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In overweight women with metastatic breast cancer, a whole food, plant-based diet can improve health markers. After just eight weeks on the diet, women in the intervention group had reduced fasting insulin, reduced insulin resistance, reduced total and LDL cholesterol, an improved hormonal profile, and experienced a 6.6% weight loss on average.1 While this study was not long enough to assess cancer-related outcomes, previous research has found that diets high in plant-based foods, especially fruit, vegetables, and soy, are associated with a lower risk of dying from cancer.2
The lead author of this study, Thomas Campbell, MD, of the University of Rochester Medical Center, will speak in depth about this study at the International Conference on Nutrition and Medicine in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 15-17, 2024. Register for the conference here.
References
1. Campbell TM, Campbell EK, Culakova E, et al. A whole-food, plant-based randomized controlled trial in metastatic breast cancer: weight, cardiometabolic, and hormonal outcomes. Breast Cancer Res Treat. Published online March 6, 2024. doi:10.1007/s10549-024-07266-1
2. Hardt L, Mahamat-Saleh Y, Aune D, Schlesinger S. Plant-based diets and cancer prognosis: a review of recent esearch. Curr Nutr Rep. 2022;11(4):695-716. doi:10.1007/s13668-022-00440-1
A new analysis of over 50,000 people found that replacing 100 grams (or 3.5 ounces) of red meat per week with an equal amount of whole grains, fruits, or vegetables was associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. Replacing just 50 grams of processed meat per week with fruits and vegetables was also associated with a reduced risk.1 Red and processed meats have been associated with multiple other cancers, including breast, prostate, liver, stomach, and lung cancer.2-3
References
1. Tammi R, Kaartinen NE, Harald K, et al. Partial substitution of red meat or processed meat with plant-based foods and the risk of colorectal cancer. Eur J Epidemiol. Published online January 23, 2024. doi:10.1007/s10654-024-01096-7
2. Farvid MS, Sidahmed E, Spence ND, Mante Angua K, Rosner BA, Barnett JB. Consumption of red meat and processed meat and cancer incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Eur J Epidemiol. 2021;36(9):937-951. doi:10.1007/s10654-021-00741-9
3. Huang Y, Cao D, Chen Z, et al. Red and processed meat consumption and cancer outcomes: Umbrella review. Food Chem. 2021;356:129697. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancer types, but new research compiled from a series of studies of legume consumption and cancer risk showed a significant protective effect of eating legumes (beans, peas, and lentils) on colorectal cancer.1 Previous research suggests that the protective effect of beans is due to their fiber content and other anti-cancer compounds such as flavonoids.2
References
1. Patel L, La Vecchia C, Negri E, et al. Legume intake and cancer risk in a network of case-control studies. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2024. doi:10.1038/s41430-024-01408-
2. Zhu B, Sun Y, Qi L, Zhong R, Miao X. Dietary legume consumption reduces risk of colorectal cancer: evidence from a meta-analysis of cohort studies. Sci Rep. 2015;5:8797. doi:10.1038/srep08797
Plant-based diets have important preventive effects against multiple forms of cancer, but they also benefit patients who already have cancer, according to two new studies from the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Men with prostate cancer experienced a higher quality of life as they ate more healthful plant-based foods.1 Meanwhile, women with breast cancer who were randomized to 8 weeks of eating a whole food, a plant-based diet had better cognitive function than those receiving usual care.2
Previous studies have found important benefits of diets that are low in fat and rich in vegetables and fruits for women previously diagnosed with breast cancer and a healthy, low-fat vegan diet for men with prostate cancer.3-5
References
1. Loeb S, Hua Q, Bauer S, et al. Association of plant-based diet index with quality of life in patients with prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2023; 41(16_suppl):5037-5037. doi:10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_
2. McGuire J, Campbell T, Gilmore N, et al. A whole-food, plant-based dietary intervention and cognitive function in women with metastatic breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2023; 41(16_suppl):e24160-e24160.
3. Chlebowski RT, Blackburn GL, Thomson CA, et al. Dietary fat reduction and breast cancer outcome: interim efficacy results from the Women’s Intervention Nutrition Study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006;98:1767-76. doi:10.1093/jnci/djj494
4. Pierce JP, Stefanick ML, Flatt SW, et al. Greater survival after breast cancer in physically active women with high vegetable-fruit intake regardless of obesity. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25:2345-51. doi:10.1200/JCO.2006.08.6819
5. Ornish D, Lin J, Chan JM, et al. Effect of comprehensive lifestyle changes on telomerase activity and telomere length in men with biopsy-proven low-risk prostate cancer: 5-year follow-up of a descriptive pilot study. Lancet Oncol. 2013;14(11):1112-20. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(13)
A diet high in processed foods and sweets may increase the odds of developing colorectal cancer, according to a new study. The study also suggested that eating mostly animal products (eggs, fish and seafood, and dairy products) may also increase risk.1 A diet high in fruits and vegetables was not found to increase risk of colorectal cancer, which supports the findings of other studies that have found plant-based diets to reduce the risk of developing the disease.2
References
1. Abd Rashid A, Ashari L, Shafiee N, et al. Dietary patterns associated with colorectal cancer risk in the Malaysian population: a case-control study with exploratory factor and regression analysis. BMC Public Health. 2023;23:1386. doi:10.1186/s12889-023-16283-6
2. Wu B, Zhou R, Ou Q, Chen Y, Fang Y, Zhang C. Association of plant-based dietary patterns with the risk of colorectal cancer: a large-scale case-control study. Food Funct. 2022;13:10790-10801. doi:10.1039/d2fo01745h
Drinking just under two servings of milk a day may increase the risk of prostate cancer in men by as much as 60%, according to a new study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
To better understand whether calcium intake was a major contributing factor, the study authors divided the men into cohorts based on their intake of nondairy sources of calcium (soy, nuts/seeds, cruciferous vegetables, other green vegetables, legumes, fruit, and fortified cereals) and dairy calcium. They adjusted for potentially confounding variables such as body mass index, fitness level, and age.
In evaluating the outcomes for each subset of participants, the researchers found that the high-dairy group developed prostate cancer at a significantly higher rate. Milk consumption, in particular, was strongly correlated to risk.
Compared with men who drank just ⅓ cup of milk per week, men who drank 1¾ cups daily—a little less than two 8-ounce servings—were 25% more likely to develop prostate cancer. When compared with vegan participants, those same men were 60% more likely to develop prostate cancer. Whether the milk was full fat, reduced fat, or nonfat made no difference—the increased risk was still present.
Plant-based diets protect against prostate cancer and improve outcomes, according to a review presented at the American Urological Association Annual Meeting and published in the Journal of Urology. A review of 31 articles showed improved outcomes and overall health in cancer patients who followed a plant-based diet as well as a lower risk for cancer in those with no cancer diagnosis.
A study published this month found that a high intake of dairy products such as milk increased the risk of developing prostate cancer. Previous research has shown the same. High intakes of dairy products including whole and low-fat milk and cheese increase the risk for prostate cancer, according to a meta-analysis that looked at 32 studies. Dairy products also increase the risk of death from prostate cancer. Men who consumed three or more servings of dairy products a day had a 141% higher risk for death due to prostate cancer compared to those who consumed less than one serving, in a study published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Avoiding dairy products and eating a more plant-based diet may help protect the prostate. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men who followed a vegan diet had a 35% lower prostate cancer risk than those following a nonvegetarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, or semi-vegetarian diet.
New research in The Journal of Urology found that men who consume the most plant-based foods decrease their risk of dying from prostate cancer by 19%.
The Facts about Soy – Many people, including some well-meaning, but ill-informed physicians-have made the mistake of banning soy products for women with cancer, thinking they could increase recurrence risk. Research shows they have precisely the opposite effect. Read More
A meta-analysis of 16 studies on green tea found that those who drank the most green tea had a 14% lower risk of getting breast cancer. Moreover, the more years people drank green tea, the lower their risk. It’s a comforting, breast-friendly choice if you need a boost! However, do pay attention to when you drink it, as it contains caffeine, which could disrupt sleep if consumed later in the day. Green tea also decreases iron absorption, so avoid drinking it within 1 hour of a meal.
Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31959020/
Men who eat a large amount of ultra-processed foods are 29% more likely to develop colorectal cancer compared to those who don’t, says a new study published in The BMJ. And while heavily processed foods may spike cancer risk for men, the same correlation wasn’t found amongst women.
The August 2022 study analyzed data from three major surveys of healthcare professionals conducted between 1986 and 2015, including the Nurses’ Health Study I and II and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline and every two years thereafter to gather information on their eating habits, lifestyle, cancer diagnoses, and demographics. After excluding those with incomplete responses or a previous cancer diagnosis, the new analysis included 159,907 women and 46,341 men.
Dairy foods are complex mixtures which include nutrients and non-nutrient substances that could potentially influence cancer etiology, including breast cancer. – Current Developments In Clinical Nutrition. 2017 Mar; 1(3) Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5998914/
High serum cholesterol levels, high CYP27A1 enzyme levels and more of the estrogen-like 27HC makes breast tumors more aggressive–something “no one had thought of before.” TColin-Campel Center for Nutritional Studies 2014 January 9th. 2020 March. Retrieved from https://nutritionstudies.org/breast-cancer-cholesterol-reductionism/