24-year-old nutrient lowers BREAST CANCER risk 24%

Ladies, there are plenty of steps you can take to PREVENT breast cancer.

Maintaining a healthy weight… an active lifestyle… routine mammograms… and even staying away from postmenopausal hormone therapies are all simple, proactive “lifestyle” changes that can lower your risk.

Of course, there’s nothing that can completely keep breast cancer from targeting you or someone you love.

But today, I have research about “new” weapon to add to your arsenal in the fight against breast cancer.

Choline is an essential nutrient that your body (specifically your liver) produces on its own, but you also get it from your diet.

If you haven’t heard of choline before, you’re not alone. Choline is still considered a recently “discovered” nutrient.

In fact, it wasn’t until 1998 that the Institute of Medicine officially acknowledged it as a valuable nutrient – so it’s only been “recognized” for 24 years.

Today choline is considered critical for liver function, healthy brain development, muscle movement, the nervous system, and your metabolism.

However, most folks are deficient in choline – especially older women.

See, choline is also produced by estrogen. But estrogen levels drop as you age (especially in postmenopausal women), so many aren’t getting optimal levels of choline in their diet.

But you’ll want to ensure the amount you’re getting IS optimal – not just for the benefits mentioned above – but also because a new study found it helps reduce your risk of breast cancer.

A study of over 1,500 women found that those with high choline diets were 24% LESS LIKELY to get breast cancer.

It’s not a fool-proof way to completely STOP breast cancer. But with cases of breast cancer expected to DOUBLE by the year 2030, it’s important to reduce your risk!

So how do you make sure you’re getting ENOUGH choline?

Consider eating more eggs. A single egg notches about 20–25% of your daily choline requirement. So, two large eggs provide almost half the daily requirement.

You can also opt for choline-rich supplements like choline chloride, CDP-choline, alpha-GPC and betaine.

CDP-choline and alpha-GPC tend to be higher in choline content per unit weight – and are usually better absorbed by your body.

Studies around choline in older adults – specifically adult women – lean towards 425 mg per day. But only take the dosage listed on the product label, and be sure to talk to your doctor prior to starting supplementation routine.

Speaking of preventing cancer, be sure to read this afternoon’s eAlert. I have information on how you keep cancer from SPREADING by over 70%!

To using everything in our cancer arsenal,

Sarah Reagan

Sources:

Brown, Mary Jane. “What Is Choline? An Essential Nutrient With Many Benefits.” https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-choline

Mayo Clinic. “Breast cancer prevention: How to reduce your risk.” https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/breast-cancer-prevention/art-20044676

Breast Cancer Research Foundation. “Breast Cancer in the Elderly: Treating this Growing Patient Population.” https://www.bcrf.org/blog/breast-cancer-elderly-treating-growing-patient-population/