Study: Diet Rich in Folate May Cut Breast Cancer Risk

A diet rich in leafy greens, fortified cereals, orange juice and other foods high in folate may help reduce the risk of breast cancer, particularly for women who regularly consume alcohol, according to Harvard University researchers.

The researchers, reporting in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, said they found that among women who had at least one alcoholic drink a day, those with the highest levels of folate in their blood were far less likely to develop breast cancer than those with the lowest levels.

The researchers also reported that vitamin B6 also appeared to help lower the risk of breast cancer in women, but that vitamin B12 seemed to help only in premenopausal women.

The researchers drew their conclusions by taking blood samples from 32,826 of the participants enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study, and then comparing levels of folate and B vitamins in the blood of 712 women who had developed breast cancer to those of another 712 women who did not have breast cancer.

"Higher plasma levels of folate and possibly vitamin B6 may reduce the risk of developing breast cancer," the researchers concluded. "Achieving adequate circulating levels of folate may be particularly important for women at higher risk of developing breast cancer because of higher alcohol consumption."

Other sources: Journal of the National Cancer Institute