Comments on: Food, nutrition, and cancer prevention: the latest word

By: Erin Christman

Erin Christman — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:09:24 +0000

I took a look at the link to Sandy Szwarc’s blog. I’m not a scientist, so I couldn’t review her analysis, but I did Google her, and found out that she’s associated with a couple of “astroturf” (ie, not grassroots) groups like Tech Central Station and the National Council Against Health Fraud.

By: cancer research uk » Diet, nutrition, and cancer prevention: the latest word

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 16:11:37 +0000

[...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThe American Institute for Cancer Research has just come out with an update report on its 1997 report on diet and cancer risk and prevention. After five years of research, the committee doing the report has ten recommendations. … [...]

By: Anton

Anton — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:44:50 +0000

My guess is, diet doesn’t have a whole lot to do with cancer. Maybe a bit around the margins. If it diet were that pivotal — on the order of asbestos exposure or smoking — the effect would get more and more pronounced the more you study it. And it clearly doesn’t. You need 1,200 studies to see even small effects.

I’m guessing that any food or component studied thus far isn’t a big factor in cancer.

No idea what it is, but I doubt that its food.

By: Bix

Bix — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:21:06 +0000

If it’s true, Anton, as you and Sandy Szwarc say, that none of these recommendations are valid … what does influence the initiation and progression of cancer? I mean, if not body weight, diet, physical activity … then what? What should researchers be studying instead? (Not being contrary, just really wondering.)

By: Anton

Anton — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:21:16 +0000

Okay, I actually looked at the data in the report.

Mostly epidemiology. Correlations only. Which has its own problems. Although they somehow found a way to “Find causality in correlations.”

Virtually ALL the ‘correlations’ are RR, relative risk, and TINY.

Oddly, many of the actual recommendations aren’t even supported by their own results.

Sandy Szwarc does an excellent review here:

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/11/jfs-exclusive-whats-evidence-cancers.html

By: Bix

Bix — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:03:35 +0000

“Limit intake of red meat.”

Do I eat red meat to keep my carb intake down and my intake of beneficial? saturated fat up, which I’ve read (via advocates of low-carb diets) will decrease my risk for cancer?

Or do I limit red meat which, by some mechanism?, will reduce my risk for cancer?

By: damotion

damotion — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:28:19 +0000

[...] can read the full story here No Comments so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI [...]

By: Anton

Anton — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 01:08:36 +0000

All wonderful stuff. But it tends to perpetuate the feeling that “If you get cancer, it’s your fault you slugabed meat-eating candy-hound, you.” I’m not sure that’s useful.

Also missing from the report so far is some sense of scale or perspective on these findings. Obesity is related to an increase in esophageal cancer? What is the MAGNITUDE of that effect? Are we talking about doubling the risk from 0.02% to 0.04%? Or what?

This blind and blanket talk of gives rise to gross misperceptions. “Broccoli fights cancer.”

By: Diet Foods » Blog Archive » Diet, nutrition, and cancer prevention: the latest word

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:10:53 +0000

[...] Marion wrote an interesting post today on Diet, nutrition, and cancer prevention: the latest wordHere’s a quick excerptEat mostly foods of plant origin. Limit intake of red meat and avoid processed meat. Limit alcoholic drinks. Limit consumption of salt. Avoid mouldy cereals (grains) or pulses (legumes). Aim to meet nutritional needs through diet alone. … [...]

By: Diet, nutrition, and cancer prevention: the latest word by medTRIALS.info

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:28:29 +0000

[...] years of research, the committee doing the report has ten recommendations. …Original post by Marion delivered by Medtrials and [...]