In multiple studies, cancer researchers have determined that a
plant-based diet and less alcohol consumption significantly reduce the
risk of
breast cancer.
In
the most recent study, researchers from Columbia University, Stanford
University and UCLA followed 91,779 women for 14 years as part of the
California Teachers study. The women were followed between 1995 and
2009.
The researchers tracked the number of breast cancers and
tumors among the women during the women and matched these results with
the respective diet patterns of the women. The researchers grouped the
women into five basic diet patterns:
1) plant-based diet - high in fruits and vegetables
2) high-protein, high-fat diet - high in meats, eggs, fried foods, and fats
3) diet high in carbohydrates, processed and convenient foods, pasta, and bread products
4) ethnic diet - high in legumes, soy foods, rice, and dark-green leafy vegetables
5) salad and wine diet - high in lettuce, fish, wine, low-fat salad dressing, coffee and tea
Of
these patterns, those who ate the most (highest quartile) plant-based
diet pattern (1) had 15% less incidence of breast cancer and 34% less
incidence of breast cancers that were estrogen receptor–negative and
progesterone receptor–negative (ER-/PR-).
While the
non-plant-based diets scored the lowest, the researchers also found that
the "salad and wine diet" pattern produced a 29% higher incidence of
estrogen receptor–positive progesterone receptor–positive (ER+/PR+)
tumors.
With regard to the alcohol consumption, the researchers
noted that alcohol was a contributing factor, but not the only
contributing factor.
The researchers concluded that:
"The
finding that greater consumption of a plant-based dietary pattern is
associated with a reduced breast cancer risk, particularly for ER-/PR-
tumors, offers a potential avenue for prevention."
Other studies have shown that a plant-based diet reduces the risk of breast and other cancers.
Specific
to breast cancer, a study from France's INSERM scientists conducted a
large study that followed 65,374 women for nearly 10 years (9.7 to be
exact). Here the researchers divided the women into two primary eating
patterns:
1)
The Western diet – high in meat products, fried foods, cakes, mayonnaise, butter/cream and alcohol
2)
The Mediterranean diet – high in vegetables, fruits, olive oil, sunflower oil and seafood
The
Western diet plan resulted in a 20% greater incidence of breast cancer
among those eating the most (highest quartile) of this diet, and 33%
greater risk for ER+/PR+ tumors. Meanwhile, those eating the most of the
Mediterranean diet plan had 15% incidence of all breast cancers.
This
study also captured a difference of 6% greater breast cancer risk among
those with greater alcohol consumption. This appears to be consistent
with the new study as well.
Alcohol a greater factor in some breast cancers
Specific to alcohol, another study – this from Sweden's Karolinska
Institute – followed 51,847 women for more than eight years. This study
found that those women who drank more than 10 grams of alcohol per day
had a 35% greater incidence of ER+/PR+ breast cancers. This was
increased among women who were taking hormones.
The researchers noted that the ER+ relationship was important, as they stated in their conclusion:
"The
observed association between risk of developing postmenopausal ER+
breast cancer and alcohol drinking, especially among those women who use
postmenopausal hormones, may be important, because the majority of
breast tumors among postmenopausal women overexpress ER."
Fiber content in diet critical in breast cancer
The
relationship between diet and breast cancer becomes more evident as we
examine a 2008 study of 51,823 Swedish women who were also followed for
more than eight years. Here the researchers found that those women who
had the highest quartile of total fiber intake had a 34% decreased
incidence of breast cancer and a 38% reduced incidence of ER+/PR+
tumors.
This study also found that among those taking hormones, the reduction of breast cancer incidence was a whopping 50%.
The
researchers also found that those eating more cereal-based fiber
(grains) had an even greater reduction in breast cancer incidence. A
plant-based diet is naturally higher in fiber because whole fruits,
vegetables and grains contain various plant fibers.
So it seems
that fiber is a critical issue, and plant-based foods maintain higher
fiber content, while the Western diet maintains lower fiber content.
Certainly this is compounded by the increased content of numerous anti-cancer phytochemicals.
REFERENCES:
Link LB, Canchola AJ, Bernstein L, Clarke CA, Stram DO, Ursin G, Horn-Ross PL. Dietary patterns and breast cancer risk in the California Teachers Study cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Oct 9.
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Suzuki R, Ye W,
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