When
researchers evaluated the eating habits of 450 women with ovarian cancer
and 564 without, they saw that cutting ten grams of saturated fat a day
(that’s switch from two glasses of whole milk to the same amount of
skim) could trim the risk of ovarian cancer by 20 percent. And adding
ten grams of vegetable fiber-what you’d find in about one cup of
cooked lentils-may take down the risk another 37 percent. The study saw
no relationship between unsaturated fats and risks for this cancer.
Small
studies have hinted at links between diet and reduced risk of ovarian
cancer, but this first, large study of the issues gives the idea some
real weight.
“It
appears possible to cut your risk of ovarian cancer in half by an
aggressive modification of the diet, “Says Harvey A. Risch, M.D., Ph.
D., associate Professor of epidemiology and public health at Yale
University School of Medicine.
Theories
abound about how diet might affect hormones. Meat and dairy foods may
contain small amounts of estrogen. Estrogen-like compounds are also
found in vegetables. The ban may think they’re the real hormone and
halt its own production. Or the fiber in those vegetables may grab
estrogen and escort it out of the body.
Of
Course, the diet this study points towards isn’t all that Spartan.
Studies suggest most people eat more saturated fat than they need to,
and cutting it by a third by switching protein sources much of the time
is a smart thing to do for other health benefits, too.
“The
point isn’t that people should never eat hamburgers,” he says.
“But things that are eaten regularly that are high in saturated fat
should be cut back.
People don’t realize how little meat protein they need per day
to live perfectly well. Four ounces of meat a day is probably sufficient
for most women.”
