Organic Food and Cancer - Research Paper Example

In a region where the climate is relatively constant, and the soil dry and healthy, vegetables play a primary role in the dishes throughout the region. Herbs, fish and dairy serve as complimentary ingredients. And unlike the rest of the world, beef and pork are rare from Mediterranean cuisine because the land cannot support the herds. For many people who want to feel young, healthy and vibrant, shifting to a Mediterranean diet is the perfect way to get these. Moreover, people who wish to prevent cancer can easily do so, thanks to the vitamins and minerals found in Mediterranean dishes.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is the leading cause of death globally, accounting for 7.6 million deaths in 2008, where lung, breast, colorectal, stomach and prostate cancers were considered as the most common type. It is important to note that countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR, composed of Cyprus, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and the Palestine) have the lowest incidence rates of cancer (see table 1 below). This paper argues that this low cancer prevalence is due to the healthy components of the region’s cuisine. . .

int/gho/ncd/mortality_morbidity/cancer_text/en/index.html According to Mazzanti, a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables is the best way to be healthy and reduce the risk for the most common cancer forms. Meanwhile, Mediterranean diet is composed of fresh produce (which were also produced organically) so it contain essential nutrients that help reduce cardiovascular disease and cancers (Gallus, Bosetti and La Vechhia). Moreover, high intake of vegetables results to decreased prevalence in common epithelial cancers while a high consumption of fruit was associated with a decrease in cancers of the stomach, urinary tract and upper digestive tract.

Mediterranean diet is also characterized by the consumption of legumes, cereals and fish; low consumption of cheese and red meat; the use of olive oil as a seasoning (Pelucchi et al.) and the avoidance of alcohol and tobacco (since these are prohibited in Islam, the religion of most of the countries in the EMR) promote a healthier lifestyle. All these claims are supported by corresponding scientific studies, as discussed in the next part of this paper. In a study done by Carlo La Vecchia it was discovered that beta-carotene, vitamin E and calcium help decrease the risk for breast cancer.

Lycopene from tomato intake also lessened the risk for several digestive tract neoplasms. The pomegranate was revealed to have a high antioxidant content which effectively inhibits the growth and spread of breast cancer (Sturgeon and Ronnenberg). The Mediterranean population frequently consumes allium vegetables (defined as those vegetables belonging to the lily family and grow from bulbs, particularly garlic, onion, chives, leeks and shallots) which has a favorable association specifically to stomach and colorectal cancer (Pelucchi et al.;