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. 2024 Aug 1;16(15):2508.
doi: 10.3390/nu16152508.

Adherence to a Cholesterol-Lowering Diet and the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: A Case-Control Study

Matteo Di Maso  1 , Livia S A Augustin  2 , David J A Jenkins  3   4   5   6 , Anna Crispo  2 , Federica Toffolutti  7 , Eva Negri  8 , Carlo La Vecchia  1 , Monica Ferraroni  1   9 , Jerry Polesel  7
Affiliations

Adherence to a Cholesterol-Lowering Diet and the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: A Case-Control Study

Matteo Di Maso et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: Pancreatic cancer risk has been associated with increased serum cholesterol level, which is in turn partially influenced by diet. This study aimed at evaluating the association between pancreatic cancer risk and the adherence to a plant-based cholesterol-lowering diet.

Methods: Data were derived from an Italian case-control study including 258 pancreatic cancer patients and 551 controls. The cholesterol-lowering diet score was based on seven components: high intakes of (i) non-cellulosic polysaccharides (a proxy of viscous fibers), (ii) monounsaturated fatty acids, (iii) legumes, and (iv) seeds/corn oils (a proxy of phytosterols); and low intakes of (v) saturated fatty acids, (vi) dietary cholesterol, and (vii) food with a high glycemic index. The score was calculated adding one point for each fulfilled component, thus ranging from zero (no adherence) to seven (complete adherence). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated through the logistic regression model.

Results: Scores 5-7 were associated with reduced cancer risk (OR = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.18-0.52) compared to scores 0-2.

Conclusions: Adherence to a plant-based cholesterol-lowering diet was associated with a reduced risk of pancreatic cancer.

Keywords: cholesterol; pancreatic cancer; plant-based diet.

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Conflict of interest statement

David J.A. Jenkins has received research grants from Saskatchewan & Alberta Pulse Growers Associations, the Agricultural Bioproducts Innovation Program through the Pulse Research Network, the Advanced Foods and Material Network, Loblaw Companies Ltd., Unilever Canada and Netherlands, Barilla, the Almond Board of California, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Pulse Canada, Kellogg’s Company Canada, Quaker Oats Canada, Procter & Gamble Technical Centre Ltd., Bayer Consumer Care (Springfield, NJ, USA), Pepsi/Quaker, International Nut & Dried Fruit Council (INC), Soy Foods Association of North America, the Coca-Cola Company (investigator initiated, unrestricted grant), Solae, Haine Celestial, the Sanitarium Company, Orafti, the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Education Foundation, the Peanut Institute, Soy Nutrition Institute (SNI), the Canola and Flax Councils of Canada, the Calorie Control Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), and the Ontario Research Fund (ORF). He has received in-kind supplies for trials as research support from the Almond Board of California, Walnut Council of California, the Peanut Institute, Barilla, Unilever, Unico, Primo, Loblaw Companies, Quaker (Pepsico), Pristine Gourmet, Bunge Limited, Kellogg Canada, and WhiteWave Foods. He has been on the speaker’s panel, served on the scientific advisory board, and/or received travel support and/or honoraria from Nutritional Fundamentals for Health (NFH)-Nutramedica, Saint Barnabas Medical Center, The University of Chicago, 2020 China Glycemic Index (GI) International Conference, Atlantic Pain Conference, Academy of Lifelong Learning, the Almond Board of California, Canadian Agriculture Policy Institute, Loblaw Companies Ltd., the Griffin Hospital (for the development of the NuVal scoring system), the Coca-Cola Company, Epicure, Danone, Diet Quality Photo Navigation (DQPN), Better Therapeutics (FareWell), Verywell, True Health Initiative (THI), Heali AI Corp, Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Soy Nutrition Institute (SNI), Herbalife Nutrition Institute (HNI), Saskatchewan & Alberta Pulse Growers Associations, Sanitarium Company, Orafti, the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Education Foundation, the Peanut Institute, Herbalife International, Pacific Health Laboratories, Nutritional Fundamentals for Health (NFH), Barilla, Metagenics, Bayer Consumer Care, Unilever Canada and Netherlands, Solae, Kellogg, Quaker Oats, Procter & Gamble, Abbott Laboratories, Dean Foods, the California Strawberry Commission, Haine Celestial, PepsiCo, the Alpro Foundation, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, DuPont Nutrition and Health, Spherix Consulting and WhiteWave Foods, the Advanced Foods and Material Network, the Canola and Flax Councils of Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, Pulse Canada, the Soy Foods Association of North America, the Nutrition Foundation of Italy (NFI), Nutra-Source Diagnostics, the McDougall Program, the Toronto Knowledge Translation Group (St. Michael’s Hospital), the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, the Canadian Nutrition Society (CNS), the American Society of Nutrition (ASN), Arizona State University, Paolo Sorbini Foundation, and the Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism, and Diabetes. He received an honorarium from the United States Department of Agriculture to present the 2013 W.O. Atwater Memorial Lecture. He received the 2013 Award for Excellence in Research from the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council. He received funding and travel support from the Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism to produce mini cases for the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA). He is a member of the International Carbohydrate Quality Consortium (ICQC). He is also a vegan. The funders were not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article or the decision to submit it for publication. Livia S. A. Augustin is a founding member of the International Carbohydrate Quality Consortium Nutrients 2024 (ICQC) and has received honoraria from the Nutrition Foundation of Italy (NFI), research grants from LILT (a non-profit organization for the fight against cancer), and in-kind research support from Abiogen Pharma, the Almond Board of California (USA), Barilla (Italy), Consorzio Mandorle di Avola (Italy), DietaDoc (Italy), Ello Frutta (Italy), Panificio Giacomo Luongo (Italy), Perrotta (Italy), Roberto Alimentare (Italy), and SunRice (Australia). However, none of the funding she has received has been involved in the current analysis. The funders were not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article or the decision to submit it for publication. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals for pancreatic cancer risk according to a 1-point increment in the adherence to the cholesterol-lowering diet score and across strata of selected socio-demographic characteristics and lifestyle factors. Italy, 1991–2008.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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