12. Mediterranean diet cuts uterine cancer risk

     

Photo: Nazarethhealthcare.com

     A new study published in the British Journal of Cancer has shown that women who eat a Mediterranean diet could cut the risk of uterine cancer by over half.
     Pooled data from a number of case-control studies in various areas of Italy and Switzerland show that consuming food high in unsaturated fatty acids, fibre, phytochemicals and antioxidents, (as found in what we know as a 'Mediterranean diet'), dramatically reduce the odds of contracting cancer of the womb by over 50%.  
     What do researchers mean by a 'Mediterranean diet'?  They characterise it by nine dietary components: a high intake of vegetables, fruits/nuts, cereals, legumes, fish; low intake of dairy products and red meat, (see my previous blogs 11 and 1); a high monounsaturated to saturated fat ratio; and low alcohol intake.
     Study researcher Dr Cristina Bosetti, from Mario Negri Institute for Pharmaceutical Research in Milan, said, "Our study provides evidence for a beneficial role of the Mediterranean diet on endometrial [uterine] cancer risk.  It adds more weight to our understanding of how our everyday choices, like what we eat...effect our risk of cancer."
     The 'Mediterranean diet'  has  recently been pronounced as beneficial, not only in risk reduction of a growing number of cancers but is also associated with good general health, a healthy heart and weight control or obesity - itself a potential cause of some 22 different cancers according to studies published in The Lancet, including liver, colon, ovarian, breast and prostate cancers, (see my blog 3).

The Mediterranean diet Pyramid

Further Reading:
British Journal of Cancer Mediterranean Diet and Womb Cancer
Womb (uterus) Cancer All about Womb Cancer. NHS pages.
Mediterranean Diet All about the Mediterranean diet. 
How to follow a Mediterranean diet Patient Information and Support.
The Lancet Body mass and cancer risk.

11. Red Meat and Cancer - New Findings

     A new study published in the journal Nature Communications which compared high fibre/low fat diet with a high fat/high protein diet has dramatically underscored the bowel cancer risk of a Western diet typically high on red and processed meats and low on fibre, fruit and vegetables, (see my blog 1. Red Meat and Cancer).  It has also raised pointers to possible future therapies for  prevention and treatment of bowel cancer which is one of the biggest cancer killers in western countries, thanks to Western diet. Its incidence is much lower in Africa and the Far East. 
     To test the true impact of diet on bowel cancer, researchers at the Imperial College London recruited 20 African Americans from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and gave them a meal plan based on a ‘traditional’ African diet high in fibre and low in fat, centred on corn-based products, vegetables, fruit, and pulses. Meanwhile, 20 African volunteers living in rural South Africa were given a typical Western diet, high in red meat and low in fruit, vegetables and other sources of fibre. 
     Participants had colonoscopy examinations to look for inflammation and polyps that can indicate potential cancer risk before commencement and after completion of the study.  At the start of the study, nearly half of the Americans, and none of the South Africans, had polyps. But after only two weeks, the American group was found to have significantly reduced colon or bowel inflammation, while in the South Africans, measurements indicating cancer risk dramatically increased. 

     Professor Jeremy Nicholson from Imperial’s department of surgery and cancer commented on the findings: “What is really surprising is how quickly and dramatically the risk markers can switch in both groups following diet change.”

    The new study suggests that changing diet may affect cancer risk by altering the balance of bacteria found in the gut – known as the microbiome. At the start of the study the African group consumed between two and three times less animal protein and fat than the Americans, but consumed significantly more carbohydrate and fibre.

This led to higher levels of butyrate, a by-product made by the body when it metabolises fibre.  Butyrate is thought to have anti-cancer effects, and higher levels were seen in the Americans  after two weeks on the African diet.

     Dr James Kinross, a colorectal surgeon and clinical lecturer at Imperial, comments: "Scientists are beginning to recognise that the gut microbiome could have an important influence on human health.This research shows that gut bacteria are critically important for mediating the link between diet and colon cancer risk. This means we can look to develop therapies targeting gut bacteria as a way to prevent and treat cancer.”

   Professor Nicholson also raised the concern that  the progressive westernisation of African communities may lead to the emergence of colon cancer as a major health issue for them.

Further Reading:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. Study on the connection between red meat, inflammation and cancer progression. 

Nature Communications Fat, Fibre and Cancer risk

10. Blood Sugar Levels and Breast Cancer

     

Photo Dennis Dean Aphrodite Cinefest

     
      Not only what you eat but when you eat it can help to prevent breast cancer.

     A study by researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine has shown that eating dinner or a snack late at night could raise a woman's risk of breast cancer, the most common cancer in women worldwide.

     Spokesperson Dr Ruth Patterson commented on the findings: 'The dietary advice for cancer prevention usually focuses on limiting consumption of red meat, alcohol and refined grains while increasing plant-based foods.

'New evidence suggests that when and how often people eat can also play a role in cancer risk.'

     This has to do with control of blood sugar levels. Previous studies have shown that women with higher blood sugar levels are more likely to develop cancer, even if they don’t have diabetes.

     The San Diego study reported in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention showed that women who fasted for longer overnight had significantly better control over their blood sugar levels. Each three hour increase in night-time fasting was associated with a four per cent lower glucose level when tested after a meal, regardless of how much women ate,

     Researchers found that eating meals at set times and eating dinner early to leave a longer time between the last meal and breakfast reduced the risk developing breast cancer.

     In the study, women reported eating five times per day and fasted overnight an average of 12 hours.

Those who reported fasting for longer also indicated the bonus that they consumed fewer calories per day, ate fewer calories after 10 pm and had fewer periods of eating.

     Increasing the amount of time women fast overnight – by eating dinner earlier – could be a new strategy to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

     Catherine Marinac of the University of California said: 'This is a simple dietary change that we believe most women can understand and adopt. 

'It may have a big impact on public health without requiring complicated counting of calories or nutrients.'

     Further large scale clinical trials are needed to confirm the study findings that night-time fasting results in better blood sugar control and a reduced risk of developing breast cancer. However, as with other nutrition studies relating to cancer prevention, such clinical trials are unlikely to happen because of the expense and lack of interest in such research by the drug companies.  
     Breast cancer is the commonest cancer among women in UK, affecting 1 in 8 women at sometime during their lifetime.  Alarmingly, breast cancer rates have increased by 90% since records began in 1970, according to the Charity Breast Cancer UK.  I strongly recommend you to their website below.  Their concerns about lack of regulation on hazardous cancer producing chemicals in food and drinks, packaging and household cleaners  need your support and action.  

Further Reading
Breast Cancer UK

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention
San Diego School of Medicine