Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Additionally, It's the third most frequent cancer in both men and women, with approximately 135,000 cases estimated for diagnosis in 2016. Unfortunately nearly 50,000 of these expected to lead to death.
The severe risk of developing colorectal cancer is 4.7 % for males and 4.4 % for women and once diagnosed the survival rate on a 5-year interval is an average of 65%.
The Benefits of the 'Mediterranean Diet' and Consumption Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and ingestion of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has been demonstrated to be most beneficial for an array of cancers such as:
Breast cancer
Bladder cancer
Brain cancer
Prostate cancer
Lately studies report the MedDiet may play a vital part in reducing risk of colorectal cancer.
1 study published in the Journal of Nutrition, investigated 4 diet quality indicators,
The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2010
The Alternative HEI (AHEI) 2010
The alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMED) score
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Indicator
Consequences of the Mediterranean Diet
This study utilized data from the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC), which included more than 215,000 participants from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. The primary results were overall mortality and colorectal cancer-specific episodes.
The results showed that a higher MedDiet score was associated with a lower CC mortality and lower all-cause mortality in girls but not in men. Compared to the other diets, the MedDiet was the only diet to be associated with improved colorectal cancer survival. On the other hand, the authors suggest the results should be interpreted with caution and that further research is necessary.
Then came a study published in British Journal of Cancer, which investigated colorectal cancer risk in Italy, as the authors were interested in determining the risk in a Mediterranean location.
The researchers pooled data from 3 separate hospital-based case control studies that comprised a total of 3,745 colorectal cancer incidents compared to 6,804 hospital controls. Food frequency questionnaires were collected and utilized for this analysis and the authors using the standard MedDiet Score (MDS) to assess adherence to a traditional MedDiet and its relationship to colorectal cancer.
The results discovered that a high adherence to the MedDiet reduces the risk of colorectal cancer by 50 percent.
The Use of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the Mediterranean Diet
A higher consumption of vegetables, legumes, fish, and monounsaturated fats such as extra virgin olive oil and a decrease consumption of meat were associated with a significantly reduced risk of colorectal cancer. While low consumption of cereals and potatoes, along with consumption of dairy significantly increased risk.
The authors concluded,"this large study conducted in a Mediterranean area confirms a favorable role of MD on colorectal cancer risk."
