Animal Fatty Acids increase risk of pancreatic cancer
In a large prospective cohort with a wide range of intakes, dietary fat of animal origin was associated with increased pancreatic cancer risk (J Nation Cancer Instit. 2009) (DOI:10.1093/jnci/djp168). Researchers prospectively analyzed the association between intakes of fat, fat subtypes and fat food sources and exocrine pancreatic cancer in the National Institutes of Health–AARP Diet and Health Study, a U.S. cohort of 308,736 men and 216,737 women who completed a 124-item food frequency questionnaire in 1995 to 1996.
Over an average follow-up of 6.3 years, 865 men and 472 women were diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic cancer. After multivariable adjustment and combination of data for men and women, pancreatic cancer risk was directly related to the intakes of total fat, saturated fat and monounsaturated fat, but not polyunsaturated fat. The associations were strongest for saturated fat from animal food sources; specifically, intakes from red meat and dairy products were both statistically significantly associated with increased pancreatic cancer risk.
