nbc

1. Nutrition and Breast Cancer
Pam Woolford BSc(Hons) MSc Nutritional
Medicine R Nutr FRSPH

2. Using food to help protect and
heal the body
 New branch of genetics called epigenetics is
showing how diet can influence the on/off
switch of genes in the DNA
 Use of essential fatty acids to help heal cell
membranes from the effects of
chemotherapy and radiotherapy
 Using natural detoxifying foods to help
clear chemotoxic drugs from the body

3. Using Nutrition to Boost
Immune Function
 Reducing inflammation
 Supporting immune function especially
when treatment reduces immune function
 Stress which produces excess cortisol is a
powerful immune suppressant
 Exercise which produces endorphins are
immune enhancers

4. Controlling Inflammation
 Include more omega 3 fatty acids
 Anti oxidants
 Vitamin D found in oily fish, egg yolks
mushroom and butter

5. Omega 3
Best source found in oily
Fish:
 Sardines
 Herring
 Pilchards
 Salmon
 Mackeral
 Trout
 Fresh Tuna ( not tinned)
At least 3 servings per week
Especially while undergoing
chemotherapy as helps
chemo drug enter tumour
cells

6. AVOID
 Trans fats found in hydrogenised fats such
as margarine and processed foods
 High GI foods such as white bread, white
rice and sugar

7. Foods which control Cancer
Growth/Detoxify
 Shallots, onions,garlic, soya beans, cruciferous vegetables,
Citrus fruits, spices, green tea and many herbs.
 Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, brussel sprouts,
kale,radish, spinach, watercress, cauliflower and broccoli
also slow down the rate of growth of cancer cells and also
help in the 2 stage process in the liver of detoxifying drugs

8. More Anti Cancer foods
 Mushrooms especially
Shiike, reishi,enoki
 Carotenoids found in
yellow/orange fruit
and vegetables
 Red vegetables and
fruit; acai berries,
beetroot, blueberries,
figs etc
 Fermented foods such
as yoghurt, miso,
sauerkraut
 Olive Oil
 Herbs
 Coconut, oil,
flesh,water and milk
 Sea vegetables

9. Diet high in fruit and
Vegetables
 Diets high in fruit and vegetables reduces incidence of
hormone cancers
 Antioxidant reduces damage to DNA
 High Fibre reduces absorption of xeno oestrogens
 Brassicas ( brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower,
cabbage) may inhibit oestrogen sensitive cells.
 Buy organic fruit and vegetables if you eat them without
peeling them. Buy organic carrots especially.

10. ANTIOXIDANTS
 Foods which contain vitamins C and E such as
fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts
 Selenium found in brazil nuts. Supplement 200
microgrames per day
 Zinc found in meat and sea food

11. Antioxidants
Found in:
The colours in fruit and vegetables
 Carrots, peppers, celery, onions,
broccoli,kale, apples,
berries,grapes, parsley,
asparagus.
 Tea esp Green tea
 Red wine
 Real ale ( found in the hops)
 Chocolate ( found in the coca
bean)-must be high percentage

12. Antioxidant-Lycopene
Particularly beneficial for breast
cancer. Found in
concentrated tomato products
What it has been shown to do on
breast cancer cells:
 Stops cancer cell growth
 Binds tumour cells together
tightly to stop them breaking
off to form secondaries.

13. Dietary Protein & Fats
 Limit animal protein – substitute pulses,
lentils, tufu etc.
 Avoid animal fats, cut fat off meat, buy
good cuts of meat, ideally organic, avoid
cheap meat products such as sausages, meat
pies
 Use Olive Oil and butter avoid spreads

14. Cell membrane repair
Phospholipids which
repair:
Fish oil
Nuts & seeds
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Meat
Egg yolk/liver

15. Oestrogen
 Oestrogen plays a critical role in the cause
of breast cancer
 High oestrogen levels are linked to a high
risk of breast cancer
 Low serum oestrogen levels are found in
woman from low risk areas (rural China &
Japan)

16. Phyto oestrogens
 Phyto oestrogens from diet in the region of
109-158 mgs per day can decrease serum
oestrogen levels and also alter the
metabolism of oestrogen to a more
favourable level. (Equal to 5 servings of
soya per day)

17. Phyto oestrogens
In the western diet phyto
oestrogens are found in:
 Cereals
 Nuts
 Pulses eg. Chick peas,
kidney beans
 Highest amount found in
linseed (Flax seed)
 Real ale
 Pear
 Asparagus
 Broccoli
 carrots

18. Phyto oestrogens-Soya
 High intake of Soya in areas of low risk (
rural China & Japan)
 High levels of the Soya Isoflavones in the
blood influence the length of the menstrual
cycle in these women. Longer cycles give a
lower lifetime exposure to oestrogen.
 Also influences the developing breast tissue
at puberty.

19. Phyto oestrogen - Soya
The phyto oestrogen in Soya are called Isoflavones –
how they work:
 The bind to oestrogen sites in the body and give a
weak oestrogen effect-this blocks the action of
xeno oestrogens and also excess oestrogen made
by the body.
 This has been shown to inhibit the growth of
cancer cells.
 There are a substantial amount of experiments to
show the anti cancer effect of soya isoflavones-but
limited data from humans. Although big trials
underway in Europe and the US.

20. Soya Isoflavones
Made from the Soya bean:
 Soya milk
 Soya ice cream
 Soya yogurts
 Tufu
 TVP
 Fermented Soy- Miso,
tempeh ( like a soya bovil)
Fermented Soy is the
richest source and better
absorbed by the body

21. Soya – now the bad news
 Wide individual variability in response to a
phyto oestrogen rich diet.
 Absorption of phyto oestrogens depends on
your gut bacteria
 Antibiotics blocks metabolism of phyto
oestrogens
 Do not use Soya especially fermented Soy if
taking Tomoxafen

22. Soya and Gut Bacteria
 Increase your friendly
bacteria in the gut by
the use of probiotics
these bacteria ferment
the soya to allow the
body to absorb it.

23. Soya and Gut Bacteria
Foods to encourage the
growth of friendly
bacteria:
 Green bananas
 Cold cooked new potatoes
 Onions
 Artichokes
 Cereals eg museli
 Use of FOS supplement

24. Dairy Free Calcium
 Calcium enriched orange
juice
 Soya milk
 Soya yogurts
 Sesame Seeds
 Tahini paste
 Small fish with bones eg
pichards, sardines
 Green vegetables eg
cabbbage

25. Fatigue/ nausea
 Home made nutritious
soups
 Use snacks, small
meals rather than 1
large meal
 Porridge is easy to
digest try with
sweetened almond
milk
 Herb teas such as
peppermint or ginger
 Avoid strong smells,
red meat which can
taste metallic, try cold
food

26. Difficulty with eating
 Use vegetable/fruit
juice
 Use soft healthy foods
such as mashed
banana, root
veg,soups, softer
braised meats, stewing
fruit
 Avoid salty, spicy or
acidic foods which
could irritate the
mouth
 Use sips of water
between each bite to
help with swallowing

27. Alcohol
 Linked to 4% increase risk of breast cancer
 High intake affects liver
 Good liver function needed to excrete
oestrogen from the body
 Red wine contains an antioxidant
 Real ale contains an antioxidant and phyto
oestrogens, and is low in alcohol.

28. Xeno oestrogens
 Oestrogens in the environment
 Especially found in plastic/pesticides
 Do not use plastic bags, boxes etc to touch foods
which contain fat as the xeno oestrogen will go
into the fat from the plastic. Eg. Salad cream-use
glass bottles, wrap cheese in greaseproof paper
 Choose organic fruit/vegetables to reduce risk
from pesticides

29. Stressors on the body
 Overweight
 Environment pollutants, tobacco smoke,
alcohol promote free radicals which initiate
cancer cells
 Cancer cells have been shown to
deliberately produce oxidative stress around
them to destroy normal cells and take their
nutrients

30. Healthy Eating
 Include daily:
 Fruit and vegetables
 Protein at each meal
 Pulses
 Wholegrains
 Healthy fats
 Moderate amounts:
 Dairy and soya
 Avoid:
 Refined sugar/grains
 Unhealthy fats
 Processed meats
 BBQ/grilled food