Abstract
BackgroundStudies on the relationship between vegetarian diet and breast cancer in Asian populations are limited. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between vegetarian diet, dietary patterns, and breast cancer in Taiwanese women.MethodsThis case-control study compared the dietary patterns of 233 breast cancer patients and 236 age-matched controls. A questionnaire about vegetarian diets and 28 frequently-consumed food items was administered to these 469 patients in the surgical department of Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital. Serum biochemical status was also examined.ResultsThere were no significant differences between the two groups for age, education, family history, oral contraceptive usage, or regular exercise. However, the cancer group presented with both a higher body mass index and an older age of primiparity (P < 0.05). Two food items (shellfish and seafood) were highly correlated (correlation coefficient = 0.77), so shellfish was excluded to avoid multicollinearity. A factor analysis of 27 food items produced five dietary patterns: meat, processed meat, fruit/vegetable/soybean, dessert/sugar, and fermented food. Multivariate logistic regression showed that meat/fat and processed meat dietary patterns were associated with breast cancer risk (odds ratio (OR): 2.22, 95% CI 1.67–2.94, P < 0.001; OR: 1.49, 95% CI 1.09–2.04, P = 0.013, respectively). Vegetarian diet, high isoflavone intake, and high albumin levels were inversely associated with breast cancer risk (P < 0.05). Vegetarians had a higher daily soy isoflavone intake than non-vegetarians (25.9 ± 25.6 mg vs. 18.1 ± 15.6 mg, P < 0.001).ConclusionsVegetarian diets show as protective role against breast cancer risk, while meat and processed meat dietary patterns are associated with a higher breast cancer risk.
Highlights
Studies on the relationship between vegetarian diet and breast cancer in Asian populations are limited
The cancer group had a lower percentage of women following vegetarian diets (34.3% vs. 48.7%, P = 0.002) and lower daily soy isoflavone intake (17.2 ± 16.0 mg vs. 26.3 ± 24.7 mg, P < 0.001) than the control group
Our observations demonstrated that three non-meat dietary patterns had no association with breast cancer risk
Summary
Studies on the relationship between vegetarian diet and breast cancer in Asian populations are limited. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between vegetarian diet, dietary patterns, and breast cancer in Taiwanese women. The incidence of breast cancer has doubled in just two decades. Breast cancer has been shown to be the fastest increasing cancer type, according to one administration’s report [2]. Literature has suggested varying risk factors for the development of breast cancer in premenopausal and. The role that nutrients and food components play in the development of breast cancer has been comprehensively examined. Caffeinated coffee intake has been shown to likely be associated with a lower risk of postmenopausal breast cancer [9].
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