Just two handfuls of walnuts a day may keep breast cancer away, a study in mice suggests.
And if you have breast cancer, walnuts may help curb tumor growth. Walnuts have disease-fighting omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and in particular, phytosterols.
Phytosterols bind to estrogen receptors, so they are expected to slow growth of breast cancers. Estrogen fuels the growth of some breast tumors.
The study was carried out on genetically altered mice that were programmed to develop tumors within six months. Half consumed a diet that contained the human equivalent of two 1-ounce servings of walnuts per day. One serving fits in the palm of your hand. The other half was fed a diet that did not include walnuts.
Standard testing showed that eating walnuts cut the risk of developing breast tumors in half.
If mice did get breast tumors, the growth rate was also slowed by 50%. In other words, eating walnuts delayed the development of tumors by at least three weeks in the mice. Extrapolating to humans, this would be about a nine-year delay.
[Source]
Chapter: Cancer :: 1 June 2010
