The women were about 41% more likely to have denser breast tissue than women who ate a Mediterranean-type diet.
High-fat dairy products (whole mild, high-fat cheeses and ice cream), processed meats (bacon, ham and salami) and refined grains (white bread, pasta and white rice) are prime examples associated with this increased risk. Other examples include sweets and sweetened drinks, convenience foods (pizza, French fries and chips) and sauces (mayonnaise and ketchup), said study co-author Dr. Marina Pollan. She is a cancer epidemiologist at the National Center of Epidemiology in Madrid.
Women who ate such a diet had a 46% higher risk of developing breast cancer, Pollan added, although these study findings do not prove that diet causes breast tissue to become denser.
A Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high intake of fish, vegetables, legumes, boiled potatoes, fruits, olives and vegetable oil and a low intake of juices, she said.
For the study, Pollan and her colleagues collected data on more than 3,500 women who were part of a breast cancer screening program between October 2007 and July 2008.
