Teenage Girls Should Eat These 5 Fruits to Reduce Breast Cancer Risks

Here's why kids and teens alike should never take their fruits for granted.

A recent study published in The BMJ suggests that eating apples, oranges, bananas, grapes and kale could help teens and young women ward off risks of breast cancer upon reaching adulthood.

In the study, a team of researchers in the US analyzed the questionnaires completed in 1991 by more than 90,000 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study, where the women were asked about their typical diet during their early adulthood.

During follow up 20 years later, it was found out that over 3,200 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Of these cases, 1,347 provided information about their diet when they were between 13 and 18 years old.

Researchers found that participants who claimed eating an average of three servings of fruit per day had 25% lower risk of breast cancer later in life.

Apples, bananas and grapes, which are all rich in fiber and contain high amounts of flavonoids that act as antioxidants, are said to be the strongest cancer fighters and contribute the most in reducing breast cancer risks. Oranges and kales, which are rich in vitamin C, also help lower breast cancer risks.

In a separate study also published in The BMJ, another group of researchers discovered that increasing alcohol intake during adulthood was associated with higher risk of breast cancer. The research was done among 22,000 postmenopausal Danish women. Researchers concluded that women who increased their alcohol consumption by two drinks a day had a higher risk of developing breast cancer by 30% over five years, but with a lower risk of heart disease by 20%.

The results of these studies stress the importance of starting a healthy diet at a younger age, and the critical role this diet play in warding off deadly cancers.