Eating This Type Of Food Could Prevent You From Getting Breast Cancer

If you were all about eating fruit, veggies and whole grains in high school, I have good news for you. According to new research, women who eat high-fiber diets as teenagers are less likely to develop breast cancer later on.

The study, published in the scientific journal Pediatrics, surveyed 44,263 women about their eating habits as teenagers and then asked them to report on what their diets were like every four years.

Women who got their recommended 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day during high school were 24 percent less likely to develop breast cancer before menopause and had a 16 percent lower overall risk when compared to women who consumed about 14 grams of fiber per day, on average.

So, while ice cream and chicken nuggets are delicious -- I got really hungry just writing those words, to be honest -- they're probably not the best choices if you're looking out for your longterm health.

If you have no clue what fiber is, it's a nutrient that helps digestion (so long, constipation), and it keeps you feeling full for longer. High-fiber foods include fruits, whole grains, beans and green veggies.

This isn't the first time researchers found a link between diet and breast cancer. Last month, a study found a diet high in added sugar may increase the risk of breast cancer.

In other words, it's probably time to ditch your soda habit on top of eating more fiber.

If you're ready to hop on the fiber train at this very moment, I'd recommend buying a carton of raspberries (they have 8 grams of fiber per cup) and boiling an artichoke for a whopping 10.3 grams of fiber.

You'll thank me later.

Citations: A Diet High In Fiber May Help Protect Against Breast Cancer (NPR), Dietary Fiber Intake in Young Adults and Breast Cancer Risk (Pediatrics), Chart of high-fiber foods (Mayo Clinic)