 JAN
10: SCIENTISTS have discovered why the Mediterranean diet seems to
protect women against breast cancer.
Past research has heralded the apparent ability of diets rich in olive
oil to protect against heart disease, colon and breast cancer and
Alzheimer's, as well as helping bone development.
Now scientists from Chicago hope to harness the properties of olive oil
for use in future treatments for breast cancer.
Tests found that oleic acid, which is found in olive oil, dramatically
cut levels of a type of cancer-triggering gene called an oncogene.
Other tests showed that oleic acid increased the effectiveness of the
commonly-used drug Herceptin. Herceptinhelps prolong the lives of
breast cancer sufferers.
After running a series of laboratory experiments, at the
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Evanston,
Illinois, a US team has shown that oleic acid cuts the levels of the
breast cancer-promoting gene Her-2/ neu by up to 46 per cent.
High levels of this gene are found in a fifth of all breast cancers and
are particularly active in cancers that are resistant to treatment.
Researcher Dr Javier Menendez said: "Our findings underpin
epidemiological studies which show that the Mediterranean diet has
significant protective effects against cancer, heart disease and
ageing."
Figures show that people living in countries like Spain and Italy can
expect to live several years longer on average than people in Britain
and the United States.
The Mediterranean diet includes consumption of whole grains, fruits,
vegetables, nuts, and olive oil.
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