THE FEED
A long-term study has shown that
postmenopausal women who eat less fat
and more fruits, veggies, and whole
grains may increase their chances of
surviving breast cancer.
The study analyzed data from the
Women’s Health Initiative, a clinical
trial involving nearly 49,000 women.
Some women followed a low-fat, plant-
packed diet for eight years; the rest
made no dietary changes. None had a
history of breast cancer.
Two decades after the trial began,
women in the low-fat group who
developed breast cancer had a
21 percent lower risk of dying from
the disease than those in the control
group—and a 15 percent lower risk of
dying from any cause.
“After nearly 20 years of follow-up, the
health benefits are still accruing," says
lead study author Rowan Chlebowski,
MD, PhD, FASCO, of the Los Angeles
Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-
UCLA Medical Center. —Tami Fertig
Hospital
FOOD
Breakthrough
In June 2019 , the
New York State
Legislature passed a
landmark bill
requiring hospitals
and residential care
facilities statewide
to make plant-based
menu options
available for every
meal and snack.
California passed a
similar law last year.
A report from
St. Joseph Health in
Sonoma County,
California, projects
that serving more
meat-free meals
could save the
system $5,000 a
year, noting that
“vegetarian entrées
cost about
50 percent less than
meat entrées.”
Ours is
the first
randomized,
controlled
trial to
prove that
a healthy
diet can
reduce the
risk of
death from
breast
cancer.
—Dr. Rowan
Chlebowski
BREAST CANCER IS THE SECOND-LEADING CAUSE OF CANCER DEATH
IN WOMEN. ONLY LUNG CANCER KILLS MORE WOMEN EACH YEAR.
Source: American Cancer Society
Plants
(^)
Breast
Cancer
FACT
Photography by Jason Donnelly