The Comprehensive Approach to Diet: A Critical Review 1 ,2 Mariette Gerber 3 Groupe d’Epidémiologie Métabolique, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie, INSERM-CRLC, Montpellier, France 3To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: marietger@valdorel.fuclcc.fr Recent disappointing results have challenged the earlier results of ecological studies that launched the hypothesis of a strong relationship between diet and cancer. The present state of knowledge regarding the relationship between cancer and diet is considered and discussed here. Steps for improving the understanding of the relationship and the content of recommendations for cancer prevention and survival are proposed, such as determining the possible food effect at each step of the carcinogenesis process, considering the dietary pattern instead of a single nutrient or food, introducing the diet quality index for evaluating cancer risk and developing more comprehensive statistical methods in nutritional epidemiology. In support of these propositions, previous, recent and on-going studies are reviewed and discussed. A holistic model of diet is described as a conclusion. Ann's NOTE: Here are some excerpts from this article Understanding the relationship between cancer and diet to prevent cancer and improve survival is the goal of scientists and public health officers involved in the field. Diet: The effect of diet does not occur through the addition of single l; rather, each food combines many nutrients that allow for a synergistic action when present in a certain balance. Variety in daily food intake will avoid the repitious intake of unfavorable foods and provide the largest array of protective nutrients. Descriptive epidemiology unraveled the discrepancy of cancer incidences among various countries of the world. Migrant studies generated the hypothesis that a change in the environment from one country to another and from one food culture to another also changed cancer incidence. Ecological studies were interesting in that they considered the relationship between cancer and the whole environment of a country; error was introduced when the environment was reduced to a single nutrient (i.e. fat). Statistical validity imposed a necessary progression, which was accomplished by analytical methods in nutritional epidemiology. This useful step in understanding disease etiology has led to the confusion of a methodological approach with a preventive approach. Failure of a single-nutrient-based intervention assays illustrate this error.1, 2 References: 1)The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene,Cancer Prevention,Study Group (1994) The effect of vitamin E and beta-carotene on the incidence of lung cancer and other cancers in male smokers. N Engl J. Med. 330:1029-1035. 2)Omenn, G.S., Goodman, G.E., Thornquist, M.D., Balmes,J., Cullen, M.R.,Glass, A., Keogh, J.P., Meyskens, F.L., Valanis, B., Wiliams, J.H., Barnhart, S. & Hamma, S. (1996) Effects of a combination of beta carotene and vitamin A on lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. N Engl. J.Med. 334:1150-1155. Journal of Nutrition. 2001;131:3051S-3055S. © 2001 The American Society for Nutritional Sciences Supplement Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.