Monounsaturated Fats and Breast Cancer Risk

Although high-fat diets and obesity seem to increase the risk for breast cancer, some data suggest that monounsaturated fat -- found in olive and canola oil -- may be protective. This prospective, population-based study followed more than 61,000 Swedish women (mean age, 53.7) for an average of 4.2 years, during which 674 new invasive breast cancers were diagnosed. Fat consumption was determined by food frequency questionnaires.

Overall, the authors found no increase in the rate ratio (RR) for breast cancer in high versus low fat consumers. They also found no differences when they compared the highest and lowest quartiles of consumption of either monounsaturated fats (RR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.21 to 1.21) or polyunsaturated fats (RR, 1.2; CI, 0.85 t…