A newly published study has reported that higher dietary lignan intake is associated with increased breast cancer survival. Sources of lignans include whole grains, seeds, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Previous studies have found that dietary lignan intake is associated with reduced risk of breast cancer diagnosis. However, this is the first study of women who already have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The study included 1,122 New York state women diagnosed with primary breast cancer during the period 1996 to 2001 who were followed through December 31, 2006. Results were adjusted for age, race, education, total energy intake, body mass index, and tumor stage. One hundred and sixty of the participants died during the follow-up period, the majority from breast cancer. For postmenopausal women, those in the highest versus lowest fourths of lignan intake were found to have significantly lower risks of death from breast cancer and from any cause. These results were not found for premenopausal women. Higher consumption of dried beans was also weakly associated with lower overall death, but no significant associations with reduced mortality were found for vegetables, fruits, or grains. The authors conclude that higher lignan intake may be associated with improved survival among postmenopausal women with breast cancer.
Dietary sources of lignans
Plant lignans are weak phytoestrogens. Lignans are found mainly in woody or fibrous tissues. Dietary sources of lignans include a wide variety of fiber-rich foods. The list below includes foods that are good sources of lignans, as well as having been shown to protect against breast cancer:
- Beans, dry
- Bell peppers
- Blackberries
- Broccoli & other fibrous brassica vegetables
- Buckwheat
- Carrots
- Flaxseed
- Garlic & onions
- Olives and virgin olive oil
- Pomegranates
- Pumpkins
- Raspberries
- Spinach
- Walnuts
- Zucchini