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Food biodiversity and gastrointestinal cancer risk in nine European countries : Analysis within a prospective cohort study

Huybrechts, Inge ; Chimera, Bernadette ; Hanley-Cook, Giles T. ; Biessy, Carine ; Deschasaux-Tanguy, Mélanie ; Touvier, Mathilde ; Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle ; Srour, Bernard ; Baudry, Julia and Berlivet, Justine , et al. (2024) In European Journal of Cancer 210.
Abstract

Background: Food biodiversity in human diets has potential co-benefits for both public health and sustainable food systems. However, current evidence on the potential relationship between food biodiversity and cancer risk, and particularly gastrointestinal cancers typically related to diet, remains limited. This study evaluated how dietary species richness (DSR) was associated with gastrointestinal cancer risk in a pan-European population. Methods: Associations between DSR and subsequent gastrointestinal cancer risk were examined among 450,111 adults enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort (EPIC, initiated in 1992), free of cancer at baseline. Usual dietary intakes were assessed at recruitment... (More)

Background: Food biodiversity in human diets has potential co-benefits for both public health and sustainable food systems. However, current evidence on the potential relationship between food biodiversity and cancer risk, and particularly gastrointestinal cancers typically related to diet, remains limited. This study evaluated how dietary species richness (DSR) was associated with gastrointestinal cancer risk in a pan-European population. Methods: Associations between DSR and subsequent gastrointestinal cancer risk were examined among 450,111 adults enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort (EPIC, initiated in 1992), free of cancer at baseline. Usual dietary intakes were assessed at recruitment with country-specific dietary questionnaires. DSR of an individual's yearly diet was calculated based on the absolute number of unique biological species in each food and drink item. Associations between DSR and cancer risk were assessed by multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models. Findings: During a median follow-up time of 14.1 years (SD=3.9), 10,705 participants were diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) comparing overall gastrointestinal cancer risk in the highest versus lowest quintiles of DSR indicated inverse associations in multivariable-adjusted models [HR (95 % CI): 0.77 (0.69–0.87); P-value < 0·0001] (Table 2). Specifically, inverse associations were observed between DSR and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, proximal colon, colorectal, and liver cancer risk (p-trend<0.05 for all cancer types). Interpretation: Greater food biodiversity in the diet may lower the risk of certain gastrointestinal cancers. Further research is needed to replicate these novel findings and to understand potential mechanisms.

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Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
European Journal of Cancer
volume
210
article number
114258
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:39168001
  • scopus:85201468768
ISSN
0959-8049
DOI
10.1016/j.ejca.2024.114258
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7929329e-413f-4251-a758-cde88ff816cb
date added to LUP
2024-10-28 13:38:29
date last changed
2025-07-09 00:50:25
@article{7929329e-413f-4251-a758-cde88ff816cb,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Food biodiversity in human diets has potential co-benefits for both public health and sustainable food systems. However, current evidence on the potential relationship between food biodiversity and cancer risk, and particularly gastrointestinal cancers typically related to diet, remains limited. This study evaluated how dietary species richness (DSR) was associated with gastrointestinal cancer risk in a pan-European population. Methods: Associations between DSR and subsequent gastrointestinal cancer risk were examined among 450,111 adults enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort (EPIC, initiated in 1992), free of cancer at baseline. Usual dietary intakes were assessed at recruitment with country-specific dietary questionnaires. DSR of an individual's yearly diet was calculated based on the absolute number of unique biological species in each food and drink item. Associations between DSR and cancer risk were assessed by multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models. Findings: During a median follow-up time of 14.1 years (SD=3.9), 10,705 participants were diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) comparing overall gastrointestinal cancer risk in the highest versus lowest quintiles of DSR indicated inverse associations in multivariable-adjusted models [HR (95 % CI): 0.77 (0.69–0.87); P-value &lt; 0·0001] (Table 2). Specifically, inverse associations were observed between DSR and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, proximal colon, colorectal, and liver cancer risk (p-trend&lt;0.05 for all cancer types). Interpretation: Greater food biodiversity in the diet may lower the risk of certain gastrointestinal cancers. Further research is needed to replicate these novel findings and to understand potential mechanisms.</p>}},
  author       = {{Huybrechts, Inge and Chimera, Bernadette and Hanley-Cook, Giles T. and Biessy, Carine and Deschasaux-Tanguy, Mélanie and Touvier, Mathilde and Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle and Srour, Bernard and Baudry, Julia and Berlivet, Justine and Casagrande, Corinne and Nicolas, Geneviève and Lopez, Jessica Blanco and Millett, Christopher J. and Cakmak, Emine Koc and Robinson, Oliver J.K. and Murray, Kris A. and Schulze, Matthias B. and Masala, Giovanna and Guevara, Marcela and Bodén, Stina and Cross, Amanda J. and Tsilidis, Kostas and Heath, Alicia K. and Panico, Salvatore and Amiano, Pilar and Huerta, José Ma and Key, Tim and Ericson, Ulrika and Stocks, Tanja and Lundblad, Marie Wasmuth and Skeie, Guri and Sacerdote, Carlotta and Katzke, Verena and Playdon, Mary C. and Ferrari, Pietro and Vineis, Paolo and Lachat, Carl and Gunter, Marc J.}},
  issn         = {{0959-8049}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Cancer}},
  title        = {{Food biodiversity and gastrointestinal cancer risk in nine European countries : Analysis within a prospective cohort study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2024.114258}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ejca.2024.114258}},
  volume       = {{210}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}