Exercise & Green Tea Help Fight Depression in Breast Cancer Survivors
Posted Jan 19 2010 12:00am
The stress of dealing with breast cancer leads to a wide range of emotions experienced by breast cancer survivors and their friends and families. According to the American Cancer Society, for some breast cancer survivors (about 25%) this emotional turmoil can lead to depression, which can make coping and treatment follow-through that much more difficult.
A recent breast cancer study examined the relationship between multiple lifestyle factors and depression among breast cancer survivors. For this study, information was collected from nearly 1,400 breast cancer survivors in Shanghai, China regarding their exercise habits, supplement use, quality of life, and symptoms of depression. The result of this study showed that:
26% of women reported symptoms of depression
13% were diagnosed with clinical depression
Breast cancer survivors with a higher exercise level were about 30% less likely to develop mild depression and 40% less likely to develop clinical depression.
Women who increased their exercise level showed a reduced risk for depression
Consumption of green tea on a regular basis (more than 100 grams dried leaves per month) was associated with a lower risk of depression in breast cancer survivors.
Overall, the results of this new study suggest that regular green tea consumption and regular exercise, lifestyle modifications that can be easily made, can help fight symptoms of depression in breast cancer survivors. While depression is not uncommon in breast cancer survivors, it seems to be a topic that is less talked about compared to other aspects of cancer survivorship. However, depression can cause some breast cancer survivors to have a difficult time following their treatment plans, which over time can lead to worse outcomes. It is not unusual for breast cancer patients to have one or more symptoms of depression for a short period of time; however, it these persist for several weeks, it is important to discuss these emotions with your physician. For more information, visit the American Cancer Society website, which has an excellent resource section on coping with emotional changes.
In addition to increasing our awareness of issues that face breast cancer survivors, it is also important to increase our awareness of things we can do to help reduce breast cancer risk. Read my book, Fight Now: Eat & Live Proactively Against Breast Cancer, at www.fightBCnow.com to learn about lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your personal breast cancer risk.
A recent breast cancer study examined the relationship between multiple lifestyle factors and depression among breast cancer survivors. For this study, information was collected from nearly 1,400 breast cancer survivors in Shanghai, China regarding their exercise habits, supplement use, quality of life, and symptoms of depression. The result of this study showed that:
- 26% of women reported symptoms of depression
- 13% were diagnosed with clinical depression
- Breast cancer survivors with a higher exercise level were about 30% less likely to develop mild depression and 40% less likely to develop clinical depression.
- Women who increased their exercise level showed a reduced risk for depression
- Consumption of green tea on a regular basis (more than 100 grams dried leaves per month) was associated with a lower risk of depression in breast cancer survivors.
Overall, the results of this new study suggest that regular green tea consumption and regular exercise, lifestyle modifications that can be easily made, can help fight symptoms of depression in breast cancer survivors. While depression is not uncommon in breast cancer survivors, it seems to be a topic that is less talked about compared to other aspects of cancer survivorship. However, depression can cause some breast cancer survivors to have a difficult time following their treatment plans, which over time can lead to worse outcomes. It is not unusual for breast cancer patients to have one or more symptoms of depression for a short period of time; however, it these persist for several weeks, it is important to discuss these emotions with your physician. For more information, visit the American Cancer Society website, which has an excellent resource section on coping with emotional changes.In addition to increasing our awareness of issues that face breast cancer survivors, it is also important to increase our awareness of things we can do to help reduce breast cancer risk. Read my book, Fight Now: Eat & Live Proactively Against Breast Cancer, at www.fightBCnow.com to learn about lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your personal breast cancer risk.