That's the healthy diet after a cancer illness

After a cancer, a healthy diet is extremely important. A full-fledged diet rich in fruits, vegetables and legumes can significantly increase life expectancy, as shown by a total of 117 studies and data from more than 200,000 people. Most of the participants came from the United States, Europe and Asia and were accompanied for a period of up to 16 years. Under the direction of the German Institute for Nutritional Research (DIfE), the scientists investigated the effects of individual food groups and specific dietary patterns on the mortality of former cancer patients.

If the subjects were "unhealthy" after surviving a cancer, the risk of premature death increased by 46 percent. This effect was particularly evident in breast and colon cancer. An "unhealthy" diet has been defined as a Western diet characterized by a high level of saturated fats, sugary and saline foods, white flour products, and highly processed products (eg, charcuterie). In contrast, a "healthy" diet such as a Mediterranean diet could reduce the mortality rate by about 20 percent. This nutritional pattern includes cereal products, fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and fish and is therefore rich in valuable antioxidants and fiber. Antioxidants protect the body from free oxygen radicals and thus the cells from damage.

Healthy diet after cancer. Picture: Fischer Food Design

Individual food groups also affected the former cancer patients. For example, high levels of alcohol consumption increased the likelihood of premature death, especially in people who had survived liver, oesophageal and pharyngeal cancers. Cancer survivors were diagnosed with cancer at a 17 to 31 percent higher risk if they drank a lot of alcohol. High consumption of vegetables and fish, on the other hand, reduced mortality by 14 and 15 percent, respectively.

A healthy lifestyle extends life and the dietary habits seem to have a great impact, the authors write in the journal "Nutrition Reviews". Heike Kreutz, aid