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Abstract

The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the most worldwide healthy dietary patterns thanks to a combination of foods rich mainly in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Many studies have demonstrated a strong and inverse relationship between a high level of Mediterranean diet adherence and some chronic diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc.) and cancer. Given its protective effects in reducing oxidative and inflammatory processes of cells and avoiding DNA damages, cell proliferation, and their survival, angiogenesis, inflammations and metastasis, the Mediterranean diet is considered a powerful and manageable method to fight cancer incidence. The aim of this narrative review was to determine the magnitude of interaction between the Mediterranean diet and more widespread types of cancer so as to give a first and useful overview on this relationship identifying, with a nutritional approach, those nutrients of Mediterranean diet able to reduce cancer incidence.

Keywords: Mediterranean diet; cancer; cancer incidence.

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

Figure 1

Article selection process. Note: Papers…

Figure 1

Article selection process. Note: Papers with significant relationship were reported in bibliography together…

Figure 1

Article selection process. Note: Papers with significant relationship were reported in bibliography together with the other articles considered to describe the whole topic.

Figure 2

Mediterranean diet pyramid. Source: Fundacion…

Figure 2

Mediterranean diet pyramid. Source: Fundacion Dieta Mediterrànea.

Figure 2

Mediterranean diet pyramid. Source: Fundacion Dieta Mediterrànea.

Figure 3

Double Pyramid proposed by Barilla…

Figure 3

Double Pyramid proposed by Barilla Centre for Food and Nutrition—Source: Barilla Center For…

Figure 3

Double Pyramid proposed by Barilla Centre for Food and Nutrition—Source: Barilla Center For Food and Nutrition (https://www.barillacfn.com/en/dissemination/double_pyramid/).

Figure 4

Cancers linked with obesity or…

Figure 4

Cancers linked with obesity or overweight—Source information: Lauby-Secretan et al. (2016) [86].

Figure 4

Cancers linked with obesity or overweight—Source information: Lauby-Secretan et al. (2016) [86].

Figure 5

Exposome—Characteristics extracted by Mayne et…

Figure 5

Exposome—Characteristics extracted by Mayne et al. (2016).

Figure 5

Exposome—Characteristics extracted by Mayne et al. (2016).

Figure 6

Mechanism between Mediterranean diet components…

Figure 6

Mechanism between Mediterranean diet components and beneficial effects—Source information: Lăcătușu et al. (2019).

Figure 6

Mechanism between Mediterranean diet components and beneficial effects—Source information: Lăcătușu et al. (2019).

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