Diet and Breast Cancer

How can diet prevent or help patients with breast cancer to cope with it in the best possible way, as well as avoid relapses?

The concept of ' Diet ' derives from the Greek word 'díaita' and has a broader connotation than it is currently attributed, implying a lifestyle that includes habits such as eating, body composition, rest and sleep, physical activity, stress management, etc.

As a result of this unhealthy lifestyle, the World Health Organization estimates that approximately 30% of cancer deaths are due to five modifiable risk factors , which are:

Tobacco consumption.
Alcohol.
Overweight-obesity.
Insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Lack of physical activity.

Therefore, good prevention could have a long-term effect on reducing the incidence of breast cancer and should be based on:

Elimination of smoking habit and exposure to its smoke.
Control of consumption of alcohol.
Food healthy.
Activity physics.
Decrease in body fat to healthy levels in overweight and obesity. obesity may increase the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women by 50%.
Lactation maternal for its protective effect on both mother and baby (whenever possible).

It is important to emphasize that these are the tools we have to influence your risk compared to other non-modifiable factors such as age, hormonal activity, family history, etc.

Healthy diet based on fruits and vegetables

Can diet cure breast cancer?

Once the disease has developed, dietary treatment cannot cure it and is focused on:

Maintain good nutritional status that allows us to cope with medical treatment.
Alleviate side effects and reduce complications.
Reduce the risk of relapse.

Therefore, the nutritionist's role will consist of: advising you on how to mitigate nausea and vomiting, reinforcing your diet with nutrients that may be deficient, providing you with dietary tools so you know beneficial foods, portions, and dietary combinations, mitigating metallic tastes and strange odors or decreased taste, etc.

Decalogue of good dietary habits for the prevention of breast cancer

Below, we offer you a list of ten good dietary habits for prevention that you can easily but permanently integrate into your life:

Planning your menu with the daily and weekly servings you need to organize your healthy shopping list. Lack of organization leads to nutrient monotony and the use of unhealthy foods.
Regular meal times. Eating three main meals and one to two snacks based on your daily activity and schedule. Always strive for a balance between respecting your physiological hunger and satiety levels and providing all the nutrients you need throughout the day.
Drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day For proper hydration, you can drink infusions, homemade flavored waters with citrus or fruit... to change the flavors a bit.
Avoid regular alcohol consumption, even in moderate amounts.
It is fundamental that prioritize the consumption of foods of plant origin, Especially of fruits and vegetables with a minimum of 400g per day (for example, 3 fruits and 2 vegetables) to provide a minimum of 25-30 g of fiber per day. In addition, they provide us with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients (physiologically active molecules that have demonstrated beneficial effects in both the prevention and the different stages of cancer). Complete your daily plant intake with whole grain cereals (integrals) and vegetables that you should consume 2-4 times a week.
Regarding legumes such as soybean, which contains isoflavones as a phytonutrient, a reasonable consumption of soybeans, edamame, tofu, soy milk, etc., as part of a varied and balanced diet is safe. Another issue is their consumption in supplement form or their interaction during treatment with tamoxifen, where it is not indicated.
You can organize your lunch and dinner intakes following the structure of a 'healthy plate' like this:

Limit foods high in salt and sugar, such as pre-cooked foods, pastries and cookies, sweets, soft drinks, snacks, etc., since they do not provide beneficial nutrients and instead provide a lot of energy that contributes to excess weight.
Avoid saturated fats and uses virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, and oily fish as reference unsaturated fats.
Recommended culinary techniquesIt's important to vary foods and cooking techniques to bring different flavors and textures to our dishes. You can steam and boil (boil, poach, etc.), bake and en papillote, grill and broil, stir-fry, and create stews that aren't too fatty and difficult to digest.
Doing physical activity adapted in intensity and duration to your initial personal characteristics and progressively increasing.
It is not recommended to consume supplements or vitamins and minerals without a prescription. professional, since it has not demonstrated clear protective effects in the prevention of breast cancer and it has been observed that such an effect often disappears when the nutrient is provided in isolation outside of its environment in food or the context of the diet.

If you found this article interesting and would like to be seen by a specialist in gynecological oncology, the Women's Unit at Ruber International Hospital has a specialized unit in this area. You can request more information by calling 917303673, schedule an in-person appointment , or book an online consultation if you prefer; always with top specialists.

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Diet and breast cancer