London : Scientists have discovered why eating a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables and particularly olive oil can help protect women from developing breast cancer. The key is oleic acid, the main component of olive oil.

Dr. Javier Menendez, of Northwestern University Feinberg  School of Medicine in Chicago, said oleic acid blocks the action of a cancer-causing oncogene called HER-2/neu, which is found in about 30% breast cancer patients.

"We have something now that is able to explain why the Mediterranean diet is so healthy," Menendez said.

Doctors and researchers had been aware that eating a Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of breast cancer and other illnesses such as heart disease. But until now they did not know how.

Menendez and his colleagues in the US and Spain studied the impact of oleic acid in laboratory studies of breast cancer cells. "We are able to demonstrate that the main component of olive oil, oleic acid, is able to down-rgualte the most important oncogene in breast cancer." Menendez explained. 'The most important source of oleic acid is olive oil."

They found that oleic acid not only suppressed the action of the oncogene, it also improved the effectiveness of the breast cancer drug Herceptin, a targeted therapy made by Swiss drug-maker Roche Holding AG that works against the HER-2/ neu gene.

Breast cancer patients with HER-2/ neu positive tumours suffer from an aggressive form of the disease and have a poor prognosis.

Come winter and everybody is faced with the problem of dry, taut and acratchy skin. It's a natural phenomenon. Some of the causes of dry and parched skin are : hereditary, not enough supply of lubrication by glands, deficiency of Vitamin A and B, exposure to harsh winter cold or sun, extreme in temperatures, over use of chemical cosmetics, excessive bathing, poor diet and nutritional supplements, skin problems, mal functioning of thyroid gland, diabetic condition etc.

Some remedies :-
- To treat extremely dry skin, take a tablespoon of honey, mix it into a mashed banana. Apply it on the skin, leave on for 10 minutes and wash off.

- Take 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of honey, half a teaspoon of olive oil and a few drops of rose water and mix all the ingredients thoroughly and use as a mask.

- Take 1 cup of milk and add 1 tablespoon of Badam (almond) oil and add the mixture to a small tub of warm water to prepare a milk bath. Milk bath nourishes your skin from dryness.

Spinach and Sprouts moisten and lubricate and therefore counteract dryness and heat. Hence they are good for menopausal discomfort. This dish, according to traditional Chinese medicine, is also prescribed for headaches, dizziness, high blood pressure and constipation.

1 table spoon olive oil or butter.

1 garlic clove, pressed or diced.

1 bunch spinach, stems removed, leaves washed but not dried

1 cup bean sprouts

Naturally fermented soy sauce or sea salt to taste

Warm the oil in a wide skillet. add the garlic, cook over medium heat until it is aromatic and turns light gold i.e. for around 1 minute.

Add the spinach, bean sprouts and soy sauce or salt and lightly cook for about 3 minutes or until the spinach is bright green and limp and the sprouts are translucent. Season with pepper. Remove to a serving bowl and serve warm or at room temperature. Serves two to three and is a very good remedy for people suffering from the above mentioned ailments.