Healthy Diet Decreases Risk Of Ovarian Cancer In African-American Women

Eating a healthy diet could help lower the risk of ovarian cancer in African-American women, according to a recent study.

During the study, researchers collected data from 415 women with ovarian cancer and 629 control patients, using data from the African-American Epidemiology Study. 

"Because there is currently no reliable screening available for ovarian cancer, most cases are diagnosed at advanced stages," said the study's author, Bo (Bonnie) Qin, PhD, a postdoctoral associate at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, in a news release. "That highlights a critical need for identifying modifiable lifestyle factors, including dietary interventions."

Researchers evaluated the impact of three index-based dietary patterns, courtesy of the release: the 2005 Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2005), which was based on the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans; the 2010 Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010), which reflects the most recent dietary guidelines and has an increased emphasis on quality; and the Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), which is based on a different nutrition guide, the Healthy Eating Pyramid.

Participants answered questions about their diet in the year leading up to a diagnosis (for patients) or to the time of an interview (for controls). Based on numerous coponents of the three diets, the women then received scores. 

Findings showed that women with the highest adherence to an AHEI-2010 diet were 34 percent less likely to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer than those in the lowest quartile.

The benefits of AHEI-2010 come from higher vegetable intake with lower intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice. It also has more specific recommendations for protein and fat sources, including nuts, legumes, and omega-3 fatty acids.

"As a high quality diet is likely to have benefits for many chronic conditions, it is probably a safe bet for better health in general," she added.

The findings were presented at the Eighth American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved, held Nov. 13-16.

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