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In today’s world, where chronic diseases such as cancer represent one of the greatest threats to health, the search for effective prevention strategies is essential. The relationship between diet and the risk of cancer is an area of growing interest in the scientific community, and a new study carried out by specialists from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and the Catalan Institute of Oncology, in collaboration with the team of feeding and health of the Basque scientific and technological center AZTI, in Spain, sheds light on a diet which could play a key role in preventing various types of cancerparticularly those related to obesity.
The Mediterranean diet, known for its emphasis on olive oil, is a dietary pattern that has been widely praised for its ability to promote health and prevent disease. The beneficial components of this dietcombined with olive oil, have become a focus of study due to its potential to improve factors related to obesity. However, the exact relationship between Mediterranean dietolive oil, intestinal microbiota and cancers related to obesity has not been clear until now.
This studyled by Enrique Almanza-Aguilera of IDIBELL, set out to examine the epidemiological evidence that relates the Mediterranean diet and the olive oil with the cancers associated with obesity, as well as the biological and intestinal microbiota mechanisms that could explain this connection.
The study that revealed the relationship between the Mediterranean diet and cancer prevention
The results of this research shed light on the capacity of the Mediterranean diet and olive oil to exert a positive impact on the prevention of certain types of cancerin particular, the cancers aerodigestive, gastrointestinal and gynecological. This is encouraging news, since the cancers related to obesity, such as the endometrium, esophagus, kidney, colon and rectum, pancreas and liver, represent a major challenge for public health.
One of the keys to this connection is found in the intestinal microbiota, the community of microorganisms that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract. It has been observed that in some types of cancer, particularly the gastrointestinal ones, there is an imbalance in the intestinal microbiota. This imbalance can lead to chronic inflammation and altered production of metabolites that contribute to the acceleration of the carcinogenesis process.
The researcher Marta Farràs, co-author of the study and scientist at the Catalan Institute of Oncology and IDIBELL, emphasizes that both studies in vitro as clinical trials have shown that Mediterranean diet and olive oil can modify the composition of the intestinal microbiota and its mechanisms. This finding is of utmost relevance, since it indicates that the modulation of the microbiota through diet could play an important role in the prevention and treatment of cancers related to obesity.
He studypublished in the academic journal Seminars in Cancer Biology under the title “Mediterranean diet and olive oil, microbiota, and obesity-related cancers. From mechanisms to prevention”, represents a step forward in understanding how the choice of food and dietary patterns may influence the prevention of cancer. While research is ongoing and more is needed studies to confirm these findings, provides a solid foundation for the promotion of Mediterranean diet and olive oil as valuable tools in the fight against cancer.