Consumption of coffee, but not black tea, is associated with decreased risk of premenopausal breast cancer

Caffeine has been suggested as a possible risk factor for breast cancer, potentially through its effect of facilitating the development of benign breast disease. However, coffee and tea also contain polyphenols, which exhibit anticarcinogenic properties. A hospital-based, case-control study was conducted to evaluate the role of coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and black tea in breast cancer etiology. Study participants included 1932 cases with primary, incident breast cancer and 1895 hospital controls with nonneoplastic conditions. All participants completed a comprehensive epidemiological questionnaire. Among premenopausal women, consumption of regular coffee was associated with linear declines in breast cancer risk (P for trend = 0.03); consumers of >or=4 cups/d experienced a 40% risk reduction (odds ratio = 0.62, 95% CI 0.39-0.98). No clear associations between intake of black tea or decaffeinated coffee and breast cancer risk were noted among premenopausal women, although black tea was associated with a protective effect unique to a subsample of cases with lobular histology. Among postmenopausal women, breast cancer risk was not associated with consumption of coffee, tea, or decaffeinated coffee. Results among postmenopausal women did not differ by histologic subtype. Our findings support a protective effect of coffee intake on premenopausal, but not postmenopausal breast cancer risk. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings.     

Soy product intake is inversely associated with serum homocysteine level in premenopausal Japanese women

Soybeans, which are an excellent source of folate, vitamin B-6 and minerals, may reduce serum homocysteine level. However, there is a possibility that dietary soy raises the serum homocysteine level because isoflavones, which are weak estrogens contained in soybeans, may exert antiestrogenic effects in a high estrogen environment, such as in premenopausal women. The present study examined a cross-sectional relationship between soy product intake and serum homocysteine level in 201 premenopausal Japanese women. Intakes of soy products, folate, methionine and vitamins B-6 and B-12 were estimated by a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Folate status was also assessed by measuring serum folate. Soy product intake in terms of soy protein as well as soy isoflavone intake was modestly but significantly inversely associated with serum homocysteine level (r = -0.15, P = 0.04) after controlling for covariates. Soy product intake was also significantly positively correlated with serum folate (r = 0.15, P = 0.04). Although it is unclear the extent to which each component of soy, such as folate and isoflavones, is associated with the serum homocysteine concentration, this biochemical complex appears to have a favorable effect on homocysteine metabolism in premenopausal women.     

Tree nut consumption is associated with higher sex hormone-binding globulin levels in premenopausal US women

Low levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) are associated with many diseases including hypertension, diabetes, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Walnuts increased circulating SHBG in 31 women complicated with polycystic ovarian syndrome. However, whether tree nuts increase SHBG in women in a general population is unknown. It was hypothesized in this study that consumption of tree nuts was positively associated with SHBG levels in women in a general population. This cohort study included 2699 adult women from the 2013- to 2016 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Tree nut consumers were defined as those who consumed tree nuts on either of the 2 24-hours recall days. Associations of tree nut consumption with SHBG were assessed using least squares regression. Among the 2699 women, 234 were consuming tree nuts. The median SHBG concentrations were 67.1 and 59.3 nmol/L among tree nut consumers and non–consumers, respectively. Tree nut consumption was positively associated with circulating SHBG (β = 0.041, P = .018) but not testosterone nor estradiol after adjustment for all tested confounders. Sub-analyses showed that the positive association of tree nuts with SHBG presented in premenopausal women but not in postmenopausal women. Tree nut consumption remained independently associated with higher circulating levels of SHBG in premenopausal women when tree nut consumption was expressed as percentage of energy derived from tree nuts or when tree nut consumption was defined as a tree nut intake of ≥0.25 ounce per day. Future research will verify the effectiveness of using tree nuts to treat low SHBG in premenopausal women in the general population.     

Dietary phytoestrogens are not associated with risk of overall breast cancer but diets rich in coumestrol are inversely associated with risk of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor negative breast tumors in Swedish women

Results from epidemiological and experimental studies indicate that phytoestrogens may protect against breast cancer. Because one of the biological effects of phytoestrogens is probably estrogenic, it's possible that the preventive effect on breast cancer differs by estrogen receptor (ER) or progesterone receptor (PR) status of the tumor. We evaluated the associations between dietary phytoestrogen (isoflavonoids, lignans, and coumestrol) intake and risk of breast cancer and whether the ER/PR statuses of the tumor influence this relationship. In 1991-2 a prospective population-based cohort study among Swedish pre- and postmenopausal women was performed, making questionnaire data available for 45,448 women. A total of 1014 invasive breast cancers were diagnosed until December 2004. Cox proportional hazards models were performed to estimate multivariate risk ratios, 95% CI for associations with risk of breast cancer. Intakes of lignan, isoflavonoid, or coumestrol were not associated with breast cancer risk overall or before or after 50 y of age. The effects of lignans or isoflavonoids were independent of receptor status. However, intake of coumestrol was associated with decreased risk of receptor negative tumors (ER-PR-) but not positive tumors. The risk of ER-PR- tumors was significantly lower (50%) in women with intermediate coumestrol intake compared with those who did not consume any. In conclusion, we found no association between intake of isoflavonoids or lignans and breast cancer risk. Our results of a decreased risk of ER-PR- tumors in women with intermediate intake of coumestrol could be due to chance because of the low intake. The results should be confirmed in other studies.     

Starving for a drink: Sexual objectification is associated with food-restricted alcohol consumption among college women,but not among men

ABSTRACT

Interpersonal sexual objectification, or being treated as an object by others, is linked to poorer body image and, in turn, engagement in weight management behaviors that promote conformity to unrealistic appearance standards while simultaneously undermining health. Although these associations emerge consistently among women, the evidence has been less clear among men. The present study introduced a novel weight control behavior, food-restricted alcohol consumption (i.e., limiting food intake prior to alcohol consumption), and examined whether sexual objectification was associated with this phenomenon and whether this association differed among women and men. During the fall of 2012 and the spring of 2013, 410 undergraduates reported how often they felt objectified by others and restricted what they ate before drinking alcohol in the past month. Controlling for past drinking, sexual objectification was significantly and positively associated with food-restricted alcohol consumption for women; however, sexual objectification was unrelated to food-restricted alcohol consumption for men. The results suggest that sexual objectification might operate differently across the sexes and particularly be related to this specific health-risk behavior among women.     

Coffee consumption but not green tea consumption is associated with adiponectin levels in Japanese males

Purpose  

Coffee is among the most widely consumed beverages in the world. Numerous epidemiological studies have reported a significant inverse association between coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, but the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. Therefore, we conducted an epidemiological study to clarify the relationship between coffee consumption and adiponectin levels in Japanese males. We also evaluated whether green tea consumption affected adiponectin levels.     

Plasma antioxidant concentration,not superoxide dismutase polymorphism,is associated with breast cancer risk in Korean women

Disturbances in redox regulation are suggested to be involved in the development of breast cancer. We conducted a hospital-based case-control study to examine the hypothesis that lower plasma antioxidant concentration is related to higher risk of breast cancer and that genetic polymorphism of manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2) modifies the relationship between breast cancer risk and plasma antioxidant. Genotyping for SOD2 Val16Ala polymorphism was performed by a 5′ exonuclease assay, and plasma concentrations of retinol, carotenoids, and tocopherols were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to estimate crude and multivariate odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval. The variant allele frequencies of SOD2 Val16Ala (TC or CC type) were 26% for the control subjects and 23% for the breast cancer patients, and the variant genotype was not a risk factor for breast cancer. Higher plasma retinol concentration was associated with a lower risk, whereas higher plasma β-carotene, α-tocopherol, or γ-tocopherol concentrations were associated with a higher risk of breast cancer. SOD2 CT or CC genotype was associated with lower risk (odds ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.30-0.93; P for interaction = .025) in subjects with low plasma γ-tocopherol concentration. Our findings suggest that the SOD2 Val16Ala variant is not related to the risk of breast cancer in Korean women; however, it may affect the association between plasma γ-tocopherol levels and the risk of breast cancer.     

Obesity but not overweight is associated with increased mortality risk

The association between body mass index (BMI) and survival has been described in various populations. However, the results remain controversial and information from low-prevalence Western countries is sparse. Our aim was to examine this association and its public health impact in Switzerland, a country with internationally low mortality rate and obesity prevalence. We included 9,853 men and women aged 25–74 years who participated in the Swiss MONICA (MONItoring of trends and determinants in CArdiovscular disease) study (1983–1992) and could be followed up for survival until 2008 by using anonymous record linkage. Cox regression models were used to calculate mortality hazard ratios (HRs) and to estimate excess deaths. Independent variables were age, sex, survey wave, diet, physical activity, smoking, educational class. After adjustment for age and sex the association between BMI and all-cause mortality was J shaped (non-smokers) or U shaped (smokers). Compared to BMI 18.5–24.9, among those with BMI ≥ 30 (obesity) HR for all-cause mortality was 1.41 (95% confidence interval: 1.23–1.62), for cardiovascular disease (CVD) 2.05 (1.60–2.62), for cancer 1.29 (1.04–1.60). Further adjustment attenuated the obesity-mortality relationship but the associations remained statistically significant. No significant increase was found for overweight (BMI 25–29.9). Between 4 and 6.5% of all deaths, 8.8–13.7% of CVD deaths and 2.4–3.9% of cancer deaths could be attributed to obesity. Obesity, but not overweight was associated with excess mortality, mainly because of an increased risk of death from CVD and cancer. Public health interventions should focus on preventing normal- and overweight persons from becoming obese.     

Wine consumption throughout life is inversely associated with type 2 diabetes risk,but only in overweight individuals: results from a large female French cohort study

Alcohol has previously been shown to have a U-shaped association with type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk, but less is known regarding the specific association with wine. To evaluate for the first time the associations between T2D risk and both baseline wine consumption and trajectories of wine consumption frequency throughout life, estimated using an innovative group-based trajectory modeling strategy. A total of 66,485 women from the French prospective E3N-EPIC cohort were followed between 1993 and 2007; 1,372 incident cases of T2D were diagnosed during the follow-up. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) for T2D risk. The average consumption of wine, among alcohol consumers, was 0.81 drinks/day (1 drink = 150 mL). Associations between wine and T2D were restricted to overweight women (P_interaction = 0.0084). Among them, wine consumption was inversely associated with T2D risk (P_trend = 0.0022). A lower risk was observed for overweight women having two or more drinks/day [HR 0.59 (0.43–0.82)] when compared with non-alcohol consumers. Women who started to drink wine early in life (around age 10–15 years) were at a significantly lower risk than lifetime abstainers. In our study, wine drinking was inversely associated with T2D risk but only in overweight women. Our results also suggest a potential beneficial, cumulative effect of moderate wine consumption throughout life for overweight women, who would already be at higher risk of T2D. We encourage other cohort studies with information on wine consumption to investigate these associations.     

The risk of breast cancer associated with dietary lignans differs by CYP17 genotype in women

Lignans are plant compounds metabolized in the gut to produce the phytoestrogens enterolactone and enterodiol. Reduced breast cancer risks associated with higher urinary lignan excretion may be related to competitive inhibition of endogenous estrogens. Evidence exists that associations with reproductive risk factors for breast cancer differ according to cytochrome P450c17alpha (CYP17) genotype. Genetic variability in estrogen metabolism could affect lignan metabolism thereby modifying risk associations. We examined breast cancer risk, dietary lignans and CYP17 genotype among 207 women with primary, incident, histologically confirmed breast cancer and 188 controls frequency matched to cases by age and county of residence. Self-reported frequency of intake of 170 foods and beverages during the 2 y before the interview and other relevant data were collected by detailed in-person interviews. Dietary lignan intake was expressed as the sum of enterolactone and enterodiol production from foods. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for age, education and other breast cancer risk factors. Women in the highest tertile of dietary lignans tended to have reduced breast cancer risk (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.20-1.01 and OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.28-1.27, pre- and postmenopausal women, respectively). Substantially reduced risks in the highest tertile of lignans were observed for premenopausal women with at least one A2 allele (OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.03-0.50). Our results suggest that CYP17 genotype may be important in modifying the effect on breast cancer risk of exogenous estrogens, particularly for premenopausal women.     

Wine consumption is not associated with a decreased risk of alcoholic cirrhosis in heavy drinkers

- AIMS: While it was thought that all alcoholic beverages share a similar liver toxicity when drunk at a high level, recent epidemiological surveys have suggested that wine drinking might decrease the risk of alcoholic cirrhosis in heavy drinkers. Therefore, we performed a study aiming to analyse the type and the intake levels of alcoholic beverages in heavy drinkers according to the severity of the liver disease. METHODS: This is a case-control study enrolling 42 cirrhotic and 60 non-cirrhotic patients. Liver status was assessed using clinical, biological, histological and ultrasonographic procedures. Alcohol consumption was recorded using the Lifetime Drinking History method. RESULTS: We did not find any significant differences in total alcohol consumption between cases and controls and, moreover, in our series, the relative percentage of pure alcohol drunk in wine was significantly higher in cirrhotic, than in non-cirrhotic, patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm that the absence of a link between the type of alcoholic beverage and the occurrence of cirrhosis is still valid.     

Rice intake is associated with reduced risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease in Japanese men but not women

Rice is a staple food in Japan and provides 43% of carbohydrate and 29% of energy intake in the Japanese population. In a prospective study encompassing 83,752 Japanese men and women aged 40-79 y, rice intake was determined by self-administered FFQ. Median follow-up time was 14.1 y from 1988-1990 to the end of 2003, and HR and 95% CI of mortality were calculated according to quintiles of energy-adjusted rice intake. A total of 3514 cardiovascular deaths [1640 strokes, 707 coronary heart disease (CHD), and 560 heart failure] were documented. There was a gender difference on the effect of rice intake on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Overall, rice intake was inversely associated with CHD, heart failure, and total CVD in men but not in women. Rice intake was not associated with risk of stroke in either gender. The multivariable HR (95% CI) for the extreme quintiles of rice intake in men were 0.70 [(0.49-0.99); P-trend = 0.02] for CHD, 0.70 [(0.46-1.05); P-trend = 0.05] for heart failure, and 0.82 [(0.70-0.97); P-trend = 0.006] for total CVD. For women, rice was not associated with reduced risk of mortality from CVD after adjusting for lifestyle and dietary variables. In conclusion, the consumption of steamed rice was associated with reduced risk of mortality from CVD in Japanese men but not women. This finding necessitates further investigations on the mechanisms leading to this gender difference.     

Legume consumption is inversely associated with serum concentrations of adhesion molecules and inflammatory biomarkers among Iranian women

Independent association between legume intake and systemic inflammation is not well documented. The traditional Iranian diet provides an opportunity to assess the association between legume intake and health outcomes. This study was carried out to examine legume consumption in relation to serum concentrations of adhesion molecules and inflammatory biomarkers among Iranian women. In this cross-sectional study, 486 Tehrani female teachers were investigated. A trained dietitian administered a validated semiquantitative FFQ for assessment of usual dietary intakes. Legume intake was calculated by summing up the consumption of lentils, peas, chickpeas, different kinds of beans including broad beans, and chickling vetch. To measure serum concentrations of adhesion molecules and inflammatory biomarkers, a fasting blood sample was taken. After statistically controlling for potential confounders, individuals in the highest tertile of legume intake had lower serum concentrations of E-selectin (percent difference between the lowest and highest tertile: -14.1%; P = 0.04), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (-20.3%; P < 0.01), and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (-15.6%; P = 0.01) compared with those in the lowest tertile. Legume intake was inversely associated with serum concentrations of high sensitive CRP (hs-CRP), TNFα, and IL-6, even after controlling for potential confounders and dietary variables (percent difference between the lowest and highest tertile for hs-CRP: -39.2%, P < 0.001; for TNFα: -15.9%, P = 0.04; and for IL-6: -39.5%, P < 0.01). Legume intake and concentrations of serum amyloid A were not correlated. Legume consumption is inversely associated with serum concentrations of adhesion molecules and inflammatory biomarkers among Iranian women.     

Frequency of soup intake is inversely associated with body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio, but not with other metabolic risk factors in Japanese men

Several previous studies have shown that the intake of soup negatively correlates with the body mass index (BMI), serum cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels, and blood pressure, suggesting that soup intake reduces metabolic risk. However, the correlation between soup intake and various metabolic risk factors has not been well-established. Especially, it has not been investigated in Asian countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the frequency of soup intake and metabolic risk factors such as BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, serum cholesterol, serum triacylglycerol, blood glucose, and glycated hemoglobin. A cross-sectional study of 103 Japanese men aged 24 to 75 years was conducted. The intake of soup and other food was investigated by semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires. The correlation between the frequency of soup intake and metabolic risk factors was analyzed by multiple regression analysis with a linear model. The median value of frequency of soup intake was 7.0 times per week. After adjusting for confounding factors such as age, energy intake, energy from alcohol intake, current smoking, and estimated energy expenditure, the frequency of soup intake was found to have a significant inverse association with BMI (P=0.040), waist circumference (P=0.024), and waist-to-hip ratio (P=0.001). However, no significant associations with other metabolic risk factors were found. Frequency of soup intake is negatively correlated with obesity-related physical parameters in Japanese men.     

An energy-dense, nutrient-poor dietary pattern is inversely associated with bone health in women

Measures of dietary patterns have been increasingly used to capture the complex nature of dietary intake. Few studies have investigated the impact of specific dietary patterns on bone health. Areal bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine and total hip and total body bone mineral content (BMC) were measured using DXA in Australian women aged 18-65 y (n = 527). Dietary patterns were assessed using a 4-d food diary and factor analysis. Scores were calculated based on the amount of each food consumed in the pattern and the weightings determined by factor analysis. Analysis was conducted using generalized estimating equation methods. Factor analysis revealed 5 dietary patterns. Pattern 1 (high consumption of refined cereals, soft drinks, fried potatoes, sausages and processed meat, vegetable oils, beer, and takeaway foods and low consumption of other vegetables, vegetable dishes, tea, coffee, fruit, wholegrain breads, and breakfast cereals) were significantly inversely associated with total body BMC (g) [β = -15.4 (95% CI -27.4, -3.3), adjusted for age, height, physical activity, smoking, education, energy, and calcium intake]. Pattern 4 (high consumption of legumes, seafood, seeds, nuts, wine, rice and rice dishes, other vegetables, and vegetable dishes and low consumption of bacon and ham) were directly associated with BMD at both sites and total body BMC in adjusted models [BMC (g): β = 15.2 (95% CI 2.84, 27.6), fully adjusted model]. The remaining dietary patterns were not consistently associated with BMD or BMC. This study identified specific dietary patterns associated with BMD and total body BMC among women and provides evidence that will contribute to potential food-based strategies for improving bone health.     

Fish consumption is inversely associated with male lung cancer mortality in countries with high levels of cigarette smoking or animal fat consumption

BACKGROUND: A striking difference in fish consumption and lung cancer mortality (LCM) exists among populations worldwide. This study investigated the relation between fish consumption and LCM at the population level. METHODS: Sex-specific LCM data, mostly around 1993 and fish consumption data for 10 periods 1961-1994 in 36 countries were obtained from WHO and FAO, respectively. RESULTS: A significant inverse correlation exists between log fish consumption and LCM rate in 9 out of the 10 time periods (r = -0.34 to r = -0.46, P = 0.044 to P = 0.005). After adjusting for smoking and other confounders, log fish consumption (% of total energy [% E]) was inversely and significantly associated with LCM rate (per 100 000 per year) in all 10 time periods (beta = -26.3 to beta = -36.7; P = 0.0039 to P < 0.0001). The stratified analysis showed that this inverse relation was significant only in countries with above median level of smoking (>2437 cigarettes/adult/year) or animal fat minus fish fat consumption (22.4% E). An increase in fish consumption by 1% E was calculated to reduce mean male LCM rate of the populations examined in the age class of 45-74 years by 8.4%. In women, no significant relation between fish consumption and LCM could be established. CONCLUSIONS: Fish consumption is associated with a reduced risk from LCM, but this possible protective effect is clear-cut only in men and in countries with high levels of cigarette smoking or animal fat consumption.     

The consumption of lycopene and tomato-based food products is not associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes in women

Lycopene is a major carotenoid with potent antioxidant properties that may provide protection against the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). In this study we examined the association between baseline dietary intakes of lycopene, lycopene-containing foods, and the subsequent development of type 2 DM in a large prospective cohort study. We analyzed a total of 35,783 women from the United States, aged > or =45 y and free from self-reported cardiovascular disease, cancer, and DM at baseline. Intakes of lycopene and total and individual tomato-based food products were assessed by a 131-item-validated semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. During a median follow-up of 10.2 y, 1544 cases of incident type 2 DM were documented. After adjusting for age, total energy intake, randomized treatment assignment, body mass index, and other known DM risk factors, the multivariate-adjusted relative risks and 95% CI of type 2 DM across increasing quintiles of dietary lycopene, were 1.00 (baseline), 1.10 (0.94-1.29), 1.10 (0.94-1.29), and 1.07 (0.91-1.26) (P linear trend = 0.56). Compared with women who consumed <1.5 servings/wk total tomato-based food products, women who consumed 1.5 to <4, 4 to <7, 7 to <10, and > or =10 servings/wk had multivariate relative risks (95% CI) of 1.03 (0.88-1.20), 1.02 (0.87-1.20), 1.09 (0.89-1.33), and 1.04 (0.80-1.36), respectively (P linear trend = 0.54). The associations for individual tomato-based food products were similar to the results for the combination of all tomato products. Our study found little evidence for an association between dietary intake of lycopene or lycopene-containing foods and the risk of type 2 DM.     

Dietary acrylamide intake is not associated with gastrointestinal cancer risk

Acrylamide is a probable human carcinogen that was detected in several heat-treated foods, such as French fries and crisps, in 2002. Prospective studies are needed on acrylamide and human cancer risk. We prospectively investigated the association between acrylamide and gastrointestinal cancer risk. In 1986, 120,852 men and women (aged 55-69 y) were included in the Netherlands Cohort Study on diet and cancer. At baseline, a random subcohort of 5000 participants was selected for a case-cohort approach. Acrylamide intake was assessed with a FFQ at baseline and was based on acrylamide analyses in relevant Dutch foods. After 13.3 y of follow-up, 2190, 563, 349, and 216 cases of colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, and esophageal cancer, respectively, were available for analysis. The daily acrylamide intake of the subcohort was (mean +/- SD) 21.7 +/- 12.1 microg. A 10-microg/d increment of acrylamide intake was associated with multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard rate ratios (HR) (95% CI) of 1.00 (0.96-1.06), 1.02 (0.94-1.10), 1.06 (0.96-1.17), and 0.96 (0.85-1.09) for colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, and esophageal cancer, respectively. For former or never-smokers, the corresponding HR were: 1.03 (0.94-1.12), 1.09 (0.98-1.22), 1.07 (0.93-1.24), and 0.92 (0.76-1.11). There were some significantly increased risks within subgroups stratified by obesity, nonoccupational physical activity, and age, factors that were a priori selected based on their capacity to modify cytochrome P4502E1 activity. Overall, acrylamide intake was not associated with colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, and esophageal cancer risk, but some subgroups deserve further attention.