In focus: diet - vegetarianism, veganism and soy

[OvacomeSupport]

Hello, everyone

This month in our ‘Health in Focus’ posts, we’re looking at diet. Often, people diagnosed with cancer make changes to their diet because they want to support their health. In these posts, we’ll look at some of the types of food that we are asked about on the support service, whether to eliminate or reduce consumption and the evidence around this.

In this post, we’ll be exploring vegetarian and vegan diets. Many people seeking to follow a healthier diet reduce their meat and dairy consumption, whether or not they choose an entirely vegetarian or vegan diet. As soy products are often used as substitutes for both meat and dairy, we’ll also look at the evidence about their suitability for people diagnosed with cancer.

As we mentioned in last week’s post, the general advice for people diagnosed with cancer is to follow a healthy, balanced diet. The NHS has produced its ‘Eatwell’ guide to show what this includes and in what proportions. You can find the Eatwell guide at nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/t...

As you can see, the NHS recommends that two thirds of our diets should consist of fruits, vegetables and starchy foods such as potatoes and grains, with the rest made up of dairy and/or dairy alternatives, proteins and a small amount of healthy fats such as unsaturated oils and spreads. Therefore, most of the food types that they recommend are plant-based and the others can come from both animal and non-animal sources.

A healthy diet as set out in the Eatwell guide will usually provide the nutrients that you need, including vitamins and minerals, without the need to take supplements. If you’re eliminating meat, fish or other animal products from your diet, it may take a little more planning to make sure that you’re getting the nutrition that you need. For example, meat is a good source of iron, but it is also possible to get the iron you need from foods such as eggs, green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and kale and pulses such as peas, lentils and beans. Milk and dairy products contain calcium, but other sources include fortified plant ‘milks,’ almonds and bread. You can find more information about getting the nutrients that you need from a vegetarian or vegan diet at nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/v...

You may have seen in last week’s post that two specialist oncology dietitians gave a presentation for us, in which they recommended aiming to meet your nutritional needs through diet. You can find their presentation at ovacome.org.uk/Handlers/Dow...

Although a well-balanced, healthy vegetarian or vegan diet can provide most of the nutrients you need without supplements, there are some situations where they might be recommended. In particular, it may be advisable to take supplements of vitamins D and B12.

The body makes vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight, and it’s difficult to get enough from food alone. The Department of Health recommends that you consider taking a vitamin D supplement during autumn and winter, and at other times of the year as well if you aren’t often outdoors or if you wear clothes that cover up most of your skin when you’re outside (nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-....

Vitamin B12 is only available naturally from animal sources. Vegetarians who eat dairy products and eggs usually get enough from these sources, but vegans will need to make sure that they eat plant-based foods fortified with vitamin B12 or take a supplement. You can find more information about vitamin B12 on the Vegan Society’s website at vegansociety.com/resources/...

If you’re pregnant or have a health issue such as a vitamin or mineral deficiency or difficulty in absorbing nutrients from your food, you may also be advised to take a supplement. If you’re thinking of using supplements, it’s important to discuss this with your team first to make sure that they’re safe for you.

As we mentioned above, soy is a popular substitution for many animal products, as it can be made into products similar to meat items such as sausages and sandwich slices and dairy products such as milk, yogurt and custard. However, some media reports have suggested that soy can increase the risk of certain cancers or not be suitable for people with cancer.

These concerns arise from the fact that soybeans contain isoflavones, which are often defined as phytoestrogens (chemicals found in plants similar to oestrogen). As some ovarian and breast cancers are driven by oestrogen, we are sometimes asked whether consuming products that contain isoflavones is safe for those diagnosed with these cancers.

The evidence currently is that there are health benefits to consuming soy in its various forms, and that eating moderate amounts of soy is safe, including for those diagnosed with cancer. It can also help to alleviate hot flushes associated with surgical menopause.

Although there are similarities between isoflavones and oestrogen, they don’t behave in the same way in the body and their effect is much weaker. The studies that suggested a possible connection between soy and oestrogen-driven cancers were carried out in laboratories or on animals using higher doses of isoflavones than are found naturally in soy.

Specialist cancer dietitian Rachel White wrote about soy for the Ovacome Magazine, which you can find on pages 10-11 at ovacome.org.uk/Handlers/Dow... You can also read more about soy as part of a healthy diet, including for people with cancer, on the British Dietetic Association website at bda.uk.com/resource/soya-fo...

You can also read more about meat, fish and dairy products and cancer at wcrf.org/dietandcancer/expo...

If you would like to share your experiences of diet following an ovarian cancer diagnosis or have any tips on it, please comment on this post. If you would like information or support, please contact our Support Line on 07503 682 311 or 0800 008 7054 or email [e-mail].

Best wishes

Julia (Ovacome Support Services Officer)