Study: Going on a low-calorie diet might prevent the spread of breast cancer

Low-calorie diets have never been used as a treatment against the spread of cancer — until now.

A new study from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia found that calorie restriction could prevent the spread of one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer to other organs. In the study, scientists fed one group of mice infected with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) a third less than the others. The study showed that the mice with a limited diet were less likely to experience a spread in the cancer.

"According to the study, microbes found to increase TNBC were decreased the most when mice were treated with both radiation and calorie restriction," said the Independent. "This decrease, in turn, increased the production of proteins involved in strengthening the tissue surrounding the tumor."

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The findings could help doctors develop new breast cancer treatments.