Low Carbohydrate Diet And Its Interaction With Breast Cancer Mortality And Specific Survival
Potential Health Benefits Of Low Carbohydrate Diets
Low carbohydrate has been and is mostly used for weight loss. However, there may be a relationship between postoperative breast cancer and breast cancer-specific survival and overall survival. There are two large ongoing cohort studies, the Nurses Health Study and the Nurses Health Study II study by a multicenter group for the most part based in the Northeast. Over 120,000 females were enrolled in the studies. Based on a semiquantitative initial analysis and follow-up every four years, 9621 women were found with stages I- III breast cancer. The median follow-up was 12.4 years with 1269 women having died from breast cancer in 3850 women died from any causes. Low carbohydrate diets were further divided into diets rich in plant carbohydrate sources or animal carbohydrate sources. The authors ranked carbohydrate sources from 10 (lowest intake) to zero (highest intake), whereas in terms of total protein intake and total fat intake, those categories were ranked from zero (lowest intake) to 10 (highest intake). Plant and animal-rich carbohydrate scores were calculated from the percentages of energy taken from available carbohydrates plant protein, and plant fat instead of total protein and total fat. In addition, the authors estimated the effect of replacing 5% and 3% of energy intake from available carbohydrates with an equivalent energy intake from total protein, animal protein, plant protein, total fat, animal fat, plan fat, and saturated fatty acids.
The authors found that among women with stage I-III breast cancer, higher post-diagnostic scores for overall plant-rich low carbohydrate diets were significantly associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality when controlling for other potential risk factors. When the researchers replaced energy intake from the available carbohydrates with an equivalent energy intake from total animal or plant protein, it was associated with a lower risk of breast cancer-specific and all-cause mortality. This was not sick this was nonsignificant for plant protein and breast cancer-specific mortality. Regarding animal protein, an even lower risk of breast cancer-specific mortality was observed when researchers replaced energy intake from carbohydrates with an equivalent energy intake from fish protein. A lower risk of all-cause mortality was observed by replacing energy intake from available carbohydrates with an equivalent energy intake from red meat protein, poultry protein fish protein, and dairy protein. However, when the authors replaced energy intake from carbohydrates with an equivalent energy intake from egg protein it was associated with a higher risk of breast cancer-specific mortality. When one considers fact intake, a lower risk of all-cause mortality was observed by replacing energy intake from available carbohydrates with an equivalent energy intake from the total fat both plant fat as well as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
In summary, the authors stated “Overall mortality was lower among women with breast cancer who adhered to overall and plant-rich low-carbohydrate diets after diagnosis. The findings of this study suggest that breast cancer survivors benefit from replacing carbohydrates with protein. We found that replacing carbohydrates with either animal protein or plant protein was associated with a lower risk of breast cancer-specific and all book-cause mortality, although it was nonsignificant for plant protein and breast cancer since-specific mortality. Even though an animal-rich low-carbohydrate diet has not been linked to improve survival in women with breast cancer, consuming fish red meat poultry, and dairy protein instead of carbohydrates may give women with breast cancer a better survival benefit. Additionally, lowering carbohydrate consumption and increasing fat consumption especially plan fat and fat-rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids may decrease overall mortality risk among breast cancer survivors.”
Dr. Alan Stolier, MD, FACS, clinical breast oncologist, shares his expert medical perspective with a series of educational and scientific articles.