Mediterranean diet associated with a reduced risk of cancer

It is a well-known fact that the Mediterranean diet is known to be associated with a reduced risk of many different kinds of cancer.

In Belgium, a lot of people thought one had to eat a good many potatoes with a good piece of meat to stay healthy. Certainly eating a lot of meat is not a good choice.

Often we hear people here talking about typical Belgian food, whatever that may be. Of course, beefsteak frites are among the Belgian classics, but they are a dish that should not be served too often.

When we heat or fry something, the fat used is of utmost importance. Hardened fats do not belong in people’s kitchens. We should exclude all hardened fats anyway.

The fleshy part of the ripened fruit of the olive tree should be pressed mechanically and without further treatment bottled. That olive oil, called virgin oil, its quality depends on the state of the fruit.
Extra virgin, oil derived from first pressings that possesses excellent taste and odour and has a free fatty acid content, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.8 grams per 100 grams.

Researchers discovered that oleocanthal was targeting that protein causing the cells to die. Rather than targeting the apoptosis protein, oleocanthal was breaking apart the lysosomes of cancer cells. These organelles are responsible for processing cellular waste, and are much larger and more fragile in cancer cells than in healthy cells.

What is important is that oleocanthal does not harm nearby healthy cells. Instead, it put them into a kind of stasis or hibernation for about a day. After that time, the cells resumed normal, healthy functioning with no apparent lasting effects.

“The mechanism of killing cancer cells and sparing healthy cells, lysosomal membrane permeabilization, has been hypothesized as a possible mechanism of effectively killing cancer cells and sparing healthy tissues but has never been realized before,”

researcher Paul Breslin said.

Olive oil and its component parts have been shown to have a wide variety of health benefits, including strengthening the immune system, preventing osteoporosis, protecting the body from air pollution, and possibly helping prevent dementia. The healthy fats in olive oil have also been shown to boost brain health, and may even improve memory.

A 2010 study conducted by researchers from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona also suggested that olive oil may help prevent cancer. The researchers found that olive oil led to changes in the signaling pathways of breast cancer cells, leading to apoptosis and preventing DNA damage to healthy cells.

These findings are particularly significant because a high-fat diet is typically considered a risk factor for breast cancer. Yet olive oil and certain other “healthy” fats may actually have a protective benefit.

A moderate intake of virgin olive oil has instead been linked with lower rates of cancer, heart disease, and numerous other health problems.

Mediterranean Diet: Key Ingredients and Cooking Tips. Photo by Askar Abayev

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