Background Diets rich in minimally processed plant-based foods are recommended to breast cancer patients, and some may have an interest in whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diets that avoid animal-based foods, added fats, and refined sugars. Within WFPB diets, the intakes of isoflavones, omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 PUFAs), and omega-3 polyunsaturated FAs (n-3 PUFAs), which have been discussed in reference to breast cancer outcomes, have not been well characterized. Methods Women with stage IV breast cancer on stable therapy were randomized 2:1 into (1) a WFPB intervention ( N = 21) or (2) usual care ( N = 11) for 8 weeks. Three meals per day were provided. Outcomes presented here include dietary intake of isoflavones, n-3 and n-6- PUFAs, which were assessed using three-day food records at baseline and 8 weeks. Baseline and 8-week mean intake within groups were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and between control and intervention groups by a two-sample t -test. Results The WFPB intervention participants increased their daily consumption of total isoflavones from a mean of 0.8 mg/day to 14.5 mg/day ( p < 0.0001) and decreased the n-6:n-3 ratio of their diet from a mean of 9.3 to 3.7 ( p < 0.0001). Within the WFPB group, linoleic acid (n-6 PUFA) consumption decreased by a mean of 3.8 g ( p = 0.0095), from 12.8 g/day to 9.0 g/day; total n-3 PUFA consumption increased by a mean of 1.1 g ( p = 0.0005), from 1.6 g/day to 2.7 g/day. Conclusion Transitioning to a WFPB diet resulted in significantly increased isoflavone intake and decreased n-6:n-3 ratio in women with breast cancer.
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