Young women who ate the most fruits and vegetables , especially those rich in carotenoids , have a lower risk of breast tumors . Carotenoids are pigments that produce the color orange , red , or dark green . The pigment has the ability of antioxidants to fight disease .
Breast tumors is a true non - cancerous condition of the breast , although some may develop into cancer tumors . Breast tumor is an abnormal growth of cells in the breast that produce lumps .
" There have been many studies linking carotenoids and breast cancer , " said lead study Caroline Boeke , Ph.D. candidate at the Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard School of Public Health .
Overall, carotenoids have a protective effect against cancer . Then the researchers also analyzed the effect of vegetable consumption in girls since 1996 .
In the study , researchers conducted dietary analysis from 1996 to 1998 , and evaluate the results of the diagnosis of breast tumors in 2005 , 2007, and 2010 . Study involving nearly 6,600 girls, 122 of whom were diagnosed with breast tumors .
The study, published in the journal Pediatrics found that girls who ate more carotenoids protected from breast tumors . " The risk of breast tumors in about half of them in comparison to other groups who eat a little bit of carotenoid , " says Boeke .
However, the study does not claim a causal relationship between the two . Boeke said , they only have relevance . After entering other factors that influence the risk of breast tumors such as alcohol consumption , physical activity , family history , and body mass index , the association still has not changed .
source : www.kompas.com