London - Women who eat a diet packed with fish, vegetables and olive oil could more than halve their risk of getting breast cancer, research suggests.
Compared to eating a low-fat diet, following a Mediterranean-style menu rich in certain fats cuts the chance of developing the disease by 68 percent, a study found.
About 50 000 British women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and 12 000 a year die from the disease. Age is the biggest risk factor for breast cancer, with the chance of developing it increasing significantly among older women.
But scientists know diet and lifestyle also play a major role, and they have made huge efforts in recent years to isolate the different contributing factors.
Many experts believe a low-fat diet cuts the chance of breast cancer, because of the role fat cells play in producing oestrogen, which is thought to fuel the disease.
But the new study suggests that certain types of fat can play a protective role. The Mediterranean diet is heavy in the mono-unsaturated fat found in extra virgin olive oil and the omega-3 fatty acids present in fish. The study suggests that compared to a low-fat diet, these fats actually lower breast cancer risk.
The researchers, whose findings are published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, tracked 4 282 Spanish women for five years. One group followed a low-fat diet, a second group followed a Mediterranean diet with an extra 30g a day of nuts, and a third followed a Mediterranean diet with an extra litre a week of extra virgin olive oil.
Over the five years, the group which had the extra virgin olive oil were 68 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than those on a low fat diet. The nut- supplemented menu made no significant difference.
The researchers, led by the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, said the trial suggested a beneficial effect of a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil in the primary prevention of breast cancer. But they warned that the results needed confirmation with longer-term studies.
Separate research, published in the British Journal of Cancer last year, found women who follow a Mediterranean diet also lower the risk of womb cancer by 57 percent. Experts said more research is needed before a specific diet could be recommended.
Dr Mitchell Katz, deputy editor of JAMA Internal Medicine, pointed out that only 35 cases of breast cancer were seen during the study.
Katie Goates, of charity Breast Cancer Now, said: “Although these results raise an interesting question about the role of the Mediterranean diet and olive oil in reducing breast cancer risk, they don’t add anything more concrete to our understanding of diet and breast cancer.
“We already know that maintaining a healthy diet might help to reduce your risk of breast cancer, but without more evidence about the role of specific foods on breast cancer risk, clearer guidelines are some way off.”
Samia al Qadhi, of Breast Cancer Care, added: “It’s important to remember that lifestyle changes can’t prevent breast cancer completely… Being female and getting older – 80 percent diagnosed are over 50 – remain the most significant risks for developing the disease.”
Daily Mail