Eating beans or lentils at least twice a week may reduce a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, according to a report in the International Journal of Cancer. However, consumption of other foods high in chemicals called flavonols does not seem to affect the risk.

Animal studies have linked diets high in flavonols with a reduced risk of breast cancer, but it was unclear if this association held true in a human population.

Dr. Clement A. Adebamowo, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, and colleagues analyzed data from 90,630 women who participated in the Nurses Health Study II.

The study focused on women who were premenopausal when the study began in 1991.

During an 8-year follow-up, 710 cases of breast cancer were recorded, the investigators point out.

As mentioned, overall flavonol intake was not associated with breast cancer risk, and neither was overall consumption of flavonol-rich foods. However, further analysis suggested a possible benefit for bean or lentil consumption.

Specifically, women who consumed beans or lentils at least twice a week were 24 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than women who consumed them less than once a month.

The apparent protective effect seen with bean or lentil intake warrants further investigation, the authors conclude.

SOURCE: International Journal of Cancer, April 20, 2005.