Calcium,
Dairy Products, and Prostate Cancer Incidence
The
National Institutes of Health (NIH)-AARP Diet
and Health Study is the largest ongoing study
in the world examining the relationship between
diet and health. In 1995, study researchers
assessed dairy and calcium intake in a group
of volunteers. After six years of follow-up,
a total of 10,180 prostate cancer cases were
identified. Skim milk intake was associated
with an increased risk of advanced prostate
cancer. Calcium supplementation intake was
also positively associated with advanced prostate
cancer; however, the results were not significant.
In contrast, calcium intake from plant foods
was shown to have a potential protective effect
against non-advanced prostate cancer. Common
plant sources of calcium include green leafy
vegetables, beans, sesame seeds, and tofu.
(Park Y, Mitrou PN, Kipnis V, Hollenbeck A, Schatzkin
A, Leitzmann MF. Calcium, dairy foods, and
risk of incident and fatal prostate cancer:
the NIH-AARP diet and health study. Am J Epidemiol.
Dec. 1, 2007;166(11):1270-1279. )
Processed
Meats and Dairy Products Positively Associated
with Pancreatic Cancer Risk
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cancer
and the fifth most common cause of cancer-related
mortality. A case-control study conducted
between 1995 and 1999 by researchers at the
University of California, San Francisco, evaluated
the association between animal protein, dietary
fat, and dairy products and risk for pancreatic
cancer. When comparing highest versus lowest
intake for certain foods, beef, processed
meats, lamb, eggs, and dairy products all
showed positive associations with cancer risk.
Total dietary cholesterol, animal fat, saturated
fat, and monounsaturated fat were also found
to correspond to an increase in pancreatic
cancer risk.
(Chan JM, Wang F, Holly EA. Pancreatic cancer,
animal protein and dietary fat in a population-based
study, San Francisco Bay Area, California.
Cancer Causes & Control. December 2007;18(10):1153-67.)
New Study
Links Cancer to Body Weight
A
new study published in the British Medical
Journal adds more evidence showing that excess
weight increases cancer risk. Following 1.2
million women from the Million Women Study,
researchers found that increasing weight was
associated with increased risk for 10 out
of 17 specific types of cancer. Similarly,
overweight increased the risk for death for
most types of cancer. For information on how
a low-fat vegetarian diet can help you trim
excess weight, visit www.CancerProject.org.
(Reeves GK, Pirie K, Beral V, Green J, et al. Cancer
incidence and mortality in relation to body
mass index in the Million Women Study: cohort
study. BMJ 2007; published online Nov. 6,
2007.)
Red and Processed
Meat Consumption Significantly Increases Cancer
Risk
The
American Cancer Institute of Research and
the World Cancer Research Fund recently published
a new comprehensive report on diet, physical
activity, and cancer. The report was written
by an international panel of researchers who
reviewed more than 7,000 large-scale studies,
and it included 10 new lifestyle and diet
recommendations for cancer prevention. The
report found that even small amounts of alcohol
and red and processed meats can significantly
increase cancer risk, and that no amount of
processed meats is completely safe. Every
1.7 ounces of processed meat consumed a day
increases the risk of colorectal cancer by
21 percent. The report also found that excess
body fat increases the risk of cancer of the
colon, kidney, pancreas, esophagus, and uterus,
as well as postmenopausal breast cancer.
(World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute
for Cancer Research. Food, nutrition, physical
activity, and the prevention of cancer: a
global perspective. Washington DC: AICR, 2007.)
