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January 12, 2008

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has published the most comprehensive report ever on the link between cancer and diet, physical activity and weight. One of only ten recommendations is that women should aim to breastfeed their baby exclusively for six months, and then continue with breastfeeding with complementary foods after that.

The authors state that ‘there is convincing evidence that breastfeeding protects against pre-menopausal and post-menopausal breast cancer. There is also limited evidence that it protects against cancer of the ovary. There is also evidence that being breastfed probably protects babies from becoming overweight or obese in later life.’

Searches at nine academic institutions across the world for studies published since records began in the 1960s initially found half a million – 7,000 of which were judged to be the most relevant and robust for inclusion in the report. The document includes 10 recommendations from a panel of 21 world-renowned scientists that represent the most definitive and authoritative advice that has ever been available on how the general public can prevent cancer. UNICEF and the World Health Organization were among
the official observers of the report’s process.

Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, World Cancer Research Fund, 2007