(image: Pixabay)
SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — Mediterranean food, with abundant fiber and unsaturated fat, can lower the risk of breast cancer by suppressing obesity, a study indicated Tuesday.
A joint research team from Severance Hospital and Chaum Life Center offered a Mediterranean diet to 35 patients with stage 1 to 3 breast cancer for eight weeks and observed its effectiveness.
The study showed that breast cancer patients who followed a Mediterranean diet saw their body mass index drop by an average of 1.3 kilograms per square metre after eight weeks. They lost 3.1 kilograms of weight as well.
In contrast, the other 36 breast cancer patients who did not follow a Mediterranean diet saw no changes in their body mass index or weight.
The research team explained that the fiber and unsaturated fat included in the Mediterranean diet suppresses the modification of MC4R DNA that deals with the sense of satiety, coming up with the said results.
Normally, a modification of the MC4R DNA reduces the sense of being full, which results in overeating.
“Increasing the consumption of fiber, unsaturated fat, and protein through a Mediterranean diet will help to suppress the modification of obesity-related DNA and prevent breast cancer,” said Lee Ji-won, a professor of family medicine at Severance Hospital.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
