Title
Quantity and variety of fruit and vegetable consumption and cancer risk
Author
Jansen, M.C.J.F.
Bueno-De-Mesquita, H.B.
Feskens, E.J.M.
Streppel, M.T.
Kok, F.J.
Kromhout, D.
TNO Voeding
Publication year
2004
Abstract
The recommendation for fruit and vegetable intake includes eating a certain quantity as well as a variety. The evidence for eating a variety is limited. We examined the association with cancer in a prospective cohort study among 730 Dutch men aged 65-84 yr followed for 10 years, resulting in 138 cancer cases. The quantity of fruits and vegetables was assessed using a dietary history and the variety in intake was based on a food frequency questionnaire. Adherence to the recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables was inversely associated with total cancer risk: The adjusted relative risk (RR) was 0.56 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.31-1.00]. Eating the recommended daily 200 g of vegetables was not related to cancer incidence, whereas eating the recommended 200 g of fruit was associated with a 38% lower risk. Variety in vegetable intake was inversely associated with total cancer and non-lung epithelial cancer: The RRs (95% CI) for the highest and lowest tertiles were 0.64 (0.43-0.95) and 0.51 (0.27-0.97), respectively. Only after excluding the first two years of follow-up, variety in fruit intake was associated with reduced cancer risk. In conclusion, adherence to the guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake was associated with lower cancer risk. Besides quantity, variety in intake is also of importance.
Subject
Health Nutrition
Food and Chemical Risk Analysis
aged
article
cancer risk
carcinoma
cohort analysis
dietary intake
disease association
eating habit
follow up
food composition
food quality
fruit
human
major clinical study
male
Netherlands
practice guideline
prospective study
questionnaire
risk factor
vegetable
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Cohort Studies
Diet
Diet Surveys
Food Habits
Fruit
Humans
Incidence
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Neoplasms
Netherlands
Nutrition Policy
Proportional Hazards Models
Prospective Studies
Questionnaires
Risk Assessment
Vegetables
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TNO identifier
237943
ISSN
0163-5581
Source
Nutrition and Cancer, 48 (2), 142-148
Document type
article