Dietary considerations for risk reduction

Abstract

In the last two decades, the potential role of dietary factors in the etiology and prevention of cancer has gained considerable attention. Using an in-depth assessment performed in 1982 by the National Research Council's (NRC) Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer as the basis, this paper compares dietary guidelines to lower cancer risk issued by the NRC committee with those of other major scientific and voluntary health organizations in the United States and abroad. In general, the public has been advised to decrease total fat intake, maintain appropriate body weight, emphasize consumption of certain fruits and vegetables and complex carbohydrates, and to drink alcohol only in moderation. The guidelines proposed by the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the NRC committee are in agreement with those made in Japan and some European countries, and are similar to those proposed for health promotion by the United States Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. Individual scientists and organizations have both criticized and endorsed these guidelines. Additional research to strengthen the data base and better agreement among scientists about the criteria for acceptability of evidence are needed for arriving at more definitive dietary recommendations to the public.