Nuts for young girls

A useful study was just published in the journal Cancer Causes & Control that examines the effect of nut consumption by young girls on breast disease and breast cancer.

"We examined the association between adolescent fiber intake and proliferative BBD [benign breast disease], a marker of increased breast cancer risk, in the Nurses’ Health Study II."

They gathered data on diet and the emergence of breast disease confirmed by pathology for 29,480 females. A definite pattern emerged:

"Women in the highest quintile of adolescent fiber intake had a 25% lower risk of proliferative BBD... High school intake of nuts was also related to significantly reduced BBD risk. Women consuming ≥2 servings of nuts/week had a 36% lower risk...than women consuming <1 serving/month."

Taking into consideration other research I think we have to accept the likelihood that the beneficial fat in nuts confers some of the benefit. This adds to the weight of evidence in favor of nuts in a wholesome and preventative diet:

"These findings support the hypothesis that dietary intake of fiber and nuts during adolescence influences subsequent risk of breast disease and may suggest a viable means for breast cancer prevention."