Many women continue to experience fatigue, pain, sleep problems, and changes in their overall well-being after a breast cancer diagnosis. Researchers wanted to understand whether following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a better quality of life in women recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
What Did Researchers Study?
– 309 women with stage I-III breast cancer participated.
– All participants were enrolled within 12 months of their breast cancer diagnosis.
– Researchers measured how closely each woman followed a Mediterranean diet using the 14-item PREDIMED questionnaire.
– Quality of life was measured using validated questionnaires that evaluated physical functioning, pain, sleep, emotional health, and overall well-being.
What Did the Study Find?
Researchers found that women who more closely followed a Mediterranean diet reported better quality of life than women with lower adherence to the diet.
Specifically, women with higher Mediterranean diet adherence had:
– Better physical functioning (p = 0.02).
– Less pain (p = 0.04).
– Better overall well-being (p = 0.05).
After accounting for other factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), education, cancer stage, and type of treatment, these findings remained significant. Women with higher Mediterranean diet adherence continued to have:
– Better physical functioning (p = 0.001).
– Better overall well-being (p = 0.003).
– Less pain (p = 0.005).
– Fewer insomnia symptoms (p = 0.029).
Why Does This Matter?
Recovering from breast cancer involves more than treating the disease, it also means managing the physical and emotional effects that can last long after diagnosis. While no single diet can prevent or cure breast cancer, healthy eating may play an important role in supporting recovery and overall well-being.
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, fish, nuts, and olive oil while limiting highly processed foods and added sugars. This study suggests that women who followed this eating pattern more closely reported better quality of life after their diagnosis.
Main Takeaways
– Greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with better quality of life.
– Women following the Mediterranean diet reported better physical functioning and overall well-being.
– Higher adherence was linked to less pain and fewer sleep problems.
– The positive associations remained even after researchers accounted for differences in age, BMI, cancer stage, and treatment type.
– A Mediterranean-style eating pattern may be one way to support overall health during breast cancer recovery.
As the researchers concluded:
“Higher adherence to the MedDiet in breast cancer survivors is associated with better aspects of quality of life, specifically higher physical functioning, better sleep, lower pain and generally higher well-being.”
Source: Mediterranean diet and quality of life in women treated for breast cancer: A baseline analysis of the DEDiCa multicentre trial.