Fighting Cancer and The Mediterranean Diet: Seven Points to
Ponder
Introduction
Over the course of the past three decades, a significant number
of scientific studies have demonstrated that a person's diet can
work to prevent some types of cancer. One diet regimen that
appears to have beneficial effects at preventing cancer is the
Mediterranean diet plan.
If you are interested in developing health eating routines and
want to engage a diet program that can work to reduce the risk
of certain types of cancer, you should take a look at the
Mediterranean diet. In this regard, there are seven points that
you should ponder when it comes to the impact of the
Mediterranean diet on reducing the risk of cancer.
Seven Points to Ponder: The Mediterranean Diet and Cancer Risks
A Trans-European study undertaken by the
European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition
demonstrated that people who closely adhere to Mediterranean
dietary schemes were significantly less likely to succumb to
cancer than were people who followed other diet programs. In
fact, the study suggests that the mortality rate from cancer of
men and women who follow the Mediterranean diet is an
astonishing twenty-five percent less than the mortality rate of
people who are involved in other dietary practices.
A significant number of people participated in
the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition
study. In fact, there were 22,000 people enrolled in the study
in Greece alone.
While it is not conclusively demonstrated that
the Mediterranean diet is effective at reducing the risks of all
types of cancer, preliminary results of various research studies
suggest that there may be no types of cancer that are left
unaffected by this diet scheme. Indeed, historical evidence
suggests that the incidents of all types of cancer in the
Mediterranean Sea region is less than what is found in other
areas around the world.
In order to enjoy the cancer reduction benefits
of the Mediterranean diet, it is important that a person follow
all of the dining regiments of the program. In other words, a
person can not pick and choose the components of the
Mediterranean diet that he or she might favor or enjoy. Rather,
in order to obtain the full cancer reduction benefits of the
Mediterranean diet, a person need to embrace all aspects of the
regimen.
Statistics and research suggest that the longer
a person follows the Mediterranean diet, the less of a risk of
developing cancer such a person will face. In other words, the
Mediterranean diet appears to have a cumulative effect on a
person's health.
While researchers believe that it is the
combination of elements that comprise the Mediterranean diet
that reduce the risk of cancer, the program is particularly
helpful in reducing the risk of this disease because it is low
in saturated fat, high in fresh fruits, vegetables and whole
grains, and low in fatty, red meats.
Keep in mind that while diet is proven to impact
the incidence of cancer, other healthy living practices are also
important. In this regard, a person should exercise regularly.
Additionally, if you are a smoker, you need to quit.
Conclusion
By understanding the interrelationship between diet and disease,
a person can take steps that may effectively reduce his or her
risk of cancer, heart disease and other serious ailments. The
Mediterranean diet is proving itself an effective method of
reducing the risks of a number of different diseases, including
various types of cancer.