By:Chris McGrath
Getty Images News
According to a new study, having dinner early and refraining from midnight-snacking could reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Similarly, by stretching the overnight fasting time, blood sugar levels can be reduced. High sugar levels are also correlated with incidence of breast cancer, the Daily Mail reported.
The simple message in this study that could have a significant impact on women is to avoid snacking after dinner.
"Increasing the duration of overnight fasting could be a novel strategy to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer," study author Catherine Marinac, of San Diego School of Medicine was quoted as saying by Daily Mail.
"This is a simple dietary change that we believe most women can understand and adopt. It may have a big impact on public health without requiring complicated counting of calories or nutrients."
A similar study on heart disease has established that refraining from eating after an early dinner until breakfast also reduces the risk of a heart attack.
Tom Stansfeld, Cancer Research UK’s health information officer supported the idea that diet plays a role in cancer risk. However, Stansfeld said that it is too early to draw conclusions from studies that only look at blood glucose. The U.S. study has not clearly established a link to breast cancer.
Studies show having diabetes is associated with an increased risk of developing cancer, particulalry breast cancer. This is why maintenance of appropriate glucose levels is so important.
"It was first observed 50 years ago that cancer, including breast cancer, is more commonly found in people with diabetes. More recent studies have reinforced a link between cancer and diabetes and have been able to specifically identify a link between breast cancer risk and type 2 diabetes," Komen.org reported.
According to research linked to diabetes, diabetic women have a 20% higher risk of breast cancer than women who are not diabetic, Diabetic Care Services said.