Breast cancer risk may be reduced by educating consumers about eating more fruits and vegetables and limiting red meat intake, Fox News reported on Tuesday.
In a study conducted in Brazil, 18 breast cancer patients were taught better nutrition for about a year. The control group, comprised of 75 patients, did not receive any nutritional training. In Brazil, breast cancer patients only have a five-year survival rate.
Patients were asked to keep food journals and attend regular meetings aimed at limiting their intake of red and processed meats and increasing their vegetable intake. Cancer is shown to be positively affected by vegetables and fruits when the foods reduce the aggressiveness of chemotherapy on other parts of the body. On the other hand, cancer is worsened by heavy meat consumption.
The education group ate half as much red and processed meat as the control group over the course of the study. In turn, the control group gained twice the body weight and had three times higher body mass index than the group who consumed less meat.
Despite study limitations, like it not being conducted at random, and data being collected at different times between the groups, the findings stayed consistent, according to Newswire.
"Although the sample size was small and data were collected at different times, this study provides evidence that women undergoing breast cancer treatment might benefit from immediate, individualized and detailed nutrition monitoring," lead author Cecilia C. Schiavon, said in a news release.
