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New research suggests women looking to prevent breast cancer after menopause may want to consider dietary changes, including adopting Mediterranean eating habits, to reduce their risk.
According to information published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Greek post-menopausal women who rated highly in terms of researching scores in their consumption of foods that fit with a Mediterranean diet were 22 percent less likely to develop breast cancer during the study than others. Although the diet is not a cure-all for breast cancer, researchers estimate that if all women in their study population had closely adhered to a traditional Mediterranean diet, about 10 percent of the 127 postmenopausal breast cancers in the group would have been avoided.
It has long been believed that a Mediterranean diet has many positive effects on personal health. Although studies have only been conducted on breast cancer thus far, there is also hopeful evidence that the diet may reduce the risk for other cancers.
What Is a Mediterranean Diet? Nations in the Mediterranean region, including Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Spain, have historically had lower rates of heart disease and some cancers, including breast cancer, compared with other European countries and the United States. Researchers believe there is a correlation between the foods Mediterranean people eat and the rates of cancer and other illnesses.
A traditional Mediterranean diet is rich in seafood, heart-healthy fish, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and olive oil. It is relatively low in dairy and red meat products. According to the Mayo Clinic, most if not all major scientific organizations encourage healthy adults to adopt a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet to prevent major chronic diseases.
Those who want to follow a Mediterranean diet can consider the following guidelines:
Base every meal on the consumption of fruits, vegetables, grains, olive oil, beans, nuts, legumes, seeds, herbs, and spices.
Consume fish and seafood often, at least two times per week.
Enjoy moderate portions of poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt daily to weekly. Continued…
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