A complete and transparent literature review of dietary items in relation to cancer risk & mortality.
Whole fruits and fruit juices may influence risk of type 2 diabetes differently.
February 14, 2010 | Full text
25 articles were found which provided information about 15 different cohorts.
Total fruit possibly protects against risk of type 2 diabetes at an intermediate level of consumption (≥ 156-170 g/day, but ≤ 239 g/day), but
no evidence was found for an association with total vegetables. Both green-yellow vegetables, and yellow vegetables are possibly protective, and suggestive evidence
was found for a protective effect of green (leafy) vegetables and apples.
Potatoes and fruit punch possibly increase risk of type 2 diabetes, and suggestive evidence was found for an increased risk of sweetened fruit juices (at consumption
of ≥ 1 drink/day).
No association was found between vegetables or fruits and pancreatic cancer.
January 29, 2010 | Full text
25 articles were found which provided information about 21 different cohorts.
No evidence was found for an association between either total vegetables, or total fruits, and both pancreatic cancer risk or
pancreatic cancer death. In addition, no evidence was found for an association between any vegetable/fruit subgroup-, or specific item and any cancer end point.
Few associations were found between vegetables or fruit and esophageal cancer.
January 26, 2010 | Full text
12 articles were found which provided information about 10 different cohorts.
Total fruit possibly protects against esophageal cancer risk, and this effect may be restricted to Asian populations. Suggestive evidence was found
for a protective effect of green (leafy) vegetables. No level of consumption could be defined for these associations, because few articles presented risks in grams,
servings, or cups. No evidence was found for an association with any specific vegetable or fruit item. In addition, little data is available about disease progression
or mortality end points.
Few associations were found between vegetables or fruit and breast cancer.
January 19, 2010 | Full text
64 articles were found which provided information about 41 different cohorts.
Suggestive evidence was found for a protective effect of total fruit against breast cancer risk, which may be restricted to never users of oral
contraceptives. And suggestive evidence was found for a protective effect of total vegetables against breast cancer mortality. No evidence was found for other
associations with total vegetables or fruits.
Items from the rosaceae family possibly protect against breast cancer risk, but the effect is very weak, and none of the specific items in this family was associated
with breast cancer. No other associations were found, and no level of consumption could be defined for any of the associations.
Few associations were found between vegetables or fruit and ovarian cancer.
January 14, 2010 | Full text
16 articles were found which provided information about 17 different cohorts.
Overall, few significant effects were described by any article. Suggestive evidence was found for a protective effect of total vegetables against ovarian
cancer risk among women diagnosed at age ≥ 63, and suggestive evidence was found for a protective effect of green leafy vegetables against ovarian cancer risk.
No other evidence for any other association was found. No levels of consumption could be defined for the described associations.
Green leafy vegetables and soy may protect against mortality from all causes.
December 4, 2009 | Full text
43 articles were found which provided information about 31 different cohorts.
Suggestive evidence was found for a protective effect of both total vegetables and total fruits against mortality. In addition, both soy and
(green) leafy vegetables possibly protect against mortality. Results from the association with soy were confined to publications about Japanese cohorts.
Since few significant effects were published in servings/cups/grams over a given time period, it is not possible to define specific amounts of consumption for
these effects.
Few associations were found between vegetables or fruit and total cancer.
November 28, 2009 | Full text
33 articles were found which provided information about 24 different cohorts.
Among men, total vegetables possibly protect against total cancer risk. This effect was limited to male smokers,
and no evidence was found for an association among women. The level of consumption for this effect could not be defined. Suggestive evidence was found for a protective
effect of total fruits against total cancer mortality. This effect was found for (almost) daily vs less frequent consumption. No evidence was found for an effect of
total fruit with total cancer risk, or total vegetables with total cancer mortality. Multivitamin/dietary supplements may modify the effect of total vegetables or total fruit
with total cancer risk, but results are inconsistent. Citrus fruit juice possibly increases cancer risk among multivitamin supplement users.
No further evidence was found for an association between any vegetable/fruit subgroup
or item and total cancer risk or mortality.
Some vegetable and fruit items may protect against colon cancer risk. No associations were found with rectal cancer.
November 28, 2009 | Full text
51 articles were found which provided information about 32 different cohorts.
Among women, total fruit possibly protects against distal, proximal and total colon cancer risk at different levels of consumption. For total colon cancer, this
effect was found at the level of consumption of both 100- < 300 g/day, and ≥ 400 g/day. Among men, suggestive evidence was found for a protective effect of total
vegetables against total colon cancer risk at an intermediate level of consumption (median of ranges: 336 g/day).
For both sexes combined, high vs low vegetables consumption (≥ 200 g/day) possibly protects against distal colon cancer risk. But probable evidence for a protective
effect was found at the level of consumption of 200- < 300 g/day among men. No other associations of total fruits or vegetables were found with
any cancer end point and no evidence was found for effect modification by possible confounders.
High vs low consumption of bananas (≥ 1 banana/wk) and spinach (≥ 1 serving/wk. One serving = 1/2 cup) possibly protect against total colon cancer risk.
Suggestive evidence of a protective effect was found for lower levels of consumption of both items. Suggestive evidence was found of a protective effect of total soy
foods (but not tofu, or soybean paste soup) with cancer risk, but results were inconsistent and confined to research from Asian populations.
Prunes possibly increase total colon cancer risk, but the level of consumption for this association could not be defined.
Possible protective effects against total colon cancer risk were found of intermediate (but not high) levels of consumption of the following items:
peas/lima beans (> 0 to < 1 serving/wk. One serving = 1/2 cup/beans), broccoli (> 0 to < 1 serving/wk. One serving = 1/2 cup), tomatoes/tomato juice (1 tomato week to < 0.5
tomato/day), and Brussels sprouts (> 0 to < 1 serving/wk. One serving = 1/2 cup).
No evidence was found for any association with rectal cancer.
Vegetables and fruit do not seem to protect against prostate cancer.
November 28, 2009 | Full text
38 articles were found which provided information about 24 different cohorts.
No evidence was found for an association between either total fruits or total vegetables and any examined end point: total cancer risk,
advanced cancer risk, and cancer mortality. In addition, no evidence was found for an association when advanced cancer and mortality are considered
as one single end point, or when advanced prostate cancer is stratified in disease stage and grade. No evidence was found for effect modification by confounders
of any of these associations.
No evidence was found for an association between tomatoes, tomato juice, or tomato sauce and total- or advanced prostate cancer risk or mortality. The evidence
did not change when all tomato categories were combined, or when advanced prostate cancer and mortality were grouped together.
No evidence was found for an association between any soy foods (total soy, tofu, miso soup, or a combination of these 3 items) and any cancer end point.
But when advanced cancer risk and cancer mortality are considered one end point, miso soup possibly increases risk. The level of consumption
for this effect could not be defined.
Citrus fruit possibly increases prostate cancer risk among white men. Legumes possibly protect against prostate cancer risk at daily consumption of > 71 g/day.
Vegetables and fruit may protect against lung cancer among men.
November 28, 2009 | Full text
61 articles were found which provided information about 31 different cohorts.
Total vegetables possibly protect against lung cancer risk among men (≥ 170 g/day), but not women. This protective effect might be restricted
to cancer cases diagnosed at age < 65 years. Convincing evidence was found for a protective effect of fruit. Stratified by sex, probable evidence was found
for a protective effect of fruit among men (≥ 127 g/day), while the evidence was only suggestive for an association among women.
Suggestive evidence of a protective effect was found of green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables, and among women citrus fruit is possibly protective
(median 7 servings/wk).
Among specific vegetable or fruit items, apples (> apple/wk), oranges/tangerines (> 1 orange/tangerine/wk), tomato sauce (no level of consumption could be defined)
and an intermediate level of carrot consumption (0.5-< 1 serving/wk) possibly protect against lung cancer risk.
Orange/grapefruit juice probably protects against lung cancer risk at an intermediate level of consumption (24-55 g/day), and a possible protective effect
was found with higher consumption. Suggestive evidence was found for a protective effect of lettuce (≥ 1.26 servings/week), and tomatoes (≥ 0.5 tomato/day).
For lung cancer mortality, no evidence was found for an effect of vegetables, but among men, a probable protective effect of total fruit (at daily consumption),
a possible protective effect of oranges (> 3 oranges/wk), and suggestive evidence of a protective effect of citrus fruit (no level of consumption could be defined)
were found.
Vegetables and fruit may protect against cardiovascular disease and heart disease risk.
November 28, 2009 | Full text
67 articles were found which provided information about 36 different cohorts.
Both, total vegetables and total fruit, possibly protect against both CVD risk, and heart disease risk. The evidence for fruit and CVD was
restricted to women, the evidence for vegetables and CHD was restricted to current smokers, and both effects of vegetables were (possibly) confined to non-users of
multivitamin supplements. Suggestive evidence for a protective effect was found of total vegetables against stroke risk + heart disease death among men, and of total
fruit against stroke risk.
Evidence for possible protective effects was found of green leafy vegetables (CVD risk, CHD risk, ischemic stroke risk); cruciferous vegetables (CHD risk, ischemic stroke risk);
vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables (CVD risk, ischemic stroke risk); citrus fruit (ischemic stroke risk); and citrus fruit juice (ischemic stroke risk).
The effects of cruciferous vegetables and citrus fruit juice were (possibly) confined to non-users of multivitamin supplements.
Broccoli possibly protects against CHD death among women.
Suggestive evidence was found for a protective effect of citrus fruit (CVD risk, CHD risk); and among women of apples (/pears) against CHD death.
No level of consumption for these effects could be defined for any of the outcomes.