Diet Enriched in Olive Oil Offer Protection Against Breast Cancer

Scientists have identified a key mechanism by which virgin olive oil protects the body against breast cancer. The study was carried out in an experimental model and researchers have already begun a new study with human cell lines.

Research carried out with animal models demonstrate that a diet rich in fats is directly related to the incidence of cancer. Some types of fats however can play a protective role against the development of these tumors. Such is the case of virgin olive oil, rich in oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fatty acid, and containing several bioactive compounds such as antioxidants.

A moderate and regular intake of virgin olive oil, characteristic of the Mediterranean diet, is associated with low incidences of specific types of cancer, including breast cancer, as well as with having a protective role against coronary diseases and other health problems.

The study carried out by researchers at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) decoded the mechanisms operating within the tumor cell and induced by the intake of olive oil, in comparison to those activated by corn oil, rich in n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which increase the aggressiveness of tumors.

Scientists demonstrated that virgin olive oil is associated with higher incidences of benign breast tumors and at the same time with a decrease in the activity of the p21Ras oncogene, which spurs uncontrolled cell proliferation and stimulates the growth of tumors.

In addition, olive oil suppresses the activity of some proteins, such as the AKT, essential for the survival of cells since they prevent apoptosis, the cell's "suicide" programme. Between proliferation and apoptosis in tumor cells, these effects tip the balance towards cell death, thereby slowing the growth of tumors.

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Another result obtained by researchers is the protection of DNA in the cell nucleus. Cells from animals fed a diet rich in virgin olive oil contained less DNA lesions than those fed a control diet.

The discovery has been published in the journal Carcinogenesis.

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Source-ANI