Low Whole Grain, Dairy Intake Among Most Common Dietary Factors Linked To Cancers: Study

A poor diet can trigger a number of health problems, some of the most well-known being high blood pressure, high blood sugar or diabetes, heart problems and even poor mental health. Poor diet is linked with a number of serious and potentially fatal ailments and following a healthy diet has been found to increase longevity and reduce mortality risk. A new study has now linked poor dietary habits to various different types of cancers, indicating that consuming healthy food is not just important for your well-being but can also prevent serious diseases. The study said that low whole grain intake was linked with the highest number and proportion of newly reported cancer cases.

This was followed by low dairy intake, high intake of highly processed meats, low consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and red meats. These dietary factors were found to have accounted for approximately five per cent of all invasive cancers, among American adults of ages 20 years and older. The study titled, "Preventable cancer burden associated with dietary intake in the United States" was published recently in JNCI Cancer Spectrum. Another key result of the study said that among the diet-related cancer cases, about 16 per cent could be attributed to obesity-mediated pathways.

The study also estimated that above 80,000 cancer diagnoses among adults in the United States of America in 2015 were directly linked with low intake of whole grains and dairy products, as well as high consumption of red meats and processed meats. Additionally, the highest proportion of diet-related cancers were found to have colorectal cancer and these accounted for 38 per cent of all cases linked with poor diets in 2015. However, the study authors also cautioned against the fact the method of self-reported dietary habits that was also followed for this particular study, are subject to measurement errors. Additionally, they said that estimates of diet-related cancer risk may differ by age, sex, race/ethnicity as well as other modifiers.