Protect Breast Tissue with This Tuber

Raw sweet potatoes on wooden background closeup

Whenever you have potatoes on the side, make these your tubers of choice: sweet potatoes. They could be real friends to breast tissue.

A diet high in veggies could help protect against breast cancer. But carotenoid-rich produce—like sweet potatoes—may be particularly healthy, a study suggests.

Call in the carotenoids

The women in the study were at increased risk of breast cancer because of their dense breast tissue. Still, a diet high in orange and yellow produce was associated with a 50 percent lower risk of the disease in these women. Researchers speculate that the antioxidant qualities in carotenoids may help protect "at risk" breast cells against things that can damage DNA or trigger cell proliferation. Besides sweet potatoes, other yellow and orange produce that supplies carotenoids includes carrots, pumpkin, cantaloupe, mangoes, and sweet bell peppers.

More On

Katie Couric talks about the importance of detecting breast cancer early

video

Katie Couric talks about the importance of detecting breast cancer early
Couric revealed her breast cancer diagnosis a little over one year ago.
Metastatic Breast Cancer: Understanding Targeted Therapy

article

Metastatic Breast Cancer: Understanding Targeted Therapy
Learn how some cancer treatments stop the growth and spread of cancer by targeting specific molecules in cancer cells.
8 Things Your Breast Cancer Surgeon Wishes You Knew

slideshow

8 Things Your Breast Cancer Surgeon Wishes You Knew
Your deodorant isn't a cause, you can control some risk factors and that's just for starters.
Sharing care: Becca's story

video

Sharing care: Becca's story
Becca lost her hair due to radiation treatment for metastatic breast cancer. See her reaction while trying on wigs at the Wig Dr. Boutique.
New breast cancer vaccine trial launches at Cleveland Clinic

video

New breast cancer vaccine trial launches at Cleveland Clinic
Approximately 1 out of 8 women will suffer from invasive breast cancer. research has discovered a potential vaccine that may prevent the occurrence of...