The breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women and kills more women than any other cancer, apart from lung cancer. Studies have found olive oil very effective as an ingredient to prevent it.
A number of natural ingredients can help reduce factors that have been identified as risk factors for developing breast cancer. Breast density, estrogen metabolism, and free radical damage are all factors that increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Ingredients in the Mediterranean diet, such as olive oil, can reduce risk factors.
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Olive oil and the prevention of breast cancer.
There are a number of scientific reports and studies that explain how olive oil can help reduce the risks associated with breast cancer.
European Studies – Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Breast Cancer.
A study published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention reported that people living in the Mediterranean basin had reduced risks in terms of developing degenerative diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
They concluded that olives and olive oil may be one of the reasons why these individuals had reduced risks. Olive oil and olives are rich in antioxidants, lignans (which are also found in flax seeds), and other compounds that can reduce risk factors associated with developing cancer.
Spanish Studies – Olive Oil and Tumor Cells.
A study carried out at the Catalan Institute of Oncology in Spain also explained how olive oil can help reduce the risk of developing cancer.
In this study the scientists isolated a compound found in olive oil that targets the compound HER2 in cancer tumors. They also found that some of the beneficial compounds in olive oil, such as the compound that targets HER2, are destroyed by different processing methods, such as heating.
In the study, scientists were able to show that olive oil goes directly to cancer cells and showed that consumption of extra virgin olive oil, or EVOO, reduced the malignancy of tumors.
Greek Studies – The Mediterranean Diet and Breast Cancer.
Scientists in Greece studied approximately 15,000 women for ten years. They reviewed the eating habits of these women, giving their diets a score between 0 and 9, depending on how close their diets were to the traditional Mediterranean diet.
This study concluded that postmenopausal women who adhered to a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil had reduced their risk of developing breast cancer by 22%. Diet does not appear to reduce the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women, but there is a lower incidence of breast cancer in Mediterranean countries.
Olive oil and breast cancer – how much to consume?
Scientists around the world are racing to find a breakthrough in breast cancer research. The bottom line is that scientists still don’t know how olive oil reduces the risk of breast cancer, but one thing is certain: The Mediterranean diet and the consumption of extra virgin olive oil can and will help reduce the risk factors that are responsible for developing breast cancer.
Add two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil a day to your diet. Add it to your salad dressing or coat with olive oil on fish, meat or vegetables, pasta, you can also add olive oil to your whole wheat toast in the morning. It is better to take it without heating, so it keeps its properties intact.