"Mediterranean Diet Lowers Obesity Risk and Is Effective Against Breast Cancer"

Severance Hospital Professors Lee Ji-won and Jo Ah-ra's Team
Fiber and Monounsaturated Fat-Rich Diet
Reduces Obesity and Lowers Breast Cancer Incidence and Recurrence Rates

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] A study has found that the Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of obesity, thereby effectively reducing the incidence of breast cancer.

Professor Lee Ji-won of the Department of Family Medicine at Severance Hospital and Professor Jo Ah-ra of the Life Center Chaum research team announced on the 23rd that the Mediterranean diet, rich in fiber and monounsaturated fats, weakens the function of obesity-related gene mutations, reducing the incidence and recurrence rates of breast cancer.

The Mediterranean diet consists of meals accompanied by vegetables, fruits, seafood, and low-fat meats such as chicken. It restricts high-fat, high-sugar, and processed foods, lowering the risk of obesity and gaining attention as a diet for breast cancer prevention and recurrence prevention.

Obesity activates hormones such as estrogen that promote cancer cell growth, and if one carries mutations in genes that cause obesity, the risk of breast cancer increases along with obesity. A representative obesity-related gene is the MC4R gene, which is involved in satiety; when mutated, it reduces the feeling of fullness, weakening appetite suppression and leading to overeating. Mutation in the FTO gene, which converts carbohydrates into fat, causes excessive increases in body fat.

The research team aimed to verify how the Mediterranean diet affects the function of obesity gene mutations by dividing 71 breast cancer patients in stages 1 to 3 into a group that followed the Mediterranean diet for 8 weeks and a control group that did not, then analyzing the results.

As a result, patients on the Mediterranean diet showed a reduced obesity risk even if they had the MC4R gene mutation. Body mass index (BMI) decreased by 1.3, and weight dropped by 3.1 kg. Protein intake increased by an average of 2.7%, and monounsaturated fat intake, which lowers bad cholesterol in the body, increased by 7.6%. Conversely, the general diet group saw a 3.1% increase in saturated fat intake and a 1.4% decrease in protein intake.

Furthermore, the Mediterranean diet was confirmed to suppress the function of the mutated FTO gene. In the FTO gene mutation patient group following the Mediterranean diet, weight decreased by 2.9 kg, body fat mass by 1.3 kg, and monounsaturated fat intake increased by 8.7%. In contrast, the general diet group showed weight and body fat reductions of less than 0.5 kg each, and monounsaturated fat intake increased by only 1.5%.

Professor Lee said, “Obesity, which increases incidence depending on mutated obesity genes, can raise the risk of breast cancer. The Mediterranean diet, rich in fiber and monounsaturated fats, weakens the function of obesity gene mutations, preventing obesity, aiding recovery in breast cancer patients, and reducing recurrence rates.”

This research was published in the latest issue of the international journal in the field of food science, Frontiers in Nutrition (IF 6.59).

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