7 Safe Switches to Help Prevent Breast Cancer

October Breast Cancer Awareness month may be coming to a close, but the fight against this disease is a 24/7 battle for every woman, young and old. In fact, all the charity walks, pink ribbons and preventative mammograms may not be enough to ward it off. That's because the scientific community is showing a powerful link between breast cancer incidences and a variety of widespread chemicals in our environment. "We've identified well over 40 chemicals in such everyday products as cosmetics, certain plastics and environmental contaminants that appear to induce mammary tumors in the breast," says Suzanne Snedeker, Ph.D., associate director of the Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors at the Sprecher Institute for Comparative Cancer Research at Cornell University.

Fortunately, there are some practical, day-to-day things you can do. By reducing your amount of exposure to certain everyday chemicals that studies suggest can increase your risk, you just may helping to protect yourself from a disease diagnosed in more than 175,000 women per year according to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Read on to find out where the culprits may lie in and around your home:

1. Plastics in food containers, water bottles, cell phones, cling wraps, dental sealants, CDs, computers, credit cards and rain gear

The culprit: Bisphenol-A, a chemical used to make plastic stable but also leaches out of the plastic and into the food or drinks you ingest has been getting some attention recently.

The danger: "Sustained exposure over time can effect your estrogen system to disrupt your normal hormone function of your breast cells to possibly feed and promote cancer," says Janet Gray, Ph.D., director of the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Center at Vassar College.

Safe switch: Practice safe microwaving and minimize the use of plastic food storage, says Dr. Gray, by using only ceramic or glass dishes.

2. Nail polish, hair products, fragrances and deodorants

The culprit: Phthalates, solvents that soften these products to make them usable.

The danger: After entering the blood stream, phthalates appear to alter cell metabolism to increase the likelihood of cancer, according to a 2001 French study.

Safe switch: Vegetable-based hair dyes, non-toxic nail polishes, essential oils for fragrance and baking-soda based deodorants, says Dr. Gray.

3. Cosmetics, shampoos, lotions and sunscreens

The culprit: Parabens, a preservative put in these products.

The Danger: A 2003 University of Reading in the UK study found that parabens directly effect cells by interacting with estrogen receptors, proteins that direct cell activity.