A Spanish study has found that the Mediterranean Diet can reduce risks of breast cancer in women by 68%.
Conducted by the University of Navarra over the course of five years, the study found that a diet “rich in olive oil, fish, dried fruits and vegetables” is directly linked to lower chances of cancer, reports Spanish online newspaper ABC
Researchers compared two groups of women aged between 60 and 80 – one of them following the Mediterranean Diet, and the other a diet described only as “low-fat”.
They found that the first group was 68% less likely to develop breast cancer than the second.
While considering the news “positive”, researchers say more studies are needed to learn the impact of the diet on other age groups as well as men.
In 2013, the Mediterranean Diet was considered World Intangible Heritage by UNESCO in a bid supported by Tavira council.
It includes the daily consumption of bread, pasta or rice, vegetables and fruit, the use of olive oil as the main source of fat, a moderate consumption of fish, white meat, dairy products and eggs, and the restricted consumption of red meat and sugar.
