A high adherence to the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of breast cancer by 6% in women in general, and by 7% in post-menopausal women. The study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, was attended by 335,062 women between 35 and 70 years. It is the largest epidemiological study carried out in the world that shows the benefits of adherence to the Mediterranean diet on breast cancer.

A study of the EPIC project, led by researchers at the ICO-IDIBELL, published in the International Journal of Cancer, confirms the benefits of the Mediterranean diet in the prevention of breast cancer.

In particular, the results of the study show that high adherence to the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk by 6% of breast cancer in women in general, and by 7% in postmenopausal women. In cases of tumors with negative hormone receptor of estrogen and progesterone, the diet reduces the risk by 20% in postmenopausal women.

These estimations excluded the moderate consumption of alcohol in the Mediterranean diet, being a recognized risk factor for breast cancer. Recent studies show the beneficial effect of diet on breast cancer is more precisely in postmenopausal women with negative hormone receptor.

The EPIC Project

The study is part of the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Study), a prospective cohort consisting of people from 23 centers in 10 European countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom).

The study involved 335,062 women between 35 and 70 years, in the period 1992-2000, and it is led by the Unit of Nutrition, Environment and Cancer (UNEC) at the ICO with Genevieve Buckland, Carlos Alberto González Svatetz, Noemie Travier and Antoni Agudo. It is the largest epidemiological study carried out in the world that shows the benefits of adherence to the Mediterranean diet with breast cancer.

Mediterranean diet and breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. It is estimated that one in every 9 women in Catalonia will have breast cancer during their life, with the incidence rate slightly higher than that of Spain and relatively similar to the average of the European Union.

The benefits of the traditional Mediterranean diet are derived mainly from the rich in fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts and legumes, and to be a balanced fatty acid diet, low intake of saturated fats (animal).