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Association between habitual dietary flavonoid and lignan intake and colorectal cancer in a Spanish case–control study (the Bellvitge Colorectal Cancer Study)

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Abstract

Background

Flavonoid-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and tea, may have a protective effect upon colorectal cancer. However, current epidemiological evidence for a protective effect of flavonoid intake upon colorectal cancer is promising but not conclusive.

Objective

To examine the relation between dietary flavonoid and lignan intakes and the risk of colorectal cancer within a Spanish population.

Design

Data from the Bellvitge Colorectal Cancer Study, a case–control study (424 cases with incident colorectal cancer and 401 hospital-based controls), were used. A reproducible and validated food frequency questionnaire was administered in personal interviews. An ad hoc food composition database on flavonoids and lignans was compiled, mainly using data from the US Department of Agriculture and Phenol-Explorer databases. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using unconditional logistic regression models.

Results

An inverse association was found between intake of total flavonoids (OR, 0.59; 95 % CI, 0.35–0.99 for the highest vs. the lowest quartile; p for trend = 0.04), lignans (OR, 0.59; 95 % CI, 0.34–0.99; p for trend = 0.03), and some individual flavonoid subgroups (flavones, proanthocyanidins) and the risk of colorectal cancer. Separate analyses by cancer site showed similar results.

Conclusions

Intake of total dietary flavonoids (particularly certain flavonoid subgroups) and lignans was inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk in a Spanish population.

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Abbreviations

EPIC:

European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition

FCDB:

Food composition database

PA:

Proanthocyanidin

USDA:

US Department of Agriculture

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Acknowledgments

This study has received financial support from the Spanish Instituto de Salud Carlos III RTICCC RD06/0020, CIBERESP CB07/02/2005 and grants PI08-1359, PI08-1635, PS09-1037) and also from the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) Scientific Foundation, the Catalan Government DURSI grant 2009SGR1489, and the European Commission grants FOOD-CT-2006-036224-HIWATE and FP7-COOP-Health-2007-B HiPerDART. R. Z. R. is thankful for a postdoctoral “Sara Borrell” program (CD09/00133) from the MEC and Instituto de Salud Carlos III.

Conflict of interest

The authors are not aware of any conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Nutrition, Environment and Cancer, Cancer Epidemiology Research Programme, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO-IDIBELL), Avda Gran Via 199-203, 08907, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

    Raul Zamora-Ros, Carla Not, Leila Luján-Barroso & Raul M. García

  2. Biomarkers and Susceptibility Unit, Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO-IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain

    Elisabeth Guinó & Victor Moreno

  3. CIBERESP, Barcelona, Spain

    Elisabeth Guinó, Ramón Salazar & Victor Moreno

  4. Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Sebastiano Biondo & Victor Moreno

  5. General Surgery Service, Bellvitge University Hospital (HUB-IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain

    Sebastiano Biondo

  6. Oncology Service, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO-IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain

    Ramón Salazar

Authors
  1. Raul Zamora-Ros
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  2. Carla Not
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  3. Elisabeth Guinó
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  4. Leila Luján-Barroso
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Correspondence to Raul Zamora-Ros.

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Zamora-Ros, R., Not, C., Guinó, E. et al. Association between habitual dietary flavonoid and lignan intake and colorectal cancer in a Spanish case–control study (the Bellvitge Colorectal Cancer Study). Cancer Causes Control 24, 549–557 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-9992-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-9992-z

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