Low-fat diet does not reduce risk of colorectal cancer
February 08, 2006
Laptop Battery In an article in the February 8 JAMA, Shirley A. A. Beresford,
Ph.D., of the University of Washington, Seattle, and colleagues
with the Women's Health Initiative (a study which included nearly
50,000 women) analyzed data from the WHI Dietary Modification Trial
to determine the effect of a low-fat eating pattern on risk of
colorectal cancer in postmenopausal women. Previous trials
examining this association have been inconclusive.
During the study, 797 cases of colorectal cancer were reported among the participants. After adjusting for risk factors, researchers found that multivitamin use that began just prior to the study was not associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. But the participants who had reported regular multivitamin use (4 or more times per week) their group had a 30 percent reduced risk of the cancer.
Thinkpad The researchers found that over the 8.1 years of follow-up,
there were 201 cases of invasive colorectal cancer (0.13 percent
per year) in the intervention group and 279 (0.12 percent) in the
comparison group. The WHI low-fat eating pattern intervention did
not reduce the risk of invasive colorectal cancers. There was no
evidence of reduced risk for any category of colorectal cancer
outcome associated with the intervention.
Preliminary animal and test tube research suggests that CLA might reduce the risk of cancers at several sites, including breast, prostate, colorectal, lung, skin, and stomach.111 112 113 114 One preliminary study in humans suggests that increasing CLA intake may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.115.
Microsoft "Evidence from this study, along with that from polyp prevention
trials, strongly suggests that lowering dietary fat intake and
increasing fruit, vegetable, and fiber intake in mid to late life
cannot be expected to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in this
length of time," the authors write.
Vitolins and others said the study's findings should not change recommendations for staying healthy. "The results of this study do not change established recommendations on disease prevention, " said National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Director Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D., in an NIH press release. "Women should continue to get regular mammograms and screenings for colorectal cancer, and work with their doctors to reduce their risks for heart disease including following a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol."
Laptop Computers JAMA and Archives Journals
Despite this finding, the overall benefits of selenium in this study still appeared to outweigh the risks by a significant amount. As pointed out in an earlier report (Journal of the American Medical Association 1996; 1957 63), the total number of cancer deaths was 50% lower in the selenium group than in the placebo group. In addition, the total number of cancers (excluding skin cancers) was reduced by 37%; the incidence of lung cancer was reduced by 46%, colorectal cancer by 58%, and prostate cancer by 63%.
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