Mediterranean diet can prevent some types of cancer in ways not connected to weight loss

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The tables from the Mediterranean sunny has proven to reduce the risk of development prostate, cervical and colorectal cancerat the same time decreasing the risk of women dying of any cancer with 17%.

The Mediterranean diet wins and gold medals for healthy weight loss and decreased obesity. Obesity is a main risk factor For cancer and many other chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart and kidney disease, stroke and many more.

Now, a great, observational study sheds light on the ways in which the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of cancer – and is not just by weight loss.

“This was somewhat surprising. Respecting the Mediterranean diet has been associated with a lower risk of obesity cancer, regardless of BMI (body mass index) or fat distribution, ”said the first author Aguilera-Buenosvinos, a postdoctoral science man In the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the Institute of Health Research at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, ​​Spain

“This suggests that other mechanisms-such as reduced inflammation, improved metabolic health or dietary interactions with microbiome are responsible for protective effects,” said Aguilera-Buenosvinos, also a postdoctoral scientist at the International Research Agency of the World Health Organization for Cancer Research, in a E -mail.

Mediterranean diet It presents a simple, herbal cooking, with a large part of each meal focused on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with a few nuts and a strong emphasis on Extra virgin olive oil. Fats, other than olive oil, such as butter, are rarely consumed, if they are at all, and refined sugar and food should be avoided.

Plant -based meal plans, such as those in the Mediterranean diet, are full of fiber, said Lindsey Wohlford, a wellness dietitian at the Texas University Cancer Center in Houston. Was not involved in the study.

“Fiber contributes to fullness and supports a healthy microbiome,” Wohlford said. “Plants are also packaged with antioxidants and phytonutrients, which seem to reduce inflammation in the body. We need to eat a variety of plants to get different nutrients and antioxidants that can help reduce the overall cancer. ”

In the Mediterranean diet, red meat It is used little, often just to flavor a dish. The food of the healthy, oily fish, which are packaged with omega-3 fatty acids, is encouraged, while eggs, dairy products and birds are consumed in much smaller portions than in the traditional Western diet.

Extremely processed foods typical in a Western diet can contain chemicals and additives that cause “oxidative damage that can lead to cancer,” said Dr. Neil Iyengar, Associate Medicine Professor at Weill Cornell Medical College and breast cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Center, both in New York.

“What we put in our body every day can affect almost every function of our body through hormones, fats and muscle tissues and the delicate balance of bacteria in our intestine,” said Iyengar, who was not involved in the new study.

“The consumption of a minimally processed diet, plants, can help reduce or even reversing the oxidative damage that a weak diet can cause our body,” he said in an E -mail. “We also begin to see some limited evidence that this type of minimal diet, with high and advanced fibers helps even some cancer therapies to be more effective.”

The study, published on Tuesday in Jama Network OpenThey analyzed dietary and medical data on over 450,000 people who participated in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition or epic study, which registered participants between 35 and 70 years from 1992 to 2000 in 23 centers in 10 countries. Three of these countries – Greece, Italy and Spain – are known for the use of the Mediterranean diet; The other seven countries are not (Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom).

People who have adhered the most in the Mediterranean diet had a risk of less than 6% of developing obesity cancers compared to those with less adhesion, the study found. While this number may seem small, the significance increases when applied to larger populations, said Aguilera-Buenosvinos.

“Even a small reduction in risk at the individual level can be translated into thousands of preventable cancer cases when applied to the population,” she said. “Promoting adhesion to the Mediterranean diet as a low -cost, accessible and sustainable dietary model could have a major impact on cancer prevention strategies.”

With occasional breaks in the diet, he also helped maintain cancer, although not as much to fully embrace the Mediterranean style, he discovered the study.

“In other words, it is okay to have a” misleading “table here and there,” Iyengar said. “The diet has had an even greater protection effect for smokers, which is probably because smokers start with a higher risk compared to non -smokers.”

Strangely, the study did not find that the Mediterranean diet has decreased the risk of hormonal cancer, such as breast cancers, a finding that contradicts previous research.

Americans are used to eating ultra -processing foods, populating Up to 70% of all food storesSo moving to a herbal diet may seem difficult at first,

“It can be very overwhelming if you are not used to eating Diet or Mediterranean plants in general,” Wohlford said. “Establish small goals. A good first step is to look at what your diet might miss, rather than focus on eliminating prohibited foods. ”

Add blueberries to the morning meal, bite -on a handful of nuts for a snack, and the food of a lunch salad are good ways to start, she said. Then try to fill more from your plate with vegetables, whole grains and legumes and consider a piece of fruit for dessert.

“We really want a consistent diet that can be supported over time,” Wohlford said. “Trying a Mediterranean -style diet for three or four months to achieve certain values ​​is not necessarily to reduce the risk of cancer. You want to adopt this type of diet constantly during the rest of your life. ”