The Mediterranean Diet in Cancer Prevention

Abstract

The phenomenon of globalization, the hectic and ever-accelerating pace of life, and the increasing number of women entering the work force are factors, among others, which have profoundly altered the lifestyle of the Modern Society. Amongst these hardly negligible changes occurring particularly in Southern Europe, and namely Portugal, is the modification of eating habits, leading people to abandon the traditional “Mediterranean diet” and increasing their likelihood of suffering from a variety of chronic diseases. The present work aims firstly to analyze the characteristics of this Southern European dietary regime, nowadays considered a paradigm of healthy eating habits. Secondly, taking into account a review of recent studies, the focus will be on the relationship established between nutrition and the development of cancer, namely in the different ways in which different nutrients can influence the body’s response to carcinogenic stimuli. Lastly, we will present a revision of studies which analyze the specific nature of dietary regimes in southern Europe and the ways in which the “Mediterranean diet,” in the broad sense of the word, influence the prevalence, incidence and morbimortality associated to oncological diseases.