International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Olive oil has been found to protect against breast cancer by Spanish scientists.

The oil launches an attack on cancerous tumours, stopping their growth and driving the cells to implode, thus protecting DNA against potential damage from the cancer, according to the researchers from the Universitat Autonoma in Barcelona.

Tests carried out on rats showed that olive oil stops a gene which is linked to tumour growth. It also stops proteins that cancerous cells rely on to survive.

Only long-term use of olive oil will produce results, according to one of the researchers, Dr Eduard Escrich. He said people should make sure they consume 50ml of olive oil every day.

"Even though caution must be exercised when applying experimental data to human breast cancer, our findings emphasise the importance that certain dietetic habits may have on cancer promotion," said Dr Escrich.

Over the past ten years, female breast cancer rates in the UK have risen by five per cent.

Eight in ten breast cancers are diagnosed in women aged 50 and over, according to data from Cancer Research UK.

Posted by Alexandra George