A study in JAMA Oncology, sought to answer whether diets rich in whole grains and fiber increase or decrease colorectal cancer by studying the presence of Fusobacterium nucleatum in tumor tissue.
Researchers conducted a cohort study of 137,217 adults, examining the association between diet and colorectal cancer. Researchers compared prudent diets, rich in whole grains and fiber, to Western diets, rich in red and processed meats, refined grains and desserts.
Here's what you should know.
1. There were 1,019 cases of colon and rectal cancer with F. nucleatum data documented.
2. Patients with a primarily prudent diet had lower F nucleatum-positive cancer scores, P = .003 for trend; multivariable hazard ratio of 0.43; 95 percent CI, 0.25-0.72, for the highest vs the lowest prudent score quartile.
3. However, those same patients had higher F nucleatum,-negative cancers, P = .47 for trend, the corresponding multivariable hazard ratio of 0.95; 95 percent CI, 0.77-1.17.
4. There was no difference between the two subgroups.
5. Researchers concluded "prudent diets rich in whole grains and dietary fiber are associated with a lower risk for F nucleatum–positive colorectal cancer but not F nucleatum–negative cancer, supporting a potential role for intestinal microbiota in mediating the association between diet and colorectal neoplasms."
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