Could superfoods beat breast cancer? One survivor recommends curry powder

A breast cancer patient, who refused the common cancer drug Tamoxifen generally given to patients following treatment, has credited her superfood diet for keeping her cancer from returning.

 Vicky Stewart explained to the Telegraph that her strict superfood diet incorporates plenty of fruit and veg and foods such as berries, known for their health benefits. It also relies heavily on turmeric, which Vicky claims "makes cancer cells commit suicide".

[Related: Cola ingredient linked to cancer - calls for ban]

Vicky was treated for breast cancer in 2008 and has been in remission for four years. She initially avoided dairy and became a vegan for a while. She also tries to eat almost entirely organic.

"It's very unusual for breast cancer patients not to take the drug,” she said. "When I told the doctors I didn't want to take it, they just advised me to keep oestrogen out of my body, which is basically what the drug does.

"The doctors absolutely will not say that the diet is going to do anything to help the cancer in any way, other than to say a healthy diet is going to help in the fight against any disease.

"This was four years ago and I think attitudes are changing a bit now so that these ideas are running alongside the more usual treatments.

"I believe absolutely enormously that my diet has assisted my recovery."

Though experts are understandably wary about advocating cancer patients skip recommended drug treatment, there have been some studies that back up the idea that food can be used as medicine. A recent investigation found that curcumin, found in turmeric, could kill bowel cancer tumours.

Other lifestyle recommendations to prevent cancer returning include exercising for 30 minutes three times a week, not gaining any weight and reducing fat intake.

And adding a little extra turmeric to your dinner might not be a bad idea either.