Breast cancer health centre

Diet and nutrition to reduce breast cancer risk

Although there is no special 'anti-cancer' diet it is possible that diet and nutrition can play a role in reducing the risk of breast cancer in women.

It is thought that diet can have an impact on the risk of breast cancer because when women from a country that has a low rate of breast cancer move to a country with a higher rate, their risk of breast cancer also goes up. One example is when Japanese women move to the USA. This points to the risk of breast cancer being linked to either lifestyle or the environment.

However, because women eat such a huge variety of food types, and what they eat can change throughout their lives, researchers are only beginning to understand how diet and nutrition throughout a woman's life - from childhood through to menopause - can have an impact on reducing the risk of breast cancer as she ages. Much more research needs to be done.

Evidence-based diet suggestions

There have been a number of studies looking at how diets can affect the risk of breast cancer, but the results are often inconsistent or inconclusive. However, there is some evidence that following a balanced healthy diet can help, especially if you are getting your nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables - at least 5-a-day - plus pulses and wholegrains and you limit the amount of saturated fats you consume. Following such a diet will also help to watch your calorie intake - which can be important because being overweight is known to increase the risk of breast cancer in women after menopause.

Until researchers know more, to reduce your risk of breast cancer - as well as getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and following alcohol intake guidelines of no more than 14 units a week - try to ensure you are eating a healthy, nutritious diet. In particular, some research-based evidence suggests the following:

Good fats and bad fats: Eating foods containing omega-3 fats may help to lower the risk of breast cancer. Include oily fish such as mackerel, trout, tuna, sardines and kippers in your diet as they are a good source of omega-3 fats.

Cut down on the 'bad' saturated fats, especially if you have reached menopause. This means avoiding:

• Fatty cuts of meat as well as sausages, pies and other meat products
• Full-fat dairy foods such as hard cheese, cream, soured cream and ice cream
• Butter, ghee and lard
• Biscuits, cakes and pastries
• Some chocolate products and savoury snacks.

One way to approach this is to replace 'bad' saturated fats, which are animal based, with 'good' plant-based, polyunsaturated fats, found in vegetable oils and spreads, and monounsaturated fats such as olive oil. Avocados, nuts and seeds are good sources of plant-based fats.