Nut Consumption Linked to Long-term Breast Cancer Survival

Photo by Pavel Kalenik on Unsplash

In a study of breast cancer survivors, the consumption of nuts was linked with reduced risks of breast cancer recurrence or death.

Researchers examined data for 3449 breast cancer survivors from the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study who completed a dietary assessment five years after diagnosis. Of the participants, there were 374 deaths during a median follow-up of 8.27 years after the dietary assessment. Among 3274 survivors who did not have a previous recurrence at the time of their dietary assessment, 209 developed breast cancer-specific events, including recurrence, metastasis, or breast cancer mortality.

There was a dose-response pattern in the relationship between nut consumption and risk of breast cancer recurrence or death, with those consuming the highest amounts having the lowest risks. Also, the association was stronger for survivors who had earlier stages of breast cancer than for those who had later stages.

The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.

Source: Wiley