Proinflammatory Diets Tied to Increased Risk for Colorectal Cancer

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by André Sofair, MD, MPH, and William E. Chavey, MD, MS

Patients may ask about a study suggesting that diets with a high potential to cause inflammation are associated with increased risk for colorectal cancer. The findings appear in JAMA Oncology.

Researchers calculated proinflammatory dietary scores for 121,000 U.S. health professionals who regularly completed food-frequency questionnaires as part of two prospective studies. The scores identified diets most predictive of certain plasma markers of inflammation, including interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein. Foods with high inflammatory potential included processed meats, refined grains, and tomatoes; products with low inflammatory potential included beer, wine, green and dark yellow vegetables, and pizza.

Over 25 years' follow-up, 2700 participants developed colorectal cancer. Men in the lowest quintile of proinflammatory diet score had an incidence of 113 per 100,000 person-years, versus 151 per 100,000 in the highest quintile. Among women, incidences were 80 versus 92 per 100,000, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, colorectal cancer risk was significantly higher in men and women in the highest quintiles.