A study recently published in the International Journal of Cancer, focuses on the relationship between dietary eating patterns in women and overall risk of ovarian and breast cancers. While the study clearly revisits a topic which has seen support on both ends of the spectrum, the results clearly point to a link between overall dietary eating habits and an increased or decreased chance of ovarian and breast cancers.
A total of approximately 7,200 women were given detailed questionnaires regarding their eating and dietary habits. One half of the women had been previously diagnosed with either breast or ovarian cancer, while the remaining 3,600 women remained cancer free.
When the eating habits were reviewed, the women fell into four clear groups. Group one ate heavily of animal meats and saturated fats coupled with zinc and calcium, group two showed a diet concentrated with fiber rich and vitamin rich foods, group three ate high amounts of fish oils and vegetables and group four showed eating habits focusing on foods rich in starches.
Of the four groups, the women who ate foods higher in fibers and vegetables had a 23% less chance of contracting ovarian cancer. The women who ate heavily of animal rich foods showed a near 25% reduction in the chance of contracting breast cancer. The group of women who chose to stay away from saturated fats were slightly less likely to contract breast cancer. And, the starch rich diets proved to be the most dangerous set of all, offering elevated risks of both cancers.
Due to the complexities of the human diet, it is uncertain whether a certain group of foods or an individual food is to blame for the increased or decreased chance of ovarian or breast cancers.
