Mediterranean diet with olive oil may cut breast cancer risk by 68%

To prevent breast cancer, scientists advise you to "do as the Greeks do."

Mediterranean diet which has been hailed as the secret to longevity and protection against heart disease and Alzheimer’s has once again been found to help with breast cancer.

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Mediterranean diet consists of plant foods, fish, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), olives, legumes, nuts, fruits etc. The diet also includes a moderate intake of red wine and is low in dairy products and meat.
Mediterranean diet with four tablespoons each day of extra-virgin olive oil may cut the risk of developing breast cancer by 68%, a recent study published in the JAMA Internal Medicine has concluded. [Read more Olive oil may reverse the damage caused by high-fat diet and CURE fatty liver disease]

Breast cancer is the leading type of cancer in women all over the world. It is more than 100 times more common in women than men. 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. 1 in 8 women in UK will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. It is the most common type of cancer in women in the United Kingdom accounting for 31% of all cancer cases.


The study in Spain spanned 2003 to 2009. It involved 4,282 post-menopausal women (aged 60 to 80) with no signs of breast cancer. Participants were divided into three groups and given three different diets. The first group received Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). Second group received the same diet but rich in nuts. The third group of participants received control diet where the participants were asked to decrease their fat intake. [এসপারাগাসঃ স্বাস্থ্যগুণ, ভেষজগুণ এবং ইতিহাস]

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At the end of the study, 35 of the participants developed breast cancer. A slight decrease in the risk of breast cancer was observed in the women in the group that ate Mediterranean supplemented with nuts. But, the women in the Mediterranean diet with EVOO were found least likely to develop breast cancer. These women showed a 68% lower risk of malignant breast cancer.

“The results suggest a beneficial effect of a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil in the primary prevention of breast cancer,” said lead researcher Dr Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez, of the University of Navarra, Spain.

Dr. Mitchell Katz, a deputy editor of JAMA Internal Medicine commented, “Of course, no study is perfect.”

He believes that this study had its limitations because only 35 incident of breast cancer were reported where the women were not screened with mammography, the women were not blinded to the diet and they were all postmenopausal white women at high risk of heart disease.

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“Still, consumption of a Mediterranean diet, which is based on plant foods, fish and extra virgin olive oil, is known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and is safe. It may also prevent breast cancer.”

“We hope to see more emphasis on Mediterranean diet to reduce cancer and cardiovascular disease and improve health and well-being, he concluded.