15/10/2026
Does sugar feed cancer? Should you avoid dairy or soy after a breast cancer diagnosis? 🎗️
There’s so much conflicting advice about nutrition and breast cancer, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction.
We asked specialist cancer dietitian Jo Cunningham (), lead dietitian on our Eat Well Live Well programme, to tackle five common concerns.
🍬 Sugar: Sugar doesn’t directly ‘feed’ cancer in the way often suggested. There’s no need to eliminate fruit or carbohydrates, although limiting added sugars is sensible for overall health.
🥛 Dairy: There’s no convincing evidence that dairy increases breast cancer risk or recurrence. It’s also a valuable source of calcium and protein.
🌱 Soy: Research suggests whole soy foods, including tofu and edamame, are safe and may even be beneficial after breast cancer. Concentrated soy supplements are different and should be discussed with your clinical team.
🥩 Meat: The strongest cancer evidence relates to red and processed meat and bowel cancer. Limit red meat and eat little, if any, processed meat.
🍷 Alcohol: Alcohol increases breast cancer risk, and no level of consumption is completely risk-free. The less you drink, the lower your risk.
The takeaway? Good nutrition after breast cancer is about balance, variety and nourishment, not unnecessarily cutting out entire food groups.
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