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The Best Diet For Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancers
I am often asked “What is the best diet for someone with hormone receptor positive breast cancer?” Research indicates that nearly two-thirds of invasive breast cancer is classified as hormone receptor positive, so it’s a really great question to ask.
The quality of your diet and nutrition while going through breast cancer can play a pivotol role, not only for getting well, but also for staying well and avoiding recurrences.
What Does Hormone Receptor Positive Mean?
If the term “hormone receptor positive” is unfamiliar to you, it is a term employed when after a tumor has been removed and examined by a pathologist, the tumor was found to have an abundance of hormone (estrogen and progesterone) receptors on the surface of the tumor’s cells. This indicates to your doctor that the growth of the tumor was being fueled by hormones. Whether that means the body’s own hormones (endogenous) were fueling the process, or hormones that came from the environment (as in xenoestrogens) is a subject of contention and covered by other articles in this website.
As a sort of short-hand, a breast tumor that is being driven by estrogen is termed “ER+”, a tumor that is fueled by progesterone is termed “PR+” and has both estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and if the tumor is fed by both hormones, it is termed “ER+/PR+”.
So Does A Good Diet Make A Difference?
Yes, absolutely it does. We now have plenty of research to support the claim that certain foods do have an inhibitory effect on breast cancer cells. In addition, it has been found that the combination of 30 minutes of daily exercise combined with a good diet full of vegetables and fruit gives the very best protection – much more than either one of those things on its own.
Food That You Should Include In Your Diet If You Have ER+/PR+ Breast Cancer
Whenever you possibly can, try to ensure that these are organic. If you are trying to heal from cancer, you need to keep away from conventionally grown produce and meats as much as possible because of the pesticide and herbicide residues. You can’t heal properly if the toxin load is high. If you can’t get these organically grown, make sure to wash – wash – wash them! Soaking them in a tub of fresh water with a little white vinegar for a few minutes, then rinsing well can help to detox them.
Here’s the list:
Acai, apples, apricot kernels, arugula, avocados, basil, beets, beet greens, bell peppers, bilberries, black pepper, blackberries, blueberries, bok choy, boysenberries, bran, brown rice, buckwheat, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chia seeds, chicken (organic), chives, cherries, coconut oil, collard greens, cranberries, cucumber, currants, dry beans, durian, eggs, figs, flaxseed (freshly ground), garlic, ginger, goji berries, grapes, herring, honey (esp Manuka), hot peppers, kale, kiwi, lake trout, lemons, lettuce, limes, mackerel, mandarins, mangoes, mangosteen, maqui berries/powder, medicinal mushrooms, mustard, mustard greens, oats, olive oil, oranges, parsley, pineapple, pomegranates, pumpkin, radishes, raspberries, saffron, salmon (wild caught), sardines, seaweed, sesame seeds, spinach, squash, strawberries, tomatoes, turkey (organic), turmeric, turnips, turnip greens, walnuts, watercress, watermelon, zucchini
For information on the food that should be avoided, as well as a list of supplements and nutrients that support a healthy body and should be included in your health regime, see my page Diet and Cancer.
Thanks in part to http://foodforbreastcancer.com/ – written by Sarah Charles, herself a breast cancer survivor, and a woman of sharp intellect, Sarah has a mathematics degree from UCLA and is a Harvard graduate.
GET MY BEST TIPS on getting through breast cancer and preventing recurrences by signing up for my free e-newsletters and e-books on the right. You can also “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com) to get my inspirational snippets, news and updates. I promise to do my utmost to keep you informed and empowered on your healing journey… and beyond.
Thank you so much, Marnie! I am 15 months out from my treatments and cancer free. Your research and inspirational posts have kept me going, and I continue to make such different, healthier choices than ever before!
Hi Kim,
Thanks so much for your comment. I am so happy to hear that you are doing well and that you are continuing to make healthier choices for yourself. Keeping cancer away (as you now know) is a day-to-day process and the choices you make in nutrition and keeping stress away make such a difference. Well done and thanks for reaching out.
Warmest regards,
Marnie
Such awesome and much needed info for estrogen positive breast cancer! Thank you and may GOD Bless you!
Dear Em,
Thanks for your comment. Blessings to you as well, and make sure to let me know if I can assist you.
Warmest regards,
Marnie
The most helpful information.
Thanks so much
Going to get started with chemo after getting surgery done .
I am ER PR positive so this article has been God sent .
Blessings from my innermost heart .
Can you tell me if this list is good for er+ pr- DCIS breast cancer
Phyllis,
Sorry for my delayed response. Yes, this list is good for ER+ PR- DCIS. I would not suggest using diet alone to help you heal from this, but as part of a holistic regimen, it can certainly assist. Are you getting my newsletters, Phyllis?
Warmest regards,
Marnie
I am scared to death regarding breast cancer. I had undergone by a sonogram and the result was “probably benign”.
Andrea,
Please don’t be so frightened about breast cancer. It is a much more treatable disease these days than it was in our mothers’ and grandmothers’ days. There are many things you can do to help yourself stay healthy! Have you signed up for my free newsletters and e-books? They are full of my best information on healing from breast cancer and avoiding recurrences and I have just updated them with the latest info and research. You can sign up from any page on my site, over on the far right-hand side of each page. Here is my page explaining more: https://marnieclark.com/8-reasons-to-subscribe-to-my-newsletters/
Warmest regards,
Marnie Clark
Hi Marnie,
Te escribo en español, entiendo inglés, pero no se escribirlo.
Superviviente de Breast Cancer con receptores positivo, tomo Tamoxifeno cada día.
He leido que el Cadmio aumenta el aumento de células cancerosas.
Si no como arroz blanco, ni otras harinas blancas, el comer arroz integral escriben que no es bueno porque tiene Cadmio.
Muchas gracias por tus consejos
Antonieta,
Eso es correcto. ¡Pero puedes elegir orgánico!
xx Marnie
Nice reading. I am high risk so I am trying to go on a good diet.
Thank you so much for the list of foods that you recommend. There are so many confusing information out there.
Hi Marnie,
I am on my daughter’s computer. She has been diognosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer
I have found the list of foods that you can eat. I am looking for any meal plans or recipes that would be available. I would really appreciate any feed back.
Hi there –
Thanks for your message. I’ll send some information to you via email.
Warmest regards,
Marnie