Olive oil may lower breast cancer risk

Healthy eaters have long known that olive oil is superior to butter and most other oils; now, a new lab study has identified a compound in olive oil that may help protect against breast cancer. The compound, called oleic acid, is the main monounsaturated fatty acid in olive oil; in lab studies, it was found to suppress one of the most important genes involved in the development of breast cancer. Since the studies were done in cell cultures, the study’s findings should be interpreted with caution, since oleic acid may act differently in the body. However, researchers agreed that the study’s results were promising, especially in light of the fact that dozens of epidemiological studies have noted lower rates of breast cancer in women living in the Mediterranean region, where olive oil consumption is high.