New reason to cut back on calories

August 5, 2009 A new study shows mice that intermittently reduced calories by 25 percent were less likely to develop breast cancer than mice that ate everything they wanted and mice that permanently cut calories.

Researchers say they were surprised by the findings.

They had suspected that periodic dieting could foster the growth of tumors since the return of added calories could jumpstart the hormones linked to breast cancer.

More research is planned.

The new study is published in Cancer Prevention Research.