Data collected in the Lyon [France] Diet Heart Study, which was published in the June 8, 1998 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, led researchers to conclude a Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of cancer. Compared to an American Heart Association diet, those on the Mediterranean diet had 61 percent fewer cancers diagnosed. From the perspective of heart disease and cancer prevention, this diet is considered far better than the average American or European diet.

What the diets mean
The AHA diet is characterized by 30 percent of total caloric intake as fats (10 percent as saturated fats, 10 percent monounsaturated fats, 10 percent polyunsaturated fats) and a cholesterol intake of less than 300 mg per day. In comparison, the Mediterranean diet contains less cholesterol, less polyunsaturated and saturated fats, more fiber and more vitamin C.

The Lyon Diet Heart Study was originally designed to measure the protective effects of a Mediterranean diet compared to the American Heart Association (AHA) diet for patients with coronary heart disease. Patients were instructed to eat more bread and cereals, fresh fruit and vegetables, more legumes, and more fish. They were told to eat fewer fatty meats, and eliminate butter and cream, which were replaced by an experimental canola oil-based margarine rich in oleic and alpha linoleic acids. Canola and olive oils were used exclusively in salad preparation.

Researchers observed patients in the study who ate the Mediterranean diet had fewer cancers of the throat, and urinary and digestive tracts, compared to those on the AHA diet.

Protection against cancer
"This randomized trial suggests that patients following a cardioprotective Mediterranean diet have a prolonged survival and may also be protected against cancer," the authors wrote. "Further studies are warranted to confirm the data and to explore the role of different lipids and fatty acids in this protection."

The American Cancer Society also recommends a diet low in fat and high in fiber, fruits and vegetables. Choose most of the foods you eat from plant sources and eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Limit your intake of high-fat foods, particularly from animal sources. In addition, the ACS recommends being physically active, and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Limit consumption of alcoholic beverages, if you drink at all.