In November 2018 researchers from the USA published the results of their study to assess the association between various diets and colorectal cancer. A total of 78,012 women and 46,695 men were involved in the study, with the women being followed for 6 years and and the men 4 years. A dietary index score was assessed for the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, Alternative Mediterranean Diet (AMED), and Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010). During the period of follow-up 2,690 colorectal cancer cases were diagnosed. Results showed that a greater adherence to the DASH, AMED, and AHEI-2010 diets was associated with a reduced incidence of colorectal cancer. A sex-specific analysis revealed that there was a stronger association between dietary scores and reduced incidence of colorectal cancer in men than in women.
Petimar J et al. Recommendation-based dietary indexes and risk of colorectal cancer in the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018 Nov 1;108(5):1092-1103.