Fish, olive oil, nuts, vegetables and whole grains are only few of the main components of Mediterranean diet that has shown to decrease the risk of breast cancer. The said diet reduces that prevalence of cancer by 40 percent, a study suggests.
According to Independent, the researchers have monitored more than 62,000 women over a period of 20 years. The goal of the monitoring is to determine if the risk of breast cancer is defined by the foods included in daily the diet. The results suggested that people under Mediterranean diet were less likely to develop ER-negative breast cancer.
ER-negative breast cancer is a form of disease wherein sex hormone estrogen stimulation is not involved as compared to a regular breast cancer. This form is often more harder to treat than hormone-stimulated breast cancer and is more fatal.
Furthermore, as reported by The Guardian, Mediterranean diet may also reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease. The study began in 1986 and the diet was tracked closely if the participants have followed the Mediterranean pattern which includes; low intake of red meat, sweets, and refined grains such as white bread or white rice.
The study has analyzed the different components of the Mediterranean diet. It was discovered that nut intake is strongly inversely associated with ER-negative breast cancer, followed by fruit and fish. The researchers have concluded that if everyone ate Mediterranean diet, around third (32.4 percent) of ER- negative cases and 2.3 percent of all breast cancer cases could be avoided.
The study was made possible through research funding at the World Cancer Research Fund with the director Dr. Panagiota Mitrou. The director stated that further research is welcome in order to widen the understanding regarding the risk factors of breast cancer subtypes. However, as revealed by Emma Pennery, clinical director at Breast Cancer Care, lifestyle choices like eating a well-balanced diet and taking regular exercise may decrease the risk but not guarantee prevention of breast cancer.
