Conversely, cultures that consume primarily plant-based diets or diets rich in fish have lower breast cancer rates. Other studies suggest that the type of fat we consume is as important as the amount. Polyunsaturated fats in corn and safflower oils promote tumor growth in laboratory animals, where flax and fish oils inhibit growth. We also know that estrogen levels in women can increase with increases in body fat, and that estrogen promotes the growth of breast cells. So, researchers have been focusing a lot of attention on fat intake and breast cancer.
Early studies show a small association between the two.
But in the largest and most recent study it was found that neither the type nor amount of fat a woman consumes affects her breast cancer risk. As with most unsettled scientific issues, experts have been quick to point out the limitations of this latest study. What all of this means is that fat consumption, by itself, is not the culprit that many thought it was. If it does play a role in breast cancer, it is just one part of the dietary puzzle - and one that is still not fully understood. Chemicals in garlic limit production of an enzyme that promotes tumor growth.