Interview with Angelina Jolie's doctor promotes meatless diet and scientific inaccuracies

Expert Guidelines

The American Cancer Society (ACS) guidelines on exercise, nutrition and weight for cancer prevention recommend the following: 

Diet and nutrition

• Follow a healthy eating pattern, including:
  • foods that are high in nutrients in amounts that help you get to and stay at a healthy body weight.
  • a variety of vegetables, fiber-rich legumes (beans and peas), and whole fruits in a variety of colors. Consume at least 2½ to 3 cups of vegetables and 1½ to 2 cups of fruit each day, depending on your calorie requirements. 
  • whole grains rather than refined grains. At least half of the grains you eat should be whole grains. 
• A healthy eating pattern that limits or does not include:
  • red and processed meats.
  • sugar-sweetened beverages. 
  • highly processed foods and refined grain products.
• It is best not to drink alcohol. People who choose to drink alcohol should:
  • have no more than 1 drink per day (women) or 2 drinks per day (men).

Exercise

• Exercise regularly.
  • Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity (equal to a brisk walk) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (heart rate is increased, breathing is faster and you are sweating) each week, preferably spread throughout the week.
  • Physical activity has been shown to lower the risk of several types of cancer, including breast, endometrial, prostate and colon. It also reduces the risk of other serious diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Weight

• Achieve and keep a healthy weight.
  • Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for many cancers, including breast, colon, endometrial and pancreatic. You can control your weight through regular exercise and healthy eating.

Other experts, including the following, also provide guidelines for exercise, nutrition and health: 

• The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• The United States Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion 
• The American Institute for Cancer Research  

Questions To Ask Your Health Care Provider

• What lifestyle changes would be most beneficial for me to reduce my breast cancer risk?
• Given my family history and ethnic background, what preventive measures or genetic testing is appropriate for me?
• Can you refer me to a nutritionist?

Open Clinical Trials

The following are studies focused on nutrition and cancer prevention. 

Multiple cancers

• Energetics and Lifestyle in Inherited Syndromes (ELLIE’s Study). ELLIE’s Project is designed to look at factors, such as weight, Body Mass Index, metabolism, dietary habits and activity levels that may affect cancer risk in people with inherited mutations linked to cancer. 
• NCT05094466: Parent and Family Obesity Intervention in Reducing Obesity Risk in Racial Ethnic Minority Families. This compares the effects of parent/caregiver-focused programs to family-focused programs in reducing obesity risk in racial ethnic minority families. 

Breast cancer

• NCT04374747: Fruit and Vegetable Intervention in Lactating Women to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk. This trial is for nursing mothers. This study will look to see if eating at least 8 to 10 daily servings of fruits and vegetables reduces breast cancer biomarkers. 
• NCT03448003: Comprehensive Lifestyle Change To Prevent Breast Cancer. This trial looks at how well lifestyle changes work to prevent breast cancer. Premenopausal women 18 years and older with intact breast and ovaries are eligible.

Colorectal cancer

• NCT04192071: Virtual Human Delivered Nutrition Module for Colorectal Cancer Prevention. This study will develop and test an interactive nutrition module for use with colorectal cancer screening to learn which messages and graphics promote understanding of cancer risk and promote screening.

Visit our Featured Research Page and Research Search and Enroll Tool to find additional studies enrolling people with, or at high risk for cancer.