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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #393210
Research Project: Nutrition, Epidemiology, and Healthy Aging

Location: Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging

Title: Adherence to a Mediterranean-Style dietary pattern and cancer risk in a prospective cohort study

Author
item YIANNAKOU, IOANNA - Boston University
item SINGER, MARTHA - Boston University
item JACQUES, PAUL - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item XANTHAKIS, VANESSA - Boston University
item ELLISON, R. CURTIS - Boston University
item MOORE, LYNN - Boston University

Submitted to: Nutrients
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/12/2021
Publication Date: 11/13/2021
Citation: Yiannakou, I., Singer, M.R., Jacques, P.F., Xanthakis, V., Ellison, R., Moore, L.L. 2021. Adherence to a Mediterranean-Style dietary pattern and cancer risk in a prospective cohort study. Nutrients. 13(11):4064. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13114064.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13114064

Interpretive Summary: The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends a dietary pattern rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains while limiting consumption of added sugars and red and processed meats, which is consistent with a Mediterranean-style diet. The Mediterranean diet (MD) has been long recognized as a healthy eating pattern for preventing chronic disease, and some studies suggest that this diet may help to protect against certain cancers. The primary aim of this prospective study was to examine the long-term association between adherence to the MD, as measured by the Mediterranean-style dietary pattern (MSDP) score, and total cancer risk in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort. Our results showed that women with better adherence to the MSDP score had a greater than or equal to 25% lower risk of cancer than women with the lowest MSDP score. The association between MSDP score and cancer risk in men was not as strong; however, in non-smoking men, those with higher MSDP scores had the lowest risk of cancer. Overall, this study suggests that higher adherence to the MD may be associated with lower cancer risk, especially among women.

Technical Abstract: A Mediterranean-style diet is a healthy eating pattern that may benefit cancer risk, but evidence among Americans is scarce. We examined the prospective association between adherence to such a diet pattern and total cancer risk. A Mediterranean-style dietary pattern (MSDP) score was derived from a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire at exam 5 (1991-1995). Subjects included 2966 participants of the Framingham Offspring Study who were free of prevalent cancer. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and anthropometric measures. Cox-models were also used to examine effect modification by lifestyle and anthropometric measures. During 18 years of median follow-up, 259 women and 352 men were diagnosed with cancer. Women with moderate or higher adherence to the MSDP had greater than or equal to 25% lower risks of cancer than women with the lowest MSDP (HR (moderate vs. lowest): 0.71, 95% CI: 0.52-0.97 and HR (highest vs. lowest): 0.74; 95% CI: 0.55-0.99). The association between MSDP score and cancer risk in men was weaker except in non-smokers. Beneficial effects of the MSDP in women were stronger among those who were not overweight. In this study, higher adherence to MSDP was associated with lower cancer risk, especially among women.