Exercising and eating right are both important parts of living well. But if you're concerned about reducing your risk of breast cancer, you should probably put in your time at the gym.


A new study from researchers at the University Medical Center of Utrecht found that while losing weight via an improved diet can help reduce the risk of certain types of breast cancer, women who combined eating well with exercise had much better results -- specifically when it came to combatting breast cancers fueled by hormones. That's because exercise helps to decrease body fat and levels of the sex hormone estrogen that are associated with breast cancer. Estrogen is required in order for many breast cancers to grow.

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The findings were particularly true among post-menopausal women, for whom a lack of activity is one of the major risk factors for developing breast cancer. The exercise has a couple of other added benefits, too. Researchers believe that exercise also reduces the risk of breast cancer because it decreases inflammation in the body and may also decrease levels of the hormone insulin, too. [Huffington Post]