Posted on 01/10/2005 8:25:02 AM PST by pissant
The Mediterranean diet, which includes olive oil, vegetables and pasta, has long been considered beneficial to health, particularly heart health. However scientists now claim to have discovered why this diet also appears to protect women from breast cancer.
According to the researchers, the answer lies in olive oil, or more specifically, one of the ingredients of olive oil - oleic acid.
They found that this fatty acid significantly reduced the levels of a gene - Her-2/neu - which is thought to trigger breast cancer. This gene is found in high levels in around one in five breast cancer patients and is associated with a poor prognosis.
The researchers also found that oleic acid appeared to help the breast cancer drug, Herceptin, to work better.
Lead researcher, Dr Javier Menedez of Chicago's Northwestern University, warned that while the results in the laboratory were promising, they may not translate into effective treatment for patients.
However he added that the findings 'underpin epidemiological studies that show that the Mediterranean diet has significant protective effects against cancer, heart disease and ageing'.
Details of this research are published in the medical journal, Annals of Oncology.
Of course, I still may need a hysterectomy someday.
And tomatoes help against prostrate cancer.
If pasta can cure obesity I'm golden.
Yeah and it's cholesterol free.
I was wondering how Popeye's girlfriend could cut cancer.
Reportedly so does Masturbation.
Now if you have a tomato fetish...
the Mediterranean diet has significant protective effects against cancer, heart disease and ageing'.
Also helps with heart disease and aging, and probably other forms of cancer as well.
My grandad kept olive oil on the table as a condiment. He used it in baked potatos, on french fries, on salads - you name it.
Health just oozes from your pores.
Hard red winter wheat from the Dakotas makes the best pasta, or so I'm told.
Do you see a movie trilogy put out about this like American Pie? : )
It's outragously expensive.
Oh. So you're suppose to eat it? My BF is in big trouble. He said it was to be applied.
;-)
your BF goofed. It's Crisco that supposed to be applied.
Cholesterol only comes from animal sources.
LOL
Ah now...I fell for the olive oil application, but I'm not fallin' for that!
It's OK, as long as he doesn't ask you to roll around in the flour afterwards.
Damn it's a pity she's already taken, would like to reduce my cancer risk, but I don't think Popeye's cosmopolitan enough to share.
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