Can Diet and Lifestyle Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence?
- Meredy Birdi
- Oct 28, 2022
- 10 min read
Updated: Oct 7
Originally written during Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October 2022) and updated in 2025 to reflect the latest evidence and references.
After a breast cancer diagnosis, many people tell me they want to know what they can do to support their health and reduce the chance of the cancer coming back. It’s such a natural question, and one I hear often in my clinic. The good news is, there are things you can do to feel stronger, more confident, and more supported in your everyday choices.
In this blog, I’ll share what the evidence says about diet and lifestyle, and how these ideas can become meaningful for you. Because the most helpful changes are the ones that feel realistic, reassuring, and sustainable - not restrictive or overwhelming.
How Diet and Lifestyle Can Help in Reducing the Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence
A healthy lifestyle is associated with better cancer-related and overall health outcomes after breast cancer. Research into diet and recurrence is still developing, but much of what we know overlaps with the same principles that support heart health, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, and promote healthy ageing. In other words, the same everyday choices that help you feel stronger and more resilient now can also support recovery and long-term wellbeing.
Making changes to your nutrition and lifestyle can also give you back a sense of control at a time when so much can feel uncertain. I encourage my clients to keep changes simple and realistic, to avoid overwhelm. This approach helps build a lifestyle that is not only healthy, but also nourishing and sustainable. It’s often at this point that many people tell me things start to feel clearer, when food feels like it’s supporting them, not adding to the pressure.
Can your weight affect breast cancer recurrence?
Keeping to a healthy weight after breast cancer is linked with better long-term health. Research from the World Cancer Research Fund suggests this may help to:
reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back (recurrence)
lower the risk of death from any cause
reduce the chance of developing a new, separate breast cancer
Extra weight has also been linked to a higher chance of lymphoedema - a condition that causes swelling in the arms due to a build-up of fluid in the tissues, which can occur following breast cancer treatment.
Weight is a complex and sensitive topic. During treatment, many people notice their weight changes in ways they weren’t expecting, and weight gain is actually quite common. This can feel understandably frustrating.
Why does it happen? Several factors play a role:
Treatments can trigger menopausal changes that affect metabolism and body composition.
Medications such as steroids (often used alongside chemotherapy) can increase appetite, shift fat distribution, and cause fluid retention.
Hormone therapies can influence weight in different ways for different people.
Fatigue or side effects may make it harder to stay active.
Understanding that weight management is about far more than just "calories in and out", is so important. Our bodies are complex, with many factors like genetics, environment, physical and mental health, sleep, stress, and digestion all playing a role.
What to keep in mind:
You are not alone in this - many people experience weight changes.
Managing your weight shouldn't add to your stress. Your overall wellbeing comes first.
Rapid weight loss can be detrimental. It often means losing muscle as well as fat, which can leave you weaker and slower to recover. It can also affect immune function and increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies. In short: quick fixes can make you feel more tired and less resilient - the exact opposite of what you need.
A steady, balanced approach helps protect your muscle, energy, and long-term health.
Rather than focusing on restriction, I encourage a nourishing, “whole person” approach. That means caring for both body and mind - building strength, supporting digestion, easing stress, and fuelling recovery.
How much does physical activity matter after breast cancer?
Studies show that being physically active after breast cancer is linked with a lower risk of recurrence, and even more strongly with a reduced risk of dying from breast cancer or from any cause.
The benefits go beyond risk reduction. Here are just some of the ways regular activity can help:
Help manage weight and balance hormones
Strengthen the immune system
Improve bone and heart health
Reduce stress, fatigue, and anxiety
Improve concentration and memory (“chemo brain”)
Lower the risk of lymphoedema, or ease symptoms if you have it - exercise is safe and encouraged when done in the right way. Your treatment team or physiotherapist can guide you if you’re unsure
The key is to spend less time sitting and to break up long periods of inactivity with movement wherever you can.
If you are able, aim for around 30 minutes of moderate activity, five days a week, where your heart rate and breathing increase. Also try to include strength-based activities twice a week that work your major muscle groups.
The most important thing is to find ways to move that feel enjoyable and realistic for you. Dancing in the kitchen, walking with a friend, stretching between tasks – it all counts. These small moments of movement add up, and often make a bigger difference than you think. And if you can gradually do a little more, that’s great too. Finding activities you enjoy makes it much easier to stick with them in the long run.
If you’re not currently active, start small. Try 10–15 minutes of gentle movement and build up gradually. Any movement is better than none.
Exercise is safe and beneficial for most people with cancer, but if you have any concerns about your current health or treatment side effects, check with your care team or physiotherapist. They can offer individual advice and guide you towards the right level of activity.
My physiotherapy colleagues and the South East London Cancer Alliance have developed some excellent resources to help you get started - you can find their practical advice here.
What should I eat after breast cancer?
There isn’t one specific diet that everyone should follow to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Instead, several dietary patterns have been shown to be beneficial. Many of these align closely with the same principles that support heart health, metabolic health, and healthy ageing - all of which are especially important after breast cancer.
People who have had breast cancer also have a higher risk of heart disease than those without a history of breast cancer, so this overlap really matters. The good news is that small, consistent changes can support both your cancer recovery and your wider health.
Research shows that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, pulses, nuts, seeds, and lean proteins (and lower in added sugars and saturated fats) supports long-term wellbeing after breast cancer. You don’t need to be vegan or vegetarian to benefit; it’s about including more plant foods, not cutting out whole food groups.
The key is to create an enjoyable, sustainable approach to eating - one that feels nourishing rather than restrictive. It’s the small everyday choices that build the biggest sense of support, and those are exactly the kinds of shifts that tend to last.
Important note: If you are still experiencing side effects from treatment, such as digestive changes, fatigue, or loss of appetite, some of these ideas may not be right for you just now. For individual guidance, it’s best to speak with a specialist in cancer nutrition.
Evidence-based nutrition steps to support your health after breast cancer
1. Include more fibre-rich foods
Fibre supports your body in many ways. It helps keep digestion regular, supports healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and plays an important role in overall wellbeing.
Research from the World Cancer Research Fund suggests that people who eat more fibre after a breast cancer diagnosis may have better overall health outcomes. Their guidance encourages people to consider increasing their fibre intake as part of a balanced diet.
Fibre may help by:
Supporting hormone balance: Fibre can aid the body’s natural clearance of oestrogen through the digestive system, helping to regulate hormone levels.
Improving insulin and metabolic health: Fibre slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream and supports insulin sensitivity, helping to maintain steady energy levels and support a healthy weight.
Feeding beneficial gut bacteria: A healthy, diverse gut microbiome produces compounds such as short-chain fatty acids that help reduce chronic, low-grade inflammation and support immune function.
Together, these effects may help explain why eating more fibre-rich foods is linked with better overall health after breast cancer.
To increase your fibre intake, build it up gradually and keep well hydrated to help your body adjust.
PRACTICAL TIPS:
Leave the skin on fruits and vegetables when you can
Keep frozen fruit and veg in the freezer for easy use and less waste
Add tinned beans or lentils to soups, stews, casseroles and salads
Swap biscuits as snacks for apple wedges and nut butter, vegetable sticks or oatcakes with hummus, or fruit with a handful of nuts
Replace white pasta with a legume-based pasta e.g. red lentil, or a whole grain pasta
Keep a jar of mixed nuts and seeds in your fridge - sprinkle over yoghurt, porridge, cereals, salads, or add to a smoothie
2.Choose nourishing fats more often
We’ve thankfully moved on from the old “low-fat everything” era. Fat is an important part of our diet - it helps us absorb vitamins, supports our hormones, and gives us energy. What matters most is the type of fat you choose.
For people who've had breast cancer, there isn't clear evidence that saturated fat directly affects recurrence. But looking after heart and metabolic health is especially important, since some treatments can raise the risk of heart disease later on. Choosing more nourishing fats is a great way to do this.
It’s about balance, not complete avoidance. Foods such as pies, pastries, cheese, butter, processed meats, and shop-bought cakes tend to be higher in saturated fat. On the other hand, foods like olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, and oily fish provide fats that actively support your long-term health.
PRACTICAL TIPS:
Swap butter for a spread of avocado or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in sandwiches. You can find lots more ideas here!
Grate hard cheese to make a small portion go further
Switch processed meat for sliced chicken breast or turkey, or even better, oily fish such as salmon or mackerel (tinned oily fish is a good choice too!)
Replace a chocolate bar with your own trail mix with nuts, seeds, small pieces of dark chocolate, and dried fruit such as cherries or apricots.
These kinds of swaps aren’t about restriction - they’re about adding in fats that nourish your body.
3. Swap sugary drinks for a refreshing alternative
Sugary drinks such as cola, lemonade, and energy drinks can contain around 9–10 teaspoons of sugar per can or bottle! It’s completely normal for blood sugar to rise after we eat or drink something containing carbohydrate - that’s how our body makes energy available to its cells.
The issue is when these high-sugar drinks are consumed often and in large amounts. Over time, this can contribute to a higher overall calorie intake, weight gain, and changes in how the body handles sugar, making it harder to use insulin effectively, a process known as insulin resistance. Regularly choosing these drinks is also linked with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, and they don’t provide useful nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, or fibre.
PRACTICAL TIPS:
Muddle fresh or frozen berries in the bottom of a glass and add still or sparkling water
Chill a fruity herbal tea such as a berry blend
Infuse water with cucumber, mint, or citrus slices.
Dilute a small splash of fruit juice with still or sparkling water
You can find more ideas here.
Small swaps like these can make hydration more enjoyable, and more nourishing, without relying on sugary drinks.
4. Whole soy foods are safe to include if you enjoy them
Soy foods have historically been surrounded by confusion, but the evidence is reassuring. Research shows that including whole soy foods (such as tofu, tempeh, miso, and edamame beans) is safe during and after breast cancer treatment, including for people with hormone-sensitive cancers and those taking Tamoxifen.
In fact, studies suggest that eating whole soy foods may support heart health, bone health, and possibly help lower the risk of recurrence. Soy contains naturally occurring plant compounds called isoflavones, which in foods appear to act in a protective rather than harmful way.
The key distinction is between whole foods and concentrated supplements. The research evidence supports eating soy as part of a balanced diet, but soy or isoflavone supplements aren’t currently recommended, simply because there isn’t enough evidence about their long-term safety. This doesn’t necessarily mean they are harmful - just that we don’t yet have enough research to confirm that higher-dose forms are safe to use.
PRACTICAL TIPS:
Snack on edamame beans - fresh or frozen
Add tofu cubes to stir-fries or soups, and use silken tofu in smoothies or creamy dressings
Use miso paste to add flavour to dressings, soups, or marinades
Use tempeh in a chilli, curry, or stew
Here is a nice recipe for edamame falafel wraps
5. If you choose to drink, keep alcohol to a minimum
Research shows that even small amounts of alcohol can increase the risk of developing breast cancer, and the more that’s consumed, the higher the risk. Whether it affects the risk of breast cancer coming back is less certain, but because alcohol can also impact heart health and other aspects of wellbeing, many experts recommend keeping intake as low as possible.
The focus now is on what supports your health going forward. If you choose to drink, try to limit how much you have overall, spread drinks across several days, and alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones. Small, mindful changes like these can make a meaningful difference.
PRACTICAL TIPS:
Try kombucha (a mildly fizzy, fermented drink made from tea) served in your favourite glass to make it feel special
Explore no-alcohol and low-alcohol beers and lagers - brands like Lucky Saint, Heineken and Brew Dog make good options
Experiment with alcohol-free spirits and elixirs such as Seedlip, Pentire, CleanCo, and Three Spirit
‘Set your intentions’ before you leave the house, for example, I am not going to drink tonight, or I will only have one drink tonight. Knowing your intention helps you feel more in control and stick to your guns!
You can find more ideas here.
6. Make sure your vitamin D level is sufficient
Findings from the World Cancer Research Fund review suggest that people with adequate vitamin D levels may have better overall health outcomes after a breast-cancer diagnosis. The evidence behind this comes from observational studies, which show an association but don’t prove cause and effect. Because of this, the review isn’t making specific recommendations about taking vitamin D supplements to improve cancer outcomes.
I see vitamin D as really important for health. It plays a far-reaching role in the body, supporting bones, muscles, immune function, aspects of gut health, and more. Deficiency is very common in the UK, particularly through autumn and winter. I routinely recommend that my one-to-one clients have their vitamin D levels checked. In my experience, many people are low and benefit from supplementation to keep their levels within the healthy range.
Looking for personalised guidance?
If you’ve read this and thought, “Yes, but how do I put this into practice for me?” - that’s exactly what I help people with.
In my one-to-one support, we translate the evidence into everyday meals and routines that feel doable, nourishing, and right for you - the kind of changes that make life a little easier, not harder.
You don’t have to figure it all out on your own. You can find out more about my Nutrition Support Programmes here - or get in touch if you’d like to talk it through.
Email: info@thecancerdietitian.com
Telephone: 020 8064 2865
The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered personalised nutrition, dietetic, or medical advice. Please consult your healthcare team for personalised advice and guidance regarding your specific medical condition or dietary needs.
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