Mediterranean diet is associated with lower risk of cancer

An antioxidant-rich diet has been proposed to prevent cancer. In a French population, a higher adherence to the Mediterranean pattern using a 9-unit dietary score that evaluates intakes of fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereal products, olive oil, fish, dairy products, meat products, and alcohol was associated with a lower risk of skin cancer in women, particularly melanoma and basal cell carcinomas. Further evidence regarding cancer prevention from the prospective Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS), showed an overall risk reduction of colorectal cancer associated with higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet. However, this association was not further confirmed by cancer subsites (colon, proximal colon, distal colon, and rectum).