Breast Cancer & Plant-Based Diet: The Role of Diet in Converting Aggressive Tumour to More Treatable Form!
Could a plant-based diet help females with a fatal and tough-to-treat form of breast cancer? The results are just potential.
And there’s an important thing to remember: Not all breast cancer is the same.
Breast cancer can be categorized as estrogen receptor-positive (ER-positive) or estrogen receptor-negative (ER-negative). Estrogen negative tumours are considerably less expected to respond to hormone therapy as compared to ER-positive tumours. Just put, ER-negative breast cancers are classically more aggressive, and there aren’t as many treatment choices for females who develop ER-negative breast cancer.
By taking a wholesome (nutritious) diet you considerably lower your risk of developing several forms of cancer, including breast cancer, in addition to diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease as well as heart problems. What’s a nutritious diet? It is the one which is low in fat, basically containing low content of saturated fats, together with whole foods (not the low-fat processed junk!). Obese or overweight females are at a much greater risk of developing breast cancer, as well as other forms of cancer. Fat cells manufacture estrogen, triggering the risk of breast cancer (as the risk of breast cancer increases with high estrogen levels in the body). Consumption of plants exposes you to much less exposure of estrogen. Exposure to estrogen gets amplified with diets rich in animal-based proteins. Those on plant-based diets are exposed to significantly less estrogen in their diets, and deliver your body with the antioxidants it requires to prevent and fight the illness. Fruits and veggies fight inflammation, whereas foods rich in saturated fats and low in fibre (animal foods), boost all forms of ailments; breast and other forms of cancer, heart ailments, diabetes, Alzheimer’s Disease, and much more. The rates of breast cancer are much lower in countries that consume principally a plant-based diet.
Gobble Your Veggies to Trim Down the Risk of Breast Cancer
Switching to a plant-based diet in the females with ER-negative breast cancer help you accept larger amounts of these plant-based compounds into your diet. Besides delivering this promising cancer-weakening effect, a plant-based diet provides a number of other health benefits, counting with maintenance of pH levels, helping lower inflammation and potentially helping with weight loss. Some of the greatest plant-based foods comprise:
- Broccoli Sprouts and Other Cruciferous Veggies. Broccoli sprouts contain a compound named sulforphane (which is known to block the multiplication and induces apoptosis of breast cancer cells). Other cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, mustard greens, cauliflower, turnip, and radish also contain this compound.
- Green Tea. Green tea is constituted with polyphenols, but it’s not the only source. Blackberries, cocoa powder, strawberries, clove, as well as dark chocolate all are composed of beneficial Polyphenols as well.
- Healthy Fats. It comprises oils such as virgin olive, coconut, flax, hemp, sesame, and avocado oils. Nuts, coconut milk, seeds, and avocado are also some known sources of “good” fats derived from plant-based foods.
- Fruits. Fruits are jam-packed with fibre, antioxidants, vitamins as well as water. I personally suggest taking berries, kiwi, tropical fruits as well as melon.
- Whole Grains. Whole grains consisting of quinoa, amaranth, brown rice, wild rice, oatmeal, millet, barley, buckwheat, and much more. Whole grains can be a superior source of fibre if taken in moderation, but be sure to skip the refined carbohydrates.
- Walnuts: More researchers have found that walnuts are just great to help beat breast cancer, as well as other super-foods have been known to help fight cancer of all forms, owing to the presence of powerful plant chemicals including antioxidants like gamma tocopherol, a form of Vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acids, melatonin as well as phytosterols. Studies have also identified that walnut lowers the levels of two inflammation markers in your blood, namely CRP (C – reactive protein) as well as TNF alpha. Both these markers are related to cancer. Thus, walnuts are known to be a superior part of an anti-inflammation diet. While all of these plant elements possess excellent anti-cancer activities, it is the synergistic presence of all of these nutrients collectively that makes walnuts such a promising cancer fighting food. In addition, walnuts consist of some key microminerals manganese, copper, potassium and magnesium. All these nutrients tend to be depleted by chemotherapy treatment.
The researchers recognized two compounds existing in common foods with a distinguished success in preventing cancer: sulforaphane obtained from cruciferous veggies including broccoli and cauliflower, as well as Polyphenols present in green tea. When these compounds were used in combination and administered as a dietary treatment to subjects, their tumours were converted from ER-negative to ER-positive, transforming the aggressive forms of cancer into easily treatable ones with the estrogen-inhibiting medication, Tamoxifen.
Researchers also accounted a raised issue of constipation in patients with stage I breast cancer specifically. “Whole grains and veggies can help with constipation if you are taking a plenty of fluids (water) with them. The soluble fibre present in fruits, veggies, as well as whole grains permits a high content of water to stay in your stool, which can make it softer and easier to move across your intestines. Also, cancer patients must “take in a sufficient amount of protein, both plant and/or animal, that helps with the symptoms of fatigue”.
The plant-based approach concentrates on fortifying the body, including the immune system as well as its abilities to heal and stay healthy while removing cancer-causing and cancer-supporting elements. Actually, all of the health benefits of consuming a plant-based diet help to fight cancer also. Losing weight, condensing the consumption of growth stimulants, modulating the immune health, improving heart health as well as growing healthy intestinal bacteria all produce a healthier lifestyle and prevents cancer.
Thus, fight breast cancer one bite, one step at a time with HealthDiva!!
