Why does Mediterranean diet protect women from breast cancer? It's in the olive oil

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Article Date: 10 Jan 2005 - 11:00 PDT

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Olive oil contains Oleic Acid - it seems that Oleic Acid is the important ingredient that protects women from breast cancer. Scientists have often wondered and disagreed on why the Mediterranean diet helps women lower their risk of developing breast cancer and why it also protects us from many forms of heart disease - perhaps, now scientists at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago have the answer (with regards to breast cancer).

Team leader, Dr. Javier Menendez, said that oleic acid (found in olive oil) blocks the action of a cancer causing oncogene - HER-2/neu. HER-2/neu is found in one third of all breast cancer patients.

Dr Menendez said "We are able to demonstrate that the main component of olive oil, oleic acid, is able to down-regulate the most important oncogene in breast cancer. The most important source of oleic acid is olive oil."

Researchers said that oleic acid had two major benefits. Apart from suppressing the action of the oncogene, it helps Herceptin (a breast cancer drug) work better.