Healthy diet

Over the past few decades there have been many studies looking at a possible link between diet and breast cancer.

Different studies have looked at:

• Fat content
• Dairy products
• Meat and Poultry
• Fruit and vegetables
• Carbohydrates (sugars and starches)
• Whole grain foods and fibre (such as wheat, oats, rye, corn, rice and millet)
• Phyto-oestrogens, including soya products
• Folate (or its synthetic form, folic acid)
  

Despite this, the link between each of these dietary factors and breast cancer is not clear.

What we do know is that diets high in fat or sugar can lead to weight gain and obesity. Being overweight after the menopause or gaining weight in adulthood can increase breast cancer risk.

We do not know whether or not there is a link between what a girl eats in her childhood and her future risk of breast cancer.

A healthy diet might help to reduce breast cancer risk by helping women maintain a healthy weight. A healthy weight range differs per person depending on their height. To find your healthy weight range, use the NHS Choice’s healthy weight calculator.

There are more good reasons for eating a healthier diet – it lowers the risk of many other diseases.

Breakthrough recommends a varied, balanced diet for general health and wellbeing. A varied, balanced diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, pulses and whole grains and is limited in red meat, processed meat, animal fat, sugary or fatty food, salt and alcohol.

For more information on how to maintain a healthy, balanced diet, you may wish to speak to your doctor.  The NHS Choices website also has tools for assessing your diet and tips for healthy eating.

For more information specifically on soya and phyto-oestrogens, including information for women who have had breast cancer, see our fact sheet Soya, phyto-oestrogens and breast cancer risk: the facts.

Information last reviewed: 1 November 2011