Emtip - Eating Healthy for Cancer Prevention

The Mediterranean Diet is a wonderful way to help prevent cancer. How do we know that it works? Here's what the research says;

• In the PREDIMED Randomized Controlled Trial, over 4000 post menopausal women who were high risk for cardiovascular disease were randomized to Mediterranean Diet with extra-virgin olive oil, Mediterranean Diet with mixed nuts, or low fat diet for 5 years. The Mediterranean Diet with extra virgin olive oil had a 68% lower risk of developing breast cancer than the low fat group. For both Mediterranean Diets together, there was a risk reduction of 51%.[1] 
• In the Lyon Diet Heart Randomized Controlled Trial, over 600 people with coronary heart disease were randomized to Mediterranean Diet or the American Heart Association (AHA) prudent diet. After 4 years, there was a 56% reduced risk of new cancer diagnosis in Mediterranean Diet compared to the AHA diet.[2] 
• In the SETA Project, over 300 women with early stage breast cancer were enrolled after completion of standard treatment to Mediterranean Diet vs “standard diet”. At 3 year follow up, 11 patients had disease relapse in the standard diet arm, and none on the Mediterranean diet.[3]  
• In a systematic review and meta-analysis of 56 observational studies on Mediterranean Diet and cancer, the highest adherence score to a Mediterranean Diet was significantly associated with a 13% lower risk of all-cause cancer mortality. There was reduced risk for colorectal cancer (17% lower), breast cancer (7% lower), gastric cancer (27% lower), prostate cancer (4% lower), liver cancer (42% lower), head and neck cancer (60% lower), pancreatic cancer (52%), and respiratory cancer (90%).[4] 

The main things to focus on in a Mediterranean Diet are 2-4 TBSP olive oil daily, lots of fruits and vegetables, smaller/moderate amounts of poultry/meat/dairy, liberal amounts of fish, nuts and seeds...

 

Happy eating!

Dr Jen Green ND FABNO

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[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26365989 

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9625397 

[3] J Clin Oncol 34, 2016 (suppl; abstr e13039) 

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26471010