Breast cancer only half as likely to recur with two almonds a day

EATING 13 almonds a week, less than two a day, slashes the chance of breast cancer returning by a half, says a study.

High nut consumption has long been linked to healthier and longer life, but researchers from Vanderbilt University assessed the impact of a nutty diet on breast cancer recurrence.

Breast cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer deaths in women in the UK, behind only lung cancer, and 55,000 women are diagnosed with the disease every year.

Data from more than 3,000 breast cancer survivors in China was used and revealed the average amount of nuts eaten in a week was 17.32g, around 13 almonds. Researchers then divided the participants into two groups, based on whether their nut consumption was above or below this.

Around 1,500 people in the study ate more than 17g of nuts a week, and 80 of these (5 per cent) saw the disease return. However, 38 of the 285 people who avoid nuts completely (13 per cent) saw their breast cancer come back.

When researchers accounted for confounding variables such as diet and age, they calculated a 52 per cent reduction in risk.

“This large cohort study found that nut consumption among long-term breast cancer survivors was associated with a 52 per cent reduced risk of recurrence or breast cancer mortality following a dose-response pattern,” says the study, which was published in the International Journal of Cancer.

“The association was stronger for survivors with stage I-II breast cancer than those with stage III-IV. This study provides evidence for promoting nut consumption as a modifiable lifestyle factor among breast cancer survivors.”

Not only are nuts packed with protein, fibre and vitamins, but they also have key acids which inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells.

Prof Xiao-ou Shu said: “Nuts are important components of healthy diets. Promoting this modifiable lifestyle factor should be emphasised in breast cancer survivor guidelines.”