Role of a Nutritious, Plant-based Diet in Enhancing Cancer Survival

Key Takeaways:

• Research demonstrates that a balanced, nutrient-rich diet could reduce mortality rates in cancer patients by up to 65%.
• The study, using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, found a strong correlation between dietary quality and cancer patient survival rate.
• The survival benefit accorded by a nutritionally balanced diet remained robust, even accounting for death risk from various cancer types, underlining the importance of maintaining a healthy diet across the course of treatment and recovery.
• Cancer survivors and healthcare providers are encouraged to discuss and establish a balanced diet regimen, including an emphasis on vegetables, whole fruits, and whole grains.
• While the study did have limitations, such as a tendency to overlook factors like smoking, it still stands as additional evidence in favor of a healthy diet recommendation for cancer survivors.

Research indicates that the risk of mortality in cancer patients may reduce by up to 65% if they adhere to a nutritionally balanced, high-quality diet. In an unexpected turn of events, it appears that the entire diet rather than certain nutritional components can significantly influence a cancer patient’s prognosis.

Understanding Total Diet

Defined as a ‘balanced’ and ‘nutrient-rich’ diet, a total diet incorporates a broad spectrum of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dairy, and proteins. Extensive research conducted by esteemed academics, such as assistant professor Ashish Deshmukh from the University of Florida’s College of Public Health and Health Professions, emphasizes the potential impact of nutrition on cancer.

The Study and Analysis

The research consisted of extracting data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), carried out from 1988 to 1994, which involved almost 34,000 participants who provided a 24-hour diet diary. The dietary quality of 1,200 individuals diagnosed with cancer was then measured against the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) “Dietary Guidelines for Americans”. The key parameters included serving suggestions for whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, proteins, cholesterol, saturated fat, and sodium.

Over an average of 17 years, the health of these 1,200 patients was closely monitored. As the study progressed, researchers recorded all the deaths up until 2011, using the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics Linked Mortality Files for verification. By the conclusion of the research phase, 50% of the cancer patients unfortunately passed away.

Impact of Nutritious Diets

The findings depicted that the individuals who followed the most nutritionally balanced diets had a 65% lower risk of mortality from any cause, including cancer, compared to those who adhered to less nutritional diets.

However, it’s worth mentioning that the study did not examine the exact duration of the survival benefit, nor did it explore the potential influence of physical activity or other healthy habits on cancer outcomes.

Healthy Eating and Cancer Survival

Rigorous investigations determined that the protective advantages of maintaining a healthy diet remained strong, even after taking into account the specific risk of death from various types of cancers, including skin and breast cancer.

“Nutritional needs can vary through the course of treatment, recovery, and the long term, which is why it is absolutely paramount that cancer survivors and healthcare providers discuss a balanced diet, and work with diet experts to create and follow a balanced diet regimen. There is no harm in eating healthily,” asserts Deshmukh.

A New Perspective on Cancer Survival

Senior scientific director of epidemiology research with the American Cancer Society, Marjorie Lynn McCullough shares her insights on the study. She admits to some limitations of the study including the tendency to overlook factors such as smoking, but appreciates the observations as they align with the growing evidence in favor of a healthy diet recommendation for cancer survivors.

Thus, along with regular exercise and maintaining a healthy body weight, reducing the intake of empty calories and sugar by adopting a predominantly plant-based diet inclusive of a variety of vegetables, whole fruits and whole grains could play a crucial role in enhancing cancer survival.

Additional Information

More resources on the relationship between nutrition and cancer is available at the U.S. National Cancer Institute.