Mediterranean Diet:

Supporting Your Health After Breast Cancer

The Mediterranean Diet isn't really a diet – it's a cultural tradition from the Mediterranean regions, known for its rich flavors and varied ingredients.

Scientists became interested in the Mediterranean Diet when research revealed that people who ate this way experienced less chronic disease, and were living longer, healthier lives.

The Mediterranean Diet has been studied since the 1950s! 

The benefits of eating this way for general health are well-documented, and there are also very positive findings for supporting health after breast cancer. 

Let’s take a look at how this happens!

Why Consider the Mediterranean Diet for Breast Cancer?

The Mediterranean Diet is known for its rich flavors and varied ingredients. 

 It emphasizes:

• Plenty of fruits and vegetables

• Whole grains

• Nuts and seeds

• Healthy fats such as olive oil 

• Moderate amounts of fish and poultry

• Limited red meat and dairy products

• Avoidance of processed foods

The Mediterranean Diet emphasizes eating whole foods, healthy fats, and particularly high levels of antioxidants.

This diet's antioxidant-rich components play a critical role in reducing inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, which contribute to cancer recurrence.

Let’s look at how antioxidants help!

Antioxidants are molecules that fight free radicals in the body. 

Under normal circumstances, our body usually has enough antioxidants to reduce the amount of free radicals that appear. 

But breast cancer treatments, chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, create more than is possible to keep up with.

The over abundance of free radicals creates oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is a higher level of inflammation and can cause damage to cells.

Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and protect cells from damage. This reduces the risk of mutations which lead to cancer recurrence.