Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer

Make room for Milk. Researchers have found that women living in sunny, Southern climates like Atlanta or San Antonio are 30 to 40 percent less likely to get breast cancer than their Northern counterparts.

Researchers suspect that the benefits may be from all the vitamin D the Southerners are soaking up every day. Vitamin D appears to hinder the growth of breast cancer cells in laboratory studies.

What does this have to do with diet? Well, sunshine isn't the only vitamin D source. Milk is, too, and a good one at that. Scientists followed close to 5,000 women for about 16 years, and they found that those who got 200 more international units of vitamin D in their diets had a 30 percent lower risk of breast cancer than women who get less than 50 international units. Milk, fatty fish, and fortified breakfast cereals are some of the best sources.