A colourful Mediterranean Diet, or a Rainbow Diet, can reduce the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer by 40 per cent, according to research by the World Cancer Research Fund. It also reduces recurrence.
In the first study, (1), the Rainbow Diet was good in reducing risk for all breast cancer but especially Triple Negative Breast Cancer and HER2+ Breast Cancer, which have been increasing and now account for a third of all newly diagnosed breast cancers.
This was a large study. 62,573 women between the ages of 55 and 69 were followed for 20 years and their diets closely recorded. As in previous studies (like the 15 year Harvard study of women also covered on this website), the women who stuck most closely to the Mediterranean diet had significantly lower levels of breast cancer.
Chris Woollams, former Oxford Biochemist and author of the best selling book, ‘The Rainbow Diet’ said, “It is important to understand that this is not simply a diet about colourful vegetables and fruits. My Rainbow Diet book written in 2005 is a total Lifestyle. In this research the Mediterranean Diet was defined as being rich in healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, nut oils, seeds, avocados, fish, and low in refined carbs, with whole grains, legumes like lentils and other pulses, and copious amounts of colourful vegetables being important. Yet again, here is hard evidence that this really is the healthiest diet going, especially if you want to beat cancer. It provides nourishment.”.
Professor Piet van den Brandt, who led the Maastricht University team, claimed that the research could help to shine a light on how dietary can affect cancer risk. Von den Brandt added, “We found a strong link between the Mediterranean Diet and reduced estrogen-receptor negative breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women, even in a non-Mediterranean population. This type of breast cancer usually has a worse prognosis than other types of breast cancer".
Also a second study (2) showed that a colourful Mediterranean diet could reduce the risk of breast cancer's return. In a small trial of 415 women, those on a Mediterranean diet had no return of the breast cancer, while the group eating their normal diet had 11 women with recurrent cancer. More research is needed but this is clearly a promising result.
How the diet improves the breast microbiome
The real question is 'Why?'. Some people hypothesise that it's all about lifestyle - more activity, more sun, sleeping in darkened rooms etc, but these were diet studies. The Rainbow Diet is full of polyphenols and other antioxidants, and these are both known to protect and correct. Others may talk about the switch into fish rather than meat, or the use of olive oil.
Another way, the diet may well be protective is via the microbiome. Your breasts have their own microbiome.
We have research from Holland that reviews foods and food groups and shows how the foods you consume can promote or hinder your health. The study showed that if you ate poor foods, you helped the bacteria that made inflammatory compounds; but if you ate the typical Mediterranean foods like EV olive oil, fish oils, walnuts, berries etc. you made more bacteria that made anti-inflammatory compounds (3). It is widely accepted that inflammation is a driver of cancer and chronic illness.
In May 2019 we covered research that strains of Lactobacillus are missing from malignant breast tissue (breasts with cancer) and that the Mediterranean Diet could alter and increase Lactobacillus levels on its own (4). The Rainbow Diet was consistently better at this than other diets - for example, in one study, it led to a 10-fold greater increase in mammary Lactobacillus abundance over a standard Western diet. Moreover, this increase was associated with increased oestrogen metabolites - Lactobacillus members actually break down oestrogen resulting in lowered levels.
We also know that even just taking a Lactobacillus probiotic reduces BMI (5), body fat and waist measurement in women with breast cancer.
And taking a Lactobacillus probiotic lowered TNF-α, which causes inflammation, reduces host immune response and drives metastases (6). Bifidobacterium strains have much the same benefits.
The Rainbow Diet nourishes you, increases good bacteria and lowers oestrogen and inflammation
Put simply, the colourful Mediterranean diet can increase Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, the two major Lactic Acid families. This can reduce oestrogen, reduce inflammation (which is the precursor to cancer, and recurrence), boost the immune system, decrease BMI and your waistline. These effects are enhanced by taking a probiotic containing members of both families.
As we've told you since 2005, the Rainbow Diet is the only sensible, natural, metabolic approach to cancer.
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