Mediterranean diet linked to lower risk of one type of breast cancer

Conclusion This study aimed to assess whether sticking to a Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduction in breast cancer risk for postmenopausal women. The researchers found following a Mediterranean diet was indeed associated with a reduction in breast cancer risk – but only for ER-negative breast cancer. This study has both strengths and weaknesses. Its large, prospective design and long period of follow-up are strengths. The typical weakness of this type of study is that many factors are likely to contribute to risk, and it's very difficult to be sure the factor in question – in this case, eating a Mediterranean diet – is wholly responsible for the differences seen. The researchers did take other factors into account in their analysis, but it's possible that the effects of unknown or unmeasured factors remain. The researchers also note other possible limitations, including:  They didn't know the ER status of all of the breast cancer cases, so they had to exclude some from their analysis. It's possible there's an element of inaccuracy in the responses from the food frequency questionnaires, as is often the case when participants are asked to recall information. The women may have altered their diet or physical habits during the study period, meaning information collected at the start of the study no longer accurately reflected their lifestyles, and this was not accounted for. Although this study has limitations, the Mediterranean diet has bee...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Food/diet Source Type: news