How Exercise Reduces Breast Cancer Risk: What New Research Reveals

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women and occurs more frequently, particularly at older ages. However, research conducted in recent years has provided strong evidence that physical activity reduces the risk of breast cancer. The reason for this is that exercise lowers estrogen levels.

Exercise and Estrogen Levels in Older Women

Research in recent years has shown that older women who are physically active have lower estrogen levels. Exercise in postmenopausal women has also been proven to have a close relationship with breast cancer risk. Estrogen levels are an important factor in breast cancer risk, and lowering these levels through exercise is an important step in cancer prevention.

A New Study: How Does Exercise Affect Hormone Levels?

A study conducted by the Polish Breast Cancer Research Association sought to better understand how exercise affects hormone levels. It examined women aged between 40 and 74, a total of 540 Polish women who exercised and had not previously received hormone therapy. All participants' activities were measured using accelerometers worn around their waists, and urine tests were performed.

The results showed that exercise reduced estrogen levels and increased certain estrogen-blocking substances. These findings have given us a clearer understanding of how exercise reduces the risk of breast cancer.

Other Health Benefits of Exercise

In addition to reducing breast cancer risk, exercise has many other health benefits. For example, regular exercise helps protect heart health and reduces the risk of diabetes. Exercise also helps with weight control, which lowers estrogen levels and thereby reduces breast cancer risk.

In conclusion, we know that hormones play an important role in breast cancer. For the first time, strong evidence has been obtained proving that physical activity lowers hormone levels. This has given us clearer information about how the body's metabolism works. Of course, this does not mean that exercise affects only estrogen metabolism. Increased physical activity is also known to have beneficial effects on insulin metabolism, and high insulin levels are associated with certain cancers, including breast cancer. However, we should remember that regular exercise that helps control weight protects us from many diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, as well as cancer.