This Popular Diet Plan May Lower Cancer Risk ...Saudi Arabia

While some "diet" trends fade (and rightfully, should), the Mediterranean Diet has rightfully earned its place as a gold standard.

Ranked #1 Best Diet Overall by U.S. News & World Report for eight consecutive years, the Mediterranean diet is beloved by doctors, dietitians and consumers alike. Not only is it delicious, non-restrictive and and associated with better cardiovascular health, lower dementia risk and a 19% decrease in Type 2 diabetes, but according to new research, it could reduce the risk of cancer, too. 

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Published in JAMA Network Open in February 2025, the study followed 450,111 adults from over 10 countries over the course of 15 years. 

After monitoring their diet and lifestyle habits and ranking each participant on a Mediterranean diet score from 0 to 9 points—0 being the least Mediterranean diet-friendly and 9 being the most—researchers tracked how many developed obesity-related cancers (colorectal, breast, and liver cancer) and whether the diet impacted each individual's weight or fat distribution over time.

Related: Eating This Food Daily Could Cut Your Risk of Colon Cancer by 20%

Their findings? People who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely, earning a ranking of 7 or above, demonstrated a 6% lower risk of obesity-related cancers compared with those who followed it least (or earned rankings of 0 to 3).

But that's not all: Even moderately adhering to the diet, or earning a ranking of 4 to 6, was also linked to lower cancer risk than those who didn't follow it at all. What's more, the decrease in cancer risk was not exclusively due to weight loss: the diet seemed to offer protective benefits beyond just helping people maintain a healthy weight. 

Related: 'I'm an Oncologist and This Is the Exact Diet I Follow for Cancer Prevention'

What Does This Mean?

As for why this matters? It's an exciting reminder that even small lifestyle changes can help boost your health and make a significant difference over time.

In the case of this study in particular though, adhering to a Mediterranean diet even most of the time (but not necessarily all) still has massive payoffs when it comes to health and well-being—and potential cancer risk reduction. 

Further, this study reiterated that when it comes to health, it's not always about numbers on a scale: While obesity can increase cancer risk, the Mediterranean diet's non-weight-related perks can still pay off.

Tl;DR? Don't let "perfect" get in the way of "good:" Eating as healthily as you can most of the time still has major health benefits.

Related: This Diet May Slow Brain Aging, According to Study

Interested in trying the Mediterranean diet? Check out our dietitian-approved Mediterranean diet meal plan.

If you want a super quick rundown in the meantime however, here's what to eat on the Mediterranean Diet:

Fruits and vegetables (leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and citrus fruits)Whole grains (whole-grain bread, pasta, rice and other grains like farro, bulgur and barley)Heart-healthy fats (olive oil, nuts and seeds)Legumes (beans, lentils and chickpeas)Nuts (walnuts, almonds)Seafood (salmon, shellfish and tuna)Herbs and spices

Bon appétit! Or I guess I should say: Buon appetito!

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