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Mediterranean Diet Study

A Mediterranean diet incorporates olive oil, nuts and fish into a standard eating plan

Are you interested in participating?

Please contact Mary Rapai at mrapai@umich.edu or telephone 734-615-4844.

U-M Cancer Center researchers are launching a study to look at whether diet can impact a person's risk of developing colon cancer. Specifically, the researchers will compare a Mediterranean diet - high in olive oil, nuts and fish - with a standard healthy eating plan.

The Mediterranean diet focuses on vegetables, whole grains, fruits, fish and olive oil. High fat meats and processed foods are limited. The comparison diet is the Healthy People 2010 diet, which is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' plan for healthy eating. The Healthy People 2010 diet involves eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and a moderate fat intake with limits on saturated fat.

Zora Djuric, Ph.D., research professor of family medicine at the U-M Medical School and principal investigator on the Healthy Eating for Colon Cancer Prevention study, says they are looking for:

adults age 21 or older who have had:

colon polyps
colon cancer or
a family history of colon cancer.

Participants will be randomly assigned to follow either the Mediterranean diet or the Healthy People 2010 diet for six months. A dietitian will work closely with each participant by telephone. Participants can choose foods they prefer from recommended food group lists.

You can learn more about this study by reading the article, "Can a Mediterranean diet help prevent colon cancer?"