Groenten en fruit ter voorkoming van slokdarmkanker*
Uit een Amerikaanse studie blijkt dat het eten van voldoende groenten en fruit de kans op slokdarmkanker fors kan verlagen. Aan ruim 900 deelnemers aan de studie werden 110 verschillende vragen met betrekking tot hun voeding gesteld. 296 deelnemers hadden een Barrettslokdarm, een voorstadium van slokdarmkanker, 308 deelnemers hadden regelmatig last van reflux (terugvloeien van maagzuur in de slokdarm, hetgeen weer kan leiden tot een barrettslokdarm) en 309 deelnemers waren gezond. Als gevolg van het meer of minder eten van groenten en fruit kregen de deelnemers ook meer of minder
vitamine C, E en
bčtacaroteen binnen. Zij met de hoogste inname van vitamine C in de voeding hadden 52% minder kans op een Barrettslokdarm, met de hoogste inname van bčtacaroteen was die kans 44% lager en met vitamine E was die kans zelfs 75% lager. Dezelfde antioxidanten in de vorm van supplementen bleken geen effect te hebben op een verlaagde kans op een barrettslokdarm.
Study Shows Fruit Reduces Risk of Esophageal Cancer
A diet high in fruits and vegetables may significantly decrease a person's risk of esophageal cancer, according to a study conducted by researchers from Kaiser Permanente Northern California and published in the American Journal of
Gastroenterology.
The researchers compared people's risk of contracting a condition known as Barrett's esophagus - a precursor to esophageal cancer - with their intakes of the antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene. Of more than 900 participants, 296 had Barrett's esophagus, 308 had gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and 309 had neither condition. Antioxidant intake was assessed by means of the 110-item food frequency questionnaire.
Barrett's esophagus is caused by GERD.
The researchers found that those with the highest dietary intake of vitamin C had a 52 percent lower risk of developing Barrett's esophagus than those with the lowest intake, when those with Barrett's esophagus were compared to those in the control group. Those with the highest intake of beta-carotene had a 44 percent lower risk, and those with the highest dietary intake of vitamin E had a 75 percent lower risk.
Comparing cases to population controls, dietary intake of vitamin C and beta-carotene were inversely associated with the risk of BE (4th vs 1st quartile, adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.26–0.90; OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.32–0.99, respectively), and the inverse association was strongest for vitamin E (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.11–0.59).
The highest average dietary intakes of vitamin C, beta-carotene and vitamin E were 184 milligrams per day, 6.8 milligrams per day and 19 micrograms per day, respectively. The lowest average intakes were 43 milligrams per day, 1.8 milligrams per day and 5.4 micrograms per
day, respectively.
"The study demonstrated that antioxidant intake was inversely associated with the risk of developing Barrett's oesophagus and that the effects appear to come mainly from dietary sources and not from supplemental sources," the researchers
wrote. (Januari
2009)
