Good nutrition helps one’s body to heal better. And this dictum holds true even for life-threatening diseases such as cancer. It is estimated that about 9 percent of breast cancer patients could have prevented the disease by following a healthy diet.
Breast cancer patients are usually advised to take a high-protein diet so that tissue renewal is faster. Calorie-dense foods are also given unless a patient starts gaining weight during treatment. Some medications cause constipation, so more fibre is added to the diet and the fluid intake must also be increased. Here are some food groups that can help understand what is beneficial and what is not.
FATS
Foods that have saturated fats increase the risk of breast cancer. These include oils, butter, ghee, margarine, meats, fish, nuts, ice creams, and also chocolates, biscuits and other bakery products. However, Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish oils are healthy and reduce the risk.
CARBOHYDRATES
Research has shown that a high carbohydrate diet increased the risk of developing breast cancer. Also, too much intake of sugar increases the body weight which in turn increases the risk. Limiting the indulgence of sugar and carbohydrates is healthy.
FIBRE
Fibre found in fruits, vegetables and whole-grain cereals reduces the risk of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women. Also, fibre is essential to provide relief from constipation caused by heavy doses of medicines.
FRUIT
Eating five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day is necessary. Fruits contain antioxidants that are beneficial in fortifying immunity and also beating cancer. Take care to ensure you eat whole fruits and not just fruit juices.
PROTEINS
Proteins are needed for healing, repair and strengthening of the immune system. Red meat, fish, poultry, chicken, cheese, beans, peanut butter, eggs, nuts, milkshakes and yoghurt are all excellent sources of protein. Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein-rich food must be consumed.
SOY FOODS
Phyto-oestrogens are chemicals found in plants. Soybean products, fibre of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and flaxseeds have sufficient phyto-oestrogens. A diet high in soy leads to less dense breast tissue. Higher density of breast tissue has been linked to cancer.
CAROTENOIDS
Carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, greens, papaya, bell peppers and tomatoes are all good sources of carotenoids which lower the risk of breast cancer. So this food group is especially beneficial.
The author is a nutritionist, wellness coach, and founder of Nutri Activania