What are the effects of eating nuts on breast cancer?

A new study claimed that consuming nuts is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer recurrence or death.

The study, which was conducted on more than 3,449 breast cancer survivors, found that consuming nuts reduced disease recurrence by 52 percent and mortality rates by a third.

These results apply to all types of nuts, including almonds, pistachios, walnuts, Brazil nuts, peanuts, cashews and hazelnuts.

These results were also unaffected by the participants' other dietary habits, as this was one of the first studies to demonstrate the health benefits of nuts rich in unsaturated fatty acids, proteins, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

In addition to the benefits for breast cancer patients, the results showed other positive effects of eating nuts such as lowering cholesterol levels, inhibiting oxidation, and cellular regulatory dysfunction.

The findings were based on participants in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study who completed a food survey five years after diagnosis and were tracked for eight years afterward.

Diet has long been associated with disease risk and survival, and nuts have been linked to a reduced risk of life-threatening diseases, in particular cardiovascular disease.

But it has not previously been linked to survival outcomes among breast cancer patients.

Although Professor Xiao Ou Xu, from Vanderbilt University in the US, stresses that there is no guarantee that eating nuts will provide better health outcomes, the link established by this study could help us understand our diets better.

He added: “Nuts are important components of healthy diets. Emphasis should be placed on promoting the modifiable lifestyle factor in guidelines for breast cancer survivors.”

It was noted that there was a dose-response pattern in the association between consumption of nuts and the risk of breast cancer recurrence or death, as those who consumed more had a lower risk. Also, the association was stronger for early-stage breast cancer survivors than for late-stage women.