Eat for Health: Olive oil to prevent breast cancer

By Brandie Umar - Executive Director of Content | July 2nd, 2010

Scientists have long studied the health benefits of olive oil and numerous studies have shown that people who follow a Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil are less likely to suffer from heart problems and obesity.

Olive oil, in comparison to animal fats and other commonly used fats such as corn oil, contains large amounts of monounsaturated fat - a 'good fat' which can reduce levels of bad cholesterol and increase levels of good cholesterol which helps ward off heart disease. Research also shows that people who eat a diet containing olive oil consume fewer calories throughout the day than people on a low fat diet.

New research on rats by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) has identified olive oil as a potential mechanism to help fight off the cells that cause breast cancer.

An oncogene is a mutant gene which encourage healthy cells to mutate into cancerous cells. p21Ras is the oncogene which stimulates the growth of breast cancer. The UAB research found that in patients who consume moderate amounts of olive oil on a regular basis, combined with a healthy diet low in saturated fats, the activity of the p21Ras oncogene decreased, preventing the rapid growth and mutation of cancerous cells. Olive oil was also found to prohibit proteins which cancerous cells rely on- without certain proteins cancer cells implode.

The researchers at UAB have begun a second study to confirm their finding using human cells.

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