Low-fat diet may prevent ovarian cancer

Want to lower your risk of developing ovarian cancer? Try eating less fat. Though a low-fat diet has not yet been linked with prevention of breast or colon cancer, a recent large study found that diet does play a role in the development of ovarian cancer. Researchers believe that fat in the diet leads to more estrogen in the diet, and that estrogen may be hard on the ovaries.

The benefit isn't immediate -- participants had to follow it for four years for it to take effect, but those who followed for 8 years lowered their risk by 40%. Researchers tried to keep fat calories to under 20% of total calories -- ambitious, but doable -- but even women who let their fat intake slide up a little bit saw a benefit. Interesting news!