Eggs: The Choline-Rich Food that Helps Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

In Today's Healing Gourmet News Bite: Eggs: The Choline-Rich Food that Helps Reduce Breast Cancer Risk  Dear Jacqueline,  According to U.S. health statistics, one out of every eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Just last year, more than 230,000 received a diagnosis of invasive breast cancer. This is one of the greatest health fears that women face. The good news is that there are many things you can do to dramatically reduce your risk. In fact, getting enough of a certain B vitamin could reduce your risk by up to 44 percent. This finding comes from a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It compared dietary intake data from 1,508 women with breast cancer to the same data from 1,556 women who were free of the disease. The researchers found that those with the highest intake of choline (>455 mg/day) had a 24 percent lower risk of breast cancer than women with the lowest intake of this B vitamin (<196 mg/day). These results are worth noting. But what makes the findings even more notable is that other studies have drawn the same conclusion. A Harvard study found that women who had a higher intake of eggs (one of the richest natural sources of choline) during adolescence enjoyed a lower risk of developing breast cancer in adulthood. The study found that one egg per day was associated with an 18 percent reduced risk. Another study from 2005 found that women eating at least 6 eggs per week had a 44 percent lower risk for developing breast cancer compared to women who ate two or less eggs per week. The bad news is that only 10 percent of Americans are estimated to meet what the Institute of Medicine considers an "adequate" choline intake: 425 mg/day for most women 550 mg/day for women who are breastfeeding and for men. The following foods will help you to get more choline in your diet: Egg (one whole) - 112 mg choline Grass-fed ground beef (3.5 oz patty) - 81 mg choline Cauliflower (3/4 cup cooked) - 62 mg choline Navy beans (1/2 cup cooked) - 48 mg choline Almonds (1/2 cup) - 26 mg choline