Although improved treatment modalities and better early detection techniques have greatly decreased the impact of breast cancer it is still estimated that more than 40,000 women will die as a result of the disease in 2009, and although breast cancer in men is rare there will still be approximately 2,000 male cases of the disease diagnosed.

Many scientists and medical professionals are also now convinced that dietary habits also play a large part in helping to prevent breast cancer. The American Cancer Research Institute recommends that the ideal dinner plate contain at least two thirds vegetables, fruits, whole grains or beans. All of these foods contain vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that research has shown to may have anti cancer properties.

Soy and soy based foods are emerging as another weapon in the fight against breast cancer. According to Gretchen Hoffing, who is a dietician and a soy foods health educator at Michigan State University, soy is indeed one of the foods that emerging research has found to have powerful anti cancer properties.

The research indicates however that the greatest benefits can be gained if soy is consumed in childhood and adolescence, with some study results demonstrating that consuming just two servings of soy daily in childhood may cut a female’s risk of eventually developing breast cancer in half.

When some people first think of soy they imagine a bland and unpleasant substance that is not the nicest thing to eat. However, these days soy products of all kinds are to be found at any local grocery store  and  range from chocolate and strawberry flavored soy milks to burgers and sausages that, although they are made entirely from soy, taste very much like the real thing. Soy based snacks and candy like snack bars are also a very popular way many people are choosing to get their two servings a day.

According to many people, including a growing number of medical professionals, soy is actually good for more than just helping prevent breast cancer. Other studies have shown that the regular consumption of soy foods of all kinds can help maintain proper blood sugar levels, assist in weight loss efforts and help decrease cholesterol levels.