Mediterranean diet cuts cancer risk
Wednesday, 02 Jul 2008 08:21
Mediterranean diets rich in fish could help to cut cancer risk
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People hoping to reduce their risk of cancer could do so by changing their diet in two ways, according to scientists.
Researchers at Harvard University found that if two changes are made, such as eating more peas, beans and lentils and less meat, this could cut cancer risk by 12 per cent.
And consuming more good fats, like those found in olive oil, than bad fats (found in chips, biscuits and cakes) was linked to a nine per cent decrease in cancer risk.
The findings are based on a review of the diets of over 26,000 Greek men and women over a period of eight years.
A nine-point scale was used to judge how closely people stuck to a Mediterranean-style diet.
This diet is rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains and fish and has little processed foods, refined sugars and cured and red meats.
The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, found that people who most closely followed a traditional Mediterranean diet were overall less likely to develop cancer.
"Although eating more of one food group alone didn't significantly change a person's risk of cancer, adjusting one's overall dietary habits towards the traditional Mediterranean pattern had an important effect," said lead author Dr Dimitrios Trichopoulos.
Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK's director of health information, described the study as "important" and said it helps researchers "to understand more about the simple changes a person can make to their diet to reduce their risk of cancer and improve overall health".
"Although we know that unhealthy diets generally and being overweight are important risk factors for a number of cancers – the link between individual foods or food types and cancer has been less clear," she added.
"This research highlights the importance of maintaining a healthy balanced diet to reduce your risk of cancer. It shows that there are a number of things you can do, and that there is no one 'superfood' that can stop you developing the disease."