2020
Nutrients
A prospective cohort study of 10,930 Spanish female university graduates in the SUN (“Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra”) project examined whether adherence to the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) cancer prevention recommendations was associated with breast cancer risk. The study used an 8-item score measuring compliance with recommendations including body fat, physical activity, consumption of wholegrains/vegetables/fruit/beans, avoidance of fast foods and processed meats, limited sugar-sweetened drinks and alcohol, and breastfeeding. While no significant association was found for overall breast cancer risk, women who scored highest on adherence (>5 points vs. ≤3 points) had a 73% reduced risk of postmenopausal breast cancer after adjusting for other variables. The findings suggest that following multiple WCRF/AICR lifestyle and nutritional recommendations together may significantly reduce postmenopausal breast cancer risk through their combined protective effects.
2018
Eur J Obstet Gynecol Repod Biol
A hospital-based case-control study of 134 breast cancer cases and 267 controls in Tehran, Iran used a 168-item food frequency questionnaire and factor analysis to identify two major dietary patterns and assess their association with breast cancer risk. The “healthy” pattern (high in fruits, vegetables, seeds, legumes, fish, whole grains, and liquid/olive oils, with low salt) showed no significant association with breast cancer (OR: 0.83), while the “unhealthy” pattern (high in sweets, soft drinks, mayonnaise, solid oils, processed meat, fried/boiled potatoes, and salt) was associated with significantly increased breast cancer risk in the highest versus lowest quartile (OR: 2.21; 95% CI: 1.04-4.69). When stratified by menopausal status, the unhealthy dietary pattern showed a particularly strong association with breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women (OR: 3.56; 95% CI: 1.16-10.95), but not premenopausal women. These findings suggest that overall dietary patterns—rather than individual nutrients or foods—may be important determinants of breast cancer risk, with an unhealthy Western-style diet pattern characterized by processed foods, added sugars, unhealthy fats, and high salt intake potentially more than doubling breast cancer risk, especially in postmenopausal Iranian women.
2022
PLOS Med
A large French study following nearly 103,000 adults for nearly 8 years found that people who consumed higher amounts of artificial sweeteners—particularly aspartame and acesulfame-K found in diet sodas and many processed foods—had a 13-15% increased risk of cancer overall, with specific increases in breast cancer and obesity-related cancers. The research, which carefully tracked detailed dietary records and controlled for multiple lifestyle factors, showed aspartame was associated with a 22% higher breast cancer risk among higher consumers compared to non-consumers. While the study has some limitations including potential confounding factors, these findings add to growing concerns about artificial sweetener safety and support the need for regulatory agencies to re-evaluate the safety of these widely used food additives found in thousands of products worldwide.