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The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) estimated that in developed countries, about 35 percent of breast cancers and 45 percent of colorectal cancers could be avoided by following nutritional recommendations. Many organizations issued dietary recommendations to encourage healthy eating.
The WCRF/AICR score; the Alternate Healthy Eating Index; and the French Nutrition and Health Program-Guidelines Score, plus one relatively new index, the MEDI-LITE score, which measures adherence to a Mediterranean diet. Researchers found that all the diets were associated with some reduced risk, but the WCRF/AICR recommendations, developed specifically with cancer prevention in mind, had the strongest association with reduced risk.
To examine links between the four nutritional indices and cancer risk, researchers investigate associations between nutrition and health in a French cohort. This study included a large sample of 41,543 participants aged 40 or older, who had never been diagnosed with cancer prior to inclusion in the study. The participants completed web-based dietary records every six months, in which they detailed all foods and beverages consumed during a 24-hour period.
Researchers calculated their adherence to each of the four nutritional scores in the study. Between May 2009 and Jan. 1, 2017, 1,489 cancer cases were diagnosed in the study participants, including 488 breast cancers, 222 prostate cancers, and 118 colorectal cancers. The researchers used multivariable Cox proportional hazard models to characterize the associations between each nutritional score and cancer risk.
The study showed that a one-point increase in the WCRF/AICR score was associated with a 12 percent decrease in overall cancer risk; a 14 percent decrease in breast cancer risk, and a 12 percent decrease in prostate cancer risk. Sticking to the other diets was also associated with reduced cancer risk.
Antioxidants from fruits and vegetables may contribute to counteract some of the oxidative damage to the DNA caused by red meat and processed meat, and exercise could lower blood pressure, partly counteracting the effects of high-sodium foods. Adapting healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of cancer.