A new study in Annals of Epidemiology suggests that eating a Western diet full of meat, other animal products and refined cereals and added sugars increases risk for pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is more commonly seen in the Western countries where Westerners eat more meat, dairy products and added sugars and refined grain products, compared with their counterparts in developing countries.
The current study shows that those who ate the highest amount of meat were twice as likely as those who ate the lowest amount of meat to develop pancreatic cancer. Those who ate the highest amount of starch rich food were also at 69 percent increased risk for pancreatic cancer, compared with those who ate the lowest amount.
In contrast, those eating a diet full of fruit and vegetables were found at lower risk for pancreatic cancer.
For the study, Cristina Bosetti from Dipartimento di Epidemiologia, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri,” in Milan, Italy and colleagues identified four dietary patterns - animal products, unsaturated fats, vitamins and fiber (fruit/vegetables) and starch rich diets that explained 75 percent of the total variance in nutrient intake in the study population.
In addition to the associations between meat/starch intakes and risk of pancreatic cancer. the researchers found that those who ate the highest amount of fruit / vegetables or the highest intake of vitamins and fiber were 45 percent less likely to develop pancreatic cancer while highest intake of unsaturated fats was found associated with 13 percent increased risk.
The researchers concluded "A diet characterized by a high consumption of meat and other animal products, as well as of (refined) cereals and sugars, is positively associated with pancreatic cancer risk, whereas a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is inversely associated."
