food and disease associations

[Guest guest]

FWIW: (I was looking for coffee and cancer)

Clin Nutr. 2005 Nov 11; [Epub ahead of print]

Foodstuffs and colorectal cancer risk: A review.Marques-Vidal P, Ravasco P, Ermelinda Camilo M.Unidade de Nutricao e Metabolismo, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal.BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To assess the relationships between food intake and colorectal cancer risk. METHODS: Systematic review of available prospective studies on dietary intake and colorectal cancer. RESULTS: Twelve out of 15 studies found no significant relationship between vegetable intake and colorectal cancer risk; also, 11 out of 14 studies found no relationship with fruit consumption. Conversely, the combined consumption of vegetables and fruit reduced colorectal cancer risk in three out of six studies, although the relationship was somewhat inconsistent between genders and anatomical localizations. Most studies found no relationship between cancer risk and red meat (15 in 20) or processed meat (seven out of 11) consumption; still, most of the reported relative risks were above unity, suggesting that high consumption of red or processed meat might increase colorectal cancer risk. The consumption of white meat, fish/seafood, dairy products, coffee or tea was mostly unrelated to colorectal cancer risk, although the consumption of smoked or salted fish actually increased risk. CONCLUSIONS: The relationships between dietary intake and colorectal cancer risk might be less important than previously reported. The combined consumption of vegetables and fruit might be protective, whereas excessive consumption of meat or smoked/salted/processed food appears to be deleterious. PMID: 16290272

And here's one questioning tap water.

Int J Cancer. 2005 Nov 11; [Epub ahead of print]

Total and specific fluid consumption as determinants of bladder cancer risk.Villanueva CM, Cantor KP, King WD, Jaakkola JJ, Cordier S, Lynch CF, Porru S, Kogevinas M.Respiratory and Environmental Health Research Unit, Institut Municipal d'Investigacio Medica (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain.We pooled the data from 6 case-control studies of bladder cancer with detailed information on fluid intake and water pollutants, particularly trihalomethanes (THM), and evaluated the bladder cancer risk associated with total and specific fluid consumption. The analysis included 2,729 cases and 5,150 controls. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for fluid consumption were adjusted for age, gender, study, smoking status, occupation and education. Total fluid intake was associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer in men. The adjusted OR for 1 l/day increase in intake was 1.08, (95% CI 1.03-1.14, p-value for linear trend <0.001), while no trend was observed in women (OR = 1.04, 0.94-1.15; p-value = 0.7). OR was 1.33 (1.12-1.58) for men in the highest category of intake (>3.5 l/day) as compared to those in the lowest (</=2 l/day). An increased risk was associated with intake of tap water. OR for >2 l/day vs. </=0.5 l/day was 1.46 (1.20-1.78), with a higher risk among men (OR = 1.50, 1.21-1.88). No increased risk was observed for the same intake groups of nontap water in men (OR = 0.97, 0.77-1.22) or in women (OR = 0.85, 0.50-1.42). Increased bladder cancer risks were observed for an intake of >5 cups of coffee daily vs. <5 and for THM exposure, but neither exposure confounded or modified the OR for tap water intake. The association of bladder cancer with tap water consumption, but not with nontap water fluids, suggests that carcinogenic chemicals in tap water may explain the increased risk. PMID: 16284957