A population-based case-control study was conducted from 1985 to 1989 in western Washington State to assess the relation between nutrients and the incidence of colon cancer in men and women aged 30-62. A food frequency questionnaire was used to document the usual diet 7 years before diagnosis for 424 cases and at a similar time for 414 controls. Alcohol consumption was strongly related to the risk of colon cancer in both men and women, with age-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of colon cancer = 1.0, 1.9, 1.7, and 2.6 for 0, < 10, 10-29, and > or = 30 g/day intake for men and adjusted odds ratios = 1.0, 1.3, 1.8, and 2.5 for the same categories for women. The trend odds ratio associated with a one-category increment in the four-level alcohol consumption variable was 1.3 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-1.5) in men and 1.4 (95% CI 1.0-1.7) in women. For both sexes, higher dietary fiber intakes were associated with lower relative risks for colon cancer, with age-, energy-, and alcohol-adjusted odds ratios = 1.0, 0.9, 0.8, and 0.6 across quartiles of consumption for men (trend OR for a one-quartile increment = 0.8, 95% CI 0.7-1.1) and adjusted odds ratios = 1.0, 0.9, 0.5, and 0.5 for women (trend OR = 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-1.0). In men, this was mostly attributable to intake of cereal fiber (trend OR = 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-1.0) while, in women, this association mostly reflected the effect of fruit fiber (trend OR = 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-0.9) and vegetable fiber (trend OR = 0.8, 95% CI 0.7-1.0). Calcium was associated with a decreased risk of colon cancer among women only (adjusted OR across quartiles = 1.0, 0.5, 0.6, 0.3; trend OR = 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-1.0). There was no indication of an association between colon cancer and fat or protein consumption or dietary vitamins.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Meyer et al. (1993) studied this question.