In middle-aged men, a relatively high dietary intake of linoleic acid may help lower the risk of prostate cancer and other cancers, according to a Finnish cohort study. The researchers say these findings hint that recommendations to substitute dietary linoleic acid for saturated fat to prevent cardiovascular disease may have the added benefit of protecting against cancers. "Dietary and serum fatty acid composition has been implicated in the pathogenesis of prostate and other cancers, but findings have been conflicting," Dr. David E. Laaksonen from the University of Kuopio and colleagues explain in the September 1st International Journal of Cancer. "Cohort studies reporting serum fatty acid composition are lacking." The investigators studied the association between dietary fatty acid composition assessed by food diary and serum and incident prostate cancer or "any" cancer in 2,002 middle-aged men free of cancer at baseline and during the first 4 years of follow up. During 12.6 years of follow up, 46 men developed prostate cancer and 151 any cancer. Data analysis showed that men with serum linoleic acid, n-6 fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the upper tertile were "less than one-third" as likely to develop prostate cancer during follow up as those with levels in the lowest tertile. The association held after adjustment for socioeconomic status, physical activity, obesity, and insulin concentrations. Dietary linoleic acid intake obtained from 4-day food records also "tended to be inversely associated with incident prostate cancer," with an age-adjusted relative risk of 0.55 for the upper vs the lower tertile. The team also found "similar but weaker" associations with any cancer. Dr. Laaksonen and colleagues conclude, "Substitution of linoleic acid for saturated fat in middle-aged men consuming a high saturated-fat diet may decrease the risk of prostate and other cancers," although they acknowledge that other nutrients associated with vegetable fats may be responsible for the protective effect. Int J Cancer 2004;111:444-450. Thanks to Reuters Health 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.