A recent study indicates that a diet low in fat and very high in fruits and vegetables does not prevent breast cancer from returning.

According to Chinese medicine, cancer is caused by a condition called “excessive dampness”. A diet appropriate for cancer patients would be high in foods that reduce dampness and very low in foods that increase it. Vegetables, especially leafy green vegetables, reduce dampness. So do sour fruits, but sweet fruits increase it and are best minimized.

But even beneficial foods can have a negative effect if overdone. Too much of a food with a desired effect causes the opposite effect. Excessive amounts of vegetables and sour fruits may thus increase dampness, rather than reduce it. Moderation is the key.

Article sources:

• Fruits, Veggies Don’t Stop Cancer Return (AP)
• Extra fruits, veggies fail to prevent breast cancer’s return: study (CBC)
• Low-fat, high-produce diet doesn’t cut breast cancer return (CNN)
• No Cancer Shield Found in Fruit and Vegetable Diet (New York Times)
• Good Diet May Not Help Breast Cancer (Time)
• Intensive Vegetable-Fruit Diet Shows No Effect on Breast Cancer Return (Washington Post)
• Fruits, Veggies Don’t Stop Cancer Return (Washington Post)