Grain fiber may inhibit breast cancer
Grains are rich in dietary fiber. Some studies have shown that grains seem to do more than that, for example, in an animal study of mice with breast cancer, sorghum inhibited tumor growth and suppressed breast cancer from metastasizing by inhibiting certain signaling pathways. Barley extracts have anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activity in murine breast cancer models. A study also showed that flour inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells and promoted apoptosis in tumor cells.
Of course, these studies used large amounts of grains and their effects have not been confirmed in humans, and given the adverse effects of high blood sugar and obesity caused by eating large amounts of staple foods, grains should not be consumed in excess, even if they have anti-tumor effects, and it is good to follow the dietary guidelines for daily consumption (250-400 g of cereals and potatoes per day) without deliberately controlling or increasing staple foods.
A balanced and comprehensive mix of coarse and fine staple foods
What breast cancer patients need to do is to control the total energy intake in all foods and maintain a balanced dietary structure. In terms of staple foods, it is recommended to blend fine staples (rice, steamed buns, noodles, white bread, rice cakes, etc.) with coarse grains (such as millet, black rice, barley, sorghum, oats, raised wheat, red beans, mung beans, kidney beans, etc.) and cook mixed grain rice or mixed grain and bean porridge, with each meal recommended to include 1/3-1/2 of coarse grains. Compared to fine staple foods, whole grains (oats, sorghum, brown rice, etc.) and mixed beans (mung beans, chickpeas, red pinto beans, etc.) provide more nutrients such as B vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, which are important for reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity and tumors.