Olive Oil Intake May Lower Risk of Hormone Receptor-Negative Breast Cancer: Study
A new study has revealed that greater consumption of olive oil can significantly decrease the risk of hormone receptor-negative breast cancer, specifically the estrogen receptor (ER)-negative subtype. This is based on a detailed analysis of 11,442 Italian women within the Moli-sani Study. Although olive oil has traditionally been extolled for its heart-healthy effects based on its high monounsaturated fat and polyphenol content, its potential role in cancer prevention, particularly breast cancer, has remained unclear. This research brings new insight into the benefits of olive oil, particularly for women at risk of more aggressive types of breast cancer. This study was conducted by Emilia R. and was published in the European Journal of Cancer.
Breast cancer is still the major cause of cancer death in women worldwide. Given the perceived health effects of the Mediterranean diet, scientists examined the possibility that olive oil, a food component of Mediterranean diets, could impact breast cancer risk. The Moli-sani Study, an 2005-2010 large cohort study, recruited 11,442 adult women (mean age 54.7 ± 11.6 years) from Italy. Participants' dietary behaviors, such as olive oil consumption, were measured, and their breast cancer incidence was monitored using Cox proportional hazard models.
At the same time, the systematic review was conducted using the databases of Scopus, EMBASE, PubMed, and MEDLINE from observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to October 2024. The aim was to pool and compare results from heterogeneous study designs to obtain further insight into the interaction between olive oil consumption and the risk of breast cancer.
Key Findings
Women with the greatest olive oil consumption (>3 tablespoons/day) had a 29% reduced risk of total breast cancer compared with those with ≤2 tablespoons/day consumption (HR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.48–1.05).
Postmenopausal breast cancer risk was reduced similarly by 30% (HR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.46–1.08).
For premenopausal women, HR was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.28–2.28), indicating potential benefit but not statistically significant.
Every 1 tablespoon/day increment in olive oil consumption was linked with a 68% reduced risk of ER- and PR-negative breast cancers (HR = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.13–0.77), with a significantly lower risk of ER-negative instances alone (HR = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.15–0.69).
Significantly reduced hazard for HER2-negative breast cancer was also found in individuals with the highest consumption of olive oil (HR = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.31–0.96).
This study concluded that greater olive oil consumption is strongly linked with a significantly lower risk of hormone receptor-negative breast cancers, especially the ER-negative subtype. Public health practitioners and clinicians could therefore consider promoting the use of olive oil as one aspect of an overall preventive dietary approach, particularly in women at risk of more aggressive types of breast cancers.
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