Attention ladies! Mediterranean diet can reduce breast cancer risk

A healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts can come as a lifesaver as it cuts the risk of life threatening breast cancer by almost half.

The findings revealed that eating Mediterranean diet could help reduce the risk of one of the most deadly forms of breast cancer by 40 percent, reports the Mirror.

"This important study showed that following a dietary pattern like the Mediterranean diet could help reduce breast cancer risk - particularly the subtype with a poorer prognosis," said Dr Panagiota Mitrou, a director at the World Cancer Research Fund.

"With breast cancer so common in the UK, prevention is key if we want to see a decrease in the number of women developing the disease," Mitrou added.

The research, by Maastricht University in the Netherlands, involved more than 62,000 women over 20 years.

The findings suggested a Southern European diet cut the likelihood of post-menopausal women getting oestrogen-receptor negative breast cancer.

The study explained that the rich nutrients found in this diet confer some sort of cancer-protective benefits.

This study does come on the back of a raft of other research over the last 10 years which suggests a Med-style diet is the healthiest way to eat.

Dr Emma Pennery, clinical director of charity Breast Cancer Care, said the research is "intriguing" and "adds to evidence that a healthy diet, full of 'good' low-saturated fats, plays a part in lowering risk of the disease."

"It's important to remember that lifestyle choices like eating a well-balanced diet may help reduce the risk of cancer, but they don't guarantee prevention," Pennery pointed.