nutrition and breast fibroids

Question
Dear Ms. Allen,

I was diagnosed with fibrosistic breast disease when I was a teenager in 1989. I had a fantastic surgeon who removed the fibroid, which was benign. I had another surgery for the same reason 5 years later. The surgeon suggested a diet of no caffeine, no carbonated beverages, no alcohol, and low beef. I did not drink alcohol and removed the other foods and beverages from my diet, and have not had surgery in more than 15 years. :)

The dilemma : I moved to another country, and now I eat/drink extra virgin olive oil, which is cold-extracted and high in anti-oxidants. I eat/drink it to help remove impurities from my body and prevent new fibroids and perhaps decrease the sizes of the few small ones I have now.

However, the olive oil has changed by taste. I stopped eating chocolate years ago, when I excluded caffeine from my diet. I replaced chocolate with white chocolate. However, the extra virgin olive oil and whole grain breads I eat have diminished my desire for white chocolate. Now, I have begun to crave milk chocolate. It "tastes" more natural and compatible to the olive oil and whole grain breads.

Is it possible for me to eat small amounts of chocolate (I read that a 100-gram chocolate bar contains about 25 - 30 grams of caffeine.) without increasing my chances of developing more fibroids or increasing the sizes of the small ones I have now, please?

I really do not like chocolate that much, but when it has been mixed with sugar and milk, it tastes good. I have not found any other desserts that I crave that do not contain high fructose corn syrup or butter. (I prefer sweet potato pie, but live in a country where sweet potatoes are not grown, so I have chosen to adapt.)

Thank you for your time, consideration, and any suggestions you may be able to offer.

Respectfully,
Rochelle Denise

Answer
Hello Rochelle. I do not have a lot of experience in this area but I will try to help you as much as I can. As far as the diet restriction for caffeine goes, it is really up to you. There seems to be a general consensus that caffeine does increase the number and size of fibroids. How much caffeine is " safe" is a little more debatable. I read one homeopathic doctor's suggestion to his patients that they not even smell coffee because it would begin the preliminary processes of caffeine digestion. Other studies show the threshold may be a bit higher than zero. For example, a 2001 study showed it took 500mg of caffeine (equivalent to 4-5 cups of coffee) to increase estrogen levels 70%, and then only during certain phases of the menstrual cycle. Studies also suggest caffeine from coffee, chocolate, and cola are most problematic, which you may also want to keep in mind. Personally, the occasional piece of chocolate when you are really craving it will probably not make your fibroids any worse, as long as occasional really is rare. You did not mention your age, but it is good to know fibroids usually get less problematic and you can free up your diet a bit after menopause. However, you should be extra careful for about the 10 years prior to menopause when estrogen production does drop but testosterone production drops even more, resulting in an imbalanced ratio resulting in high circulating estrogen. On a lighter note, cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli and Brussel sprouts) contain an antioxidant that shows antitumor activity and also helps eliminate excess estrogen, both characteristics of which are helpful for reducing fibroids. Actually, a diet just generally high in fiber may help reduce estrogen levels.

I hope that helps you make an informed decision about how much chocolate you want to enjoy. I agree darker chocolate does pair better with those foods and hope you are able to find a happy, healthy compromise.  

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