A fiber-diverse, anti-inflammatory diet and aerobic exercise reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence
Description: Background. Human gut microbes affect how much we weigh and our level of low-grade inflammation. Being obese and having too much inflammation increase a breast cancer survivor's risk that her cancer will return. No one knows yet whether feeding one's gut microbes better will reduce risk of the breast cancer coming back. To find out, the investigators will ask 15 survivors to eat every day for six months at least six plant-based food choices that are rich in fiber, not highly processed and that meet federal nutrition guidelines. Early evidence suggests that the Healthy Microbes Against Cancer Sources (HMACS) approach will reduce heart disease or diabetes risk as well as or better than the usual calorie-counting and portion control (DPP) approaches at 6 months follow-up. Reducing survivors' risk of heart disease and diabetes is important because cancer is more likely to return in those breast cancer survivors with higher risk of those diseases. Hypotheses. By eating a greater variety of fiber-rich plant foods that are minimally processed, participants in the HMACS condition relative to the DPP condition will reduce: high sensitivity C-reactive protein, body fat, blood insulin and blood glucose, and increase: HDL-cholesterol, emotional well-being, quality of life, and alpha-1 diversity of gut microbes. To test these hypotheses, the investigators plan to: 1) Recruit 30 overweight breast cancer survivors and randomly assign them to either the HMACS or DPP condition, 2) Get baseline and 6-month follow-up measures on: level of inflammation, body fatness, physical fitness, blood sugar, blood cholesterol, poop samples, and quality of life, 3) Have lifestyle coaches make 7 phone coaching calls, two virtual home visits and conduct two virtual group health education sessions as well as biweekly cooking demonstrations to compare the HMACS+Fitbit approach with the DPP+Fitbit calorie restriction approach, and 4) Design a similar but larger study, depending on results. If results are positive, the HMACS approach to reducing the risk of cancer returning may be a more user-friendly choice for low-income survivors than counting calories and doing portion control. Counting six HMACS each day is easier than counting all the calories and having to stop eating for the day while still hungry in order not to eat more total calories than allowed by the DPP condition each day.
Amount: $195,000
Start date: 2021-08-01
Investigators: William McCarthy, William McCarthy
Institution: University of California, Los Angeles
Funded outputs count: 0
Funder award ID: g9042b
OpenAlex ID: G6144592511