October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month – a time to raise awareness and share important information about breast cancer prevention, treatment, and recovery.
While treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation can be life-saving, many people don’t realise the role nutrition plays throughout this journey. In this article, we’ll explore how nutrition can support you during every stage following a breast cancer diagnosis, with some simple tips on key foods to include in your diet.
Diet and Breast Cancer Prevention
Research shows that following a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and staying physically active can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer.
A Mediterranean style diet which includes wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and lean proteins provides essential nutrients to keep your body strong and reduce inflammation.
Focus on Fibre: Fibre-rich foods, such as wholegrains, beans, and vegetables, support gut health and inflammation. Many people in the UK don’t meet their fibre targets, so consider gradually adding more fibre-rich foods into your week.
Add more Colour: Colourful fruits and vegetables like berries, peppers, and leafy greens are packed with antioxidants, which are substances that protect cells from damage. Aim for a rainbow of colours across your meals.
Healthy Fats Matter: Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial essential fats found in foods like flaxseeds, walnuts, and oily fish (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines & herring). They have anti-inflammatory properties that support overall health. Since the body can’t make these, it’s important to get them from your diet.
Diet During Breast Cancer Treatment
Breast cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy can cause side effects including nausea, fatigue, altered bowel habits and changes in appetite. A healthy diet can help manage these symptoms and support your immune system whilst going through active treatment.
Small, Frequent Meals: If you’re struggling with loss of appetite or nausea, eating smaller, frequent meals may be easier to tolerate. Try nutrient-dense options like smoothies, soups, and protein-rich snacks.
Stay Hydrated: Treatment can lead to dehydration, which may cause or worsen constipation. Aim to drink around 2 litres throughout the day.
Be Flexible: You don’t need a perfect diet during treatment. There will be days when you eat less nutritious foods, and that’s ok. Listen to your body and be flexible with your choices.
If you’re unsure what to eat to manage your weight or treatment side effects, we can help with personalised support in our 1:1 appointments.
Diet for Recovery and Beyond
Breast cancer treatment can leave you feeling fatigued, or you may experience symptoms like hot flushes and night sweats. Nutrition can support your recovery, helping you regain strength and manage these symptoms whilst reducing the risk of recurrence.
Prioritise Protein: Protein is essential for tissue repair and growth. Include protein sources like lean meats, poultry, eggs, tofu, and legumes. If you follow a vegan diet, you may need extra support to meet your protein needs.
Think Mediterranean: Evidence suggests a Mediterranean-style diet may help prevent breast cancer recurrence. This diet, rich in oily fish, extra virgin olive oil, and various vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, nuts and seeds, also supports heart health which is important as breast cancer survivors are at increased risk of heart disease.
Support your Bones: Some breast cancer treatments increase the risk of osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones. A diet rich in calcium and leafy green vegetables, can help support bone health, as can weight-bearing or resistance exercises. It’s also important to optimise your vitamin D levels – personalised supplementation based on your blood tests is recommended.
Take-Home
At every stage of breast cancer – whether it’s prevention, treatment, recovery, or beyond – what we eat matters. A balanced, nutrient-rich diet can help manage treatment side effects, support recovery, and may even influence overall survival. However, everyone’s needs are unique, personalised advice can make a real difference.
With so much nutrition misinformation online, being able to tell fact from fiction is challenging. Our expert team is here to help you navigate these choices and build confidence in your food decisions.
We know that adopting a healthier lifestyle can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re experiencing cancer-related fatigue which affects 9 out of 10 patients. If you’re looking for guidance on how to optimise your diet during or after breast cancer, our specialist dietitians are here to help. Book a consultation today for expert, tailored advice to support your well-being.
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