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Oranges and Bananas May Reduce Childhood Leukemia Risk
Little has been known about diet’s influence on childhood
leukemia, but a new study shows that certain fruits may reduce risk
of the disease. Researchers at the University of California–Berkeley
reviewed the diets of 328 children with leukemia and 328 matched
controls. After adjusting for various lifestyle and dietary factors,
the researchers found that the consumption of oranges, bananas,
or orange juice at least four to six days per week during the first
two years of life was associated with a significantly reduced risk
of leukemia for 2- through 14-year-olds. Oranges are packed with
vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that may prevent oxidative damage
to DNA and the initiation of carcinogenesis. Bananas and oranges
are also rich in potassium, which epidemiologists believe may have
anticarcinogenic properties. Vitamin C has also been shown to increase
intracellular potassium intake.
Kwan ML, Block G, Selvin S, et al. Food consumption by children
and the risk of childhood acute leukemia. Am J Epidemiol. 2004;160:1098-107.
Link between Meat and Colon Cancer Grows Stronger
The less red and processed meat people eat, the lower their risk
of colon cancer, according to a major new study published in the
Journal of the American Medical Association. In the Cancer Prevention
Study II Nutrition Cohort, involving 148,610 adults followed since
1982, the group with the highest meat intake had an approximately
50 percent higher colon cancer risk compared to those with lower
intakes. Although previous studies have shown the same association,
the large study population and the long duration of the study provide
compelling evidence of the link between meat and colorectal cancer.
Chao A, Thun MJ, Connell CJ, et al. Meat consumption and risk of
colorectal cancer. JAMA. 2005;293:172-82.
Avocados Fight Prostate Cancer
In a new test-tube study, avocado extract inhibited prostate cancer
cell growth by up to 60 percent. Researchers at the University of
California–Los Angeles compared the effects of whole avocado
extract with those of lutein, one of the carotenoids found in avocados,
to see if avocado’s benefits were simply due to lutein. While
whole avocado had a significant effect, lutein alone had virtually
none. It is not yet clear whether avocado’s apparent effects
are due to monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, or other nutrients working
alone or in combination.
Lu QY, Arteaga JR, Zhang Q, et al. Inhibition of prostate cancer
cell growth by an avocado extract: role of lipid-soluble bioactive
substances. J Nutr Biochem. 2005;16:23-30.
Animal Products Increase Ovarian Cancer Risk
 Consumption
of animal products was associated with a significant increase in
ovarian cancer risk in a new Canadian study of more than 2,500 women.
The researchers found that women with the highest intake of cholesterol
(found only in animal products) had a 40 percent higher risk of
ovarian cancer than women with the lowest cholesterol consumption.
They also found that women with the highest egg consumption had
a 30 percent increased risk of the disease. In contrast, women with
the highest total vegetable and cruciferous vegetable intake lowered
their ovarian cancer risk by nearly 25 percent.
Pan SY, Ugnat AM, Mao Y, et al. A case-control study of diet
and the risk of ovarian cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers. 2004;13:1521-7.
The Cancer Project is a nonprofit PCRM affiliate organization
that advances cancer prevention and survival through nutrition education
and research. Begun as a PCRM program in 1991, The Cancer Project
became an incorporated affiliate in 2004.
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