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Colorectal Cancer Risk Lessened With Mediterranean Diet Adherence
Adherence to the Mediterranean diet, especially with higher intake of fish and fruit and low intake of soft drinks, is associated with lower risk of advanced colorectal polyps, according to the results of a recent study.
The researchers conducted a case-control study of 808 participants aged 40 to 70 years old who underwent screening or diagnostic colonoscopy. All participants underwent anthropometric measurements, an interview on medical and lifestyle history, and filled out a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was defined as consumption of vegetables and legumes, fruit, nuts and seeds, whole grains, fish, consumption of poultry above the sample median, and consumption of red meat and alcohol, and soft drinks below the sample median.
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Overall, the mean number of participants who adhered to Mediterranean diet components was significantly lower among those with advanced polyps compared with controls. Adherence to 1-4 and 5-10 Mediterranean diet components was associated with a lower risk of advanced colorectal polyps compared with no adherence. Components that were most associated with lower risk of polyps were low intake of soft drinks, high intake of fruit, and high intake of fish.
“High intake of fish and fruit and low intake of soft drinks are associated with lower odds of advanced colorectal polyps, separately and even more so when combined. Prospective, large-scale studies may better clarify the relations between dietary pattern and colorectal neoplasia,” the researchers concluded.
—Michael Potts
Isokov NF, Zelver-Sagi S, Webb M, et al. Mediterranean diet components are negatively associated with advanced colorectal polyps in a population-based case-control study [published online June 26, 2017]. Ann Oncol. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdx262.022
