Breast Cancer/Fiber Study
By: Charlotte Ames
Updated: July 25, 2007
Five servings of fruits and veggies a day, and getting no more than 30 percent of energy from fat, may help breast cancer patients prevent future cancer, but researchers wanted to find out if more fiber would be better.
So scientists at Moores University of California San Diego Cancer Center studied more than 3,000 breast cancer survivors. For about six years, half ate the five-a-day diet, and half ate a daily diet that increased vegetables up to about eight vegetable servings, about three fruit servings and about 24% energy from fat.
But the major increase in vegetables and fruit and decrease in energy from fat did not prevent additional breast cancers and did not prolong life. The study authors say breast cancer patients don’t need to go to diet extremes; the five-a-day diet is good enough.
So scientists at Moores University of California San Diego Cancer Center studied more than 3,000 breast cancer survivors. For about six years, half ate the five-a-day diet, and half ate a daily diet that increased vegetables up to about eight vegetable servings, about three fruit servings and about 24% energy from fat.
But the major increase in vegetables and fruit and decrease in energy from fat did not prevent additional breast cancers and did not prolong life. The study authors say breast cancer patients don’t need to go to diet extremes; the five-a-day diet is good enough.
Charlotte Ames is the area's only local Health Reporter and brings you the latest medical health news weeknights. You can catch Healthcast on WTAJ News at 5:00pm and her Health Headlines report on WTAJ News at 5:30pm.