When people are first diagnosed with breast cancer, many look for ways to change their diet to improve their chances of survival and reduce the risk of the cancer recurring. Given how much information is available from clinics, books and the internet, it's easy to get swamped. So how do you get started picking the best diet for you?
A good place could be the nature of your cancer, with the first question - was your cancer hormonally responsive? The prime culprit is often oestrogen. If you're not sure if your cancer was hormonally responsive, then check with your doctor. They should already have tested you for this, and if you are on drugs like Arimidex, Tamoxifen, and other Aromatase inhibitors, then oestrogen is probably a key factor.
This means that any diet you choose should help you eat to beat the oestrogen. Excessive oestrogen is linked to cancers in men and women from melanomas to ovarian, from prostate to colon. And of course breast cancer.
How does your diet help to control oestrogen? Well, the following habits will all increase oestrogen...
Eating high fat and protein
Being overweight caused by eating excessive calories
High sugar content diets
BUT - certain foods can reduce aggressive oestrogen levels, converting it to less aggressive forms;
Eating natural compounds and sleeping well; eating certain foods can block the action of some oestrogens; and having healthy intestinal bacterial flora can also be a factor.
If you have an oestrogen triggered cancer, then any diet you pick should include phyto-estrogens as means of oestrogen control.
Professor Trevor Powles, former head of the breast cancer unit at the Royal Marsden Hospital is quite clear on the benefits of phyto-oestrogens and calls them the 'anti-oestrogens'. Phyto-estrogens, which are found in pulses, are weaker than oestrogen and compete with it to help control the level and effect of oestrogen. Alarmingly, today only 2 per cent of our diet in the UK contains pulses. Let's contrast this with 30 per cent back in 1900.
The following three breast cancer diets are probably the most well known:
Dr Johanna Budwig Diet (flaxseed and cottage cheese basically
Gerson's Diet
The Rainbow Diet by Chris Woollams
The Rainbow diet is available on Amazon and you can find details on the others on the internet, or our blog, Sian Scribbles.
One last point, in my personal experience, there are more benefits from being relaxed about diet and lifestyle, than from fretting over getting it all perfect according to some book or diet guru.
Perhaps the best breast cancer diet the one where you relax and eat what makes you feel physically and mentally fantastic.
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