By Jack Challem
Copyright © 1998 by Jack Challem, The Nutrition Reporter™
All rights reserved.
The type of fat a woman eats may increase or decrease her risk of developing breast cancer. Alicja Wolk, PhD, of the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, analyzed the diets of 61,471 women, ages 40 to 76 years. She and her colleagues found that overall fat intake did not seem to be related to the risk of breast cancer.
However, Wolk found that monounsaturated fats, such as those in olive and canola oils, decreased the risk of breast cancer. In addition, she reported that polyunsatured fats, such as the omega-6 fatty acids found in vegetable cooking oils, increased the risk of cancer.
Saturated fats, found in beef, were not associated with a risk of developing breast cancer.
On average, women eating 10 grams (about one-third of an ounce) of monounsaturated fats daily had a 55 percent lower risk of breast cancer. Women eating 5 grams of polyunsatured fats daily had a 69 percent increased risk of cancer.
The opposite effects of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids could have "profound public health implications," Wolk wrote in Archives of Internal Medicine.
"Long-term compliance with reduction in total fat may be difficult for the general population because a substantial decrease in total fat intake requires major changes in dietary practices," she added. "In contrast, changes in the type of dietary fats may be more realistic because dietary advice for food preparation may focus on substitution of margarine and different vegetable oils (with the monosaturated-polyunsaturated fat ratio most often being 1:2) by olive oil (with the monosaturated-polyunsaturated fat ratio 5:1)."
Reference: Wolk A, Bergstrom ER, Hunter D, et al., "A prospective study of association of monounsaturated fat and other types of fat with risk of breast cancer," Archives of Internal Medicine, 1998;158:41-45.
This article originally appeared in The Nutrition Reporter™ newsletter. The information provided by Jack Challem and The Nutrition Reporter™ newsletter is strictly educational and not intended as medical advice. For diagnosis and treatment, consult your physician.