Three new studies support diet’s preventive potential against prostate, breast and colon cancers
Three studies conducted by researchers from the Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII) and the Andalusian School of Public Health (EASP) confirm the preventive potential of the diet against prostate, breast and colorectal cancer. The study is part of the EPIC (European Prospective Study of Nutrition and Cancer) project, coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and carried out in ten European countries, including Spain. It aims to study the relationship between diet, nutritional status, lifestyle, environmental factors and the incidence of various types of cancer and other chronic diseases.
Three papers published in scientific journals Maturitas, British Journal of International Urology And Nutrientsare part of the EPIC-Spain project and developed by the ISCIII National Epidemiological Center team led by Adela Castello and Marina Pollan, and attached to the Epidemiology and Public Health Unit (CIBERESP) of CIBER. -ISCIII, as well as researchers Miguel Rodríguez Barranco and Maria José Sánchez from EASP and CIBERESP, as well as scientists from other EPIC-Spain centers.
The results support the idea that dietary recommendations should consider overall dietary patterns rather than individual foods, and confirm that adopting dietary habits that move away from Western eating patterns in favor of a Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. mammary gland and colon-rectum.
People in the EPIC-Spain study who followed a strict Western diet showed a double risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer, a 37% higher risk of developing breast cancer, and a 53% increased risk of developing prostate cancer in three published studies. presence of colorectal cancer; while participants with high levels of Mediterranean-type adhesions had a 16% lower risk of developing colorectal cancer than participants with low levels of Mediterranean adhesions.
“We believe that the increased availability of processed foods in recent decades, coupled with less time for traditional food preparation, may have changed the diets of people who were eating a Mediterranean diet at the start of the study. decade of the 90s, which evolved towards more Western habits, thereby weakening the protective effect of this type of diet against the tumors studied,” said researcher Adela Castello.
As these organizations have detailed, factors such as the aging population are influencing the rise in cancer rates, but the role of lifestyle, including diet, is also important. Researching the relationship between diet and cancer is one way to develop new prevention strategies to reduce cancer incidence. The EPIC-Spain project, which began more than 30 years ago, recruited more than 41,000 healthy people in Spain who were followed and collected anthropometric, socio-demographic, physical activity, diet and alcohol and tobacco consumption data, etc. d.
The authors of this study believe that it is important to convey to the population that consumption of Western-style foods should be reduced and consumption of Mediterranean-style foods should be increased. That is, reduce the consumption of full-fat dairy products, bread, rice and white pasta, sausages, hamburgers, sausages and other meat products, sugary soft drinks, juices, sweets, baked goods, ready meals and sauces in favor of a diet high in sugar. availability of whole fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish and olive oil. “This simple change can significantly reduce your risk of cancer,” says Castello.