Why No Food After 6 PM For Breast Cancer Survivors

If you're a breast cancer survivor, take note. New research, published in JAMA Oncology, has found that fasting for under 13 hours between dinner and breakfast is linked with an increased risk of breast cancer recurring.

This means that a woman who eats breakfast at 7 am should finish dinner no later than 6 pm to minimise her risk of the disease coming back.

The study examined data from 2,400 women with early-stage breast cancer. It found that those who fasted for less than 13 hours overnight were 36 per cent more likely to see their cancer return, compared with those who fasted for more than 13 hours.

“Prolonging the length of the nightly fasting interval may be a simple, non-pharmacologic strategy for reducing the risk of breast cancer recurrence,” study leader Ruth Patterson of the University of California in San Diego said.

"One reason we feel positive about this as a potential dietary behaviour is how simple it is. It's easier than saying reduce your calorie intake by 500 a day, which requires changes in how you shop, where you eat out, and can be very burdensome."

RELATED: JAMA Oncology Report

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