Cancer: The vital protective key to Mediterranean diet

There’s one aspect of the celebrated Mediterranean diet – which involves eating plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and pulses – that is so powerful that on its own can reduce your chances of cancer.

Researchers have discovered that using more unsaturated fats such as olive oil as a dressing on salads and other foods is enough to reduce the risk of cancer by 12 per cent.
 
A study of 25,623 participants in Greece found a direct link between usage of olive oil and cancer risk.  Those who used more of the oil reduced their risk, and the benefits were even more marked in women.

The key is to use the oil as a dressing.  The same effects were not noticed in people who cooked with the oil.

(Source: British Journal of Cancer, 2008; 99: 191-5).

Related WDDTY Content

Mediterranean diet keeps you sharp into old age

If you want to stay mentally sharp into old age, always eat the Mediterranean diet of fresh fruits, vegetables and olive oil.

Olive oil and pizza: - They're both great for your health

If food is our medicine, scientists are beginning to understand why. They have started to uncover the secrets of the famed Mediterranean diet and its...

Cholesterol: The Mediterranean diet reduces the risk

Forget statins – the traditional Mediterranean diet can reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol dramatically, even among people who are at high risk of h...

Olive oil could be the secret to a healthy old age

Cook with olive oil and you could ward off depression and dementia. The two new studies that make the discoveries add to the mounting evidence that a...

Olive oil prevents, and may combat, Alzheimer's

The olive oil you put on your salad seems to possess the ability to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, and even to combat it if you already have it.

Mediterranean Diet: It can increase your chances of living longer

Eating a ‘true’ Mediterranean diet can increase your chances of living longer. You are 22 per cent less likely to die from any disease, and it can ev...