The Mediterranean Diet and Breast Cancer Risk

There is ample evidence that the Mediterranean diet reduces breast cancer risk, despite the fact that findings across studies and populations have not been consistent. The protective effect of the Mediterranean diet is in line with the fact that some of its key components, such as fruit, vegetables, folate, and olive oil, have also been shown to have beneficial effects with regards to breast carcinogenesis.The mechanisms through which these components are hypothesized to exert their protective effects include epigenetics and more specifically DNA methylation, antioxidant functions, biological response modification, antiestrogenic, antiproliferative, and antiangiogenic activities.Further research to investigate the effects of intensity and timing of exposure and to elucidate the mechanistic pathways involved in the relationship is essential. The answers to these questions will provide biomarkers for prevention and early detection as well as targets for therapy, establishing the causality of the association and supporting adherence to the Mediterranean diet as a prevention strategy for breast cancer.