Many breast cancer patients, besides treatment, should be most concerned about how to eat properly, as reflected in the past consultations of many patients. What not to eat?
Indeed, there are quite a number of research findings that show that dietary structure and food choices are related to disease progression, risk of recurrence, and overall survival of breast cancer patients. Therefore, it is still very relevant to make adjustments in dietary habits when diagnosed with breast cancer.
What is a beneficial diet for breast cancer patients? In a word, reasonable nutrition and meals. Today, we will compile the dietary guidelines for breast cancer patients, which are as follows for your reference.
1.Fat
Many results have shown that fat intake is associated with poor prognosis, recurrence, survival and mortality of breast cancer, and every 20% reduction in dietary energy can reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence by 24%.
It is important to emphasize here that a low-fat diet does not mean not consuming any fat at all, that is certainly not possible. The general recommendation for a low-fat diet is that fat accounts for less than 15% of total calories.
Specific to the usual diet.
(1) eat more white meat: white meat refers to meat with low fat content and high unsaturated fatty acid content in fat; such as chicken, duck, goose, fish, shrimp, etc.
(2) Eat less red meat: red meat contains high levels of saturated fat. For example, pork, beef, mutton, venison, rabbit meat, etc. and the offal of animals.
(3) Also need to pay attention to processed meat (such as ham, cured meat), desserts, high-fat dairy products (such as full-fat milk) and fried barbecue type need to reduce intake.
2.Protein
Whether in the process of treatment, rehabilitation or long-term survival, the right amount of protein intake is very important.
Foods such as fish, lean meat, skinless poultry, eggs, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, nuts and legumes are sources of high-quality protein and can provide unsaturated fatty acids. The dietary structure based on vegetables and fruits should be supplemented with sufficient fish, milk and other high quality proteins.
3.Carbohydrates
Whole grains contain a variety of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that can reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Of course carbohydrates should be chosen from coarse grains that have not been processed many times, because the basic nutrients and dietary fiber of coarse grains are better preserved, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. The content of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber in refined grains (such as polished rice) is much lower than that of whole grains. Sugar and sugary drinks (soft drinks and juice drinks) will increase dietary energy intake and make weight gain, and should be limited.
4, vegetables and fruits
Vegetables and fruits contain a large number of essential vitamins, minerals, bioactive phytochemicals and dietary fiber, and are low energy density foods that can help maintain a healthy weight.
Fruits can provide dietary fiber and reduce the energy intake of food. If the patient cannot consume fresh fruit, it is recommended to choose pure fruit juice (rather than juice drinks).
5, soy products category
Why does this category need to be described separately? Because almost every patient asks the question of whether they can eat soy products, mainly because people believe that soy contains phytoestrogens and are afraid of bringing a bad prognosis. In fact, this is a misunderstanding. In fact, soy isoflavones, which are rich in soy products, have an estrogen-like effect and can reduce the level of estrogen in human blood, which has a preventive effect on breast cancer.
A study done in Shanghai on a breast cancer survival cohort included 5,000 breast cancer patients and showed that the risk of death from breast cancer was reduced by 29% and the risk of recurrence was reduced by 32% in the highest soy protein intake group. Results from a joint US-China study also showed that soy intake reduced the risk of breast cancer recurrence by 25%, with a more pronounced protective effect in patients who were estrogen receptor negative. Based on evidence from several similar studies, it is recommended that soy products are safe to consume in moderation as part of a healthy diet.
Many people ask, “Is it possible that taking supplements containing soy isoflavones can reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence? This is not recommended due to the lack of evidence from relevant studies.
Although there is growing evidence that a diet rich in vegetables and fruits can improve overall survival in cancer patients, dietary changes have to be made in conjunction with lifestyle changes. Studies have shown that breast cancer patients who consume five servings of vegetables and fruits per day (each equivalent to 150g) and walk consistently for 30 minutes or more six days per week have the highest survival rates.
It should also be reminded that it is difficult to achieve significant benefit from a short period of change due to the adverse effects of the patient’s diet for many years prior to diagnosis, and long-term adherence to good eating habits is required to achieve this.