If you have any history of breast cancer in your family you want to do all you can to avoid developing it and in that respect diet and nutrition can play a significant role in your chances of reducing the risk it poses.

What will help:

1. We need to have fats in order to metabolise vitamins and essential nerve functions, but make sure you are using good, healthy fats.

You need the monounsaturates found in organic extra virgin olive oil, and freshly ground flaxseed and oily fish such as salmon and sardines as these may help reduce your risk of developing breast cancer.

2. Soy foods contain many cancer-protective substances, including isoflavones, so eat regularly.

There is a whole range of soy products now from milk, yoghurt to cheese and more so this potent phytoestrogen needs to included in moderation in your diet.

3. Five a day is really not enough, so increase your intake of fruit and vegetables either raw, steamed or even in smoothies if that is the only way you can take them.

The best cancer-fighting ones are the cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, bok choy and cauliflower as they are high in protective phytonutrients.

4. Check your hormone balance and make sure you do not have any excess oestrogen or oestrogen dominance by maintaining good bioidentical natural progesterone levels.

Progesterone has been shown to protect against breast cancer and it is especially important for women with any family history of the disease to know why oestrogen dominance symptoms are.