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Food Factors for Cancer Prevention pp 14–20Cite as

Epidemiology of Vegetables and Fruits in Cancer Prevention

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Summary

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease in human populations. Large geographic variations and temporal changes in cancer risk are generally seen as related to differences in lifestyle practices, rather than reflecting differences in genetic make-up. Although smoking is considered the dominant factor in cancer etiology, an increasing range of epidemiological studies also demonstrate influences of dietary factors. Drawing of appropriate inferences from epidemiological studies requires knowledge about the limitations of the designs of epidemiological studies and dietary assessment methods. Recent reviews on the role of vegetables and fruit in cancer prevention have concluded that consumption of higher levels of vegetables and fruit is associated with reduced risk of epithelial cancers, particularly those of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, while the hormone-dependent cancers appear to be less affected by fruit and vegetables. The evidence derived from recently published cohort and intervention studies is less consistent than one would have expected on the basis of the results of case-control studies. Inverse associations found between blood levels of specific micronutrients and subsequent cancer risk may just reflect the effect of other naturally occurring anticarcinogens present in vegetables and fruit. More studies are needed on biomarkers of intake of vegetables, fruits, and related constituents.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chronic Diseases and Environmental Epidemiology, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, PO Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands

    H. Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita & Marga C. Ocké

  2. Division of Public Health Research, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, PO Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands

    Daan Kromhout

Authors
  1. H. Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita
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  2. Marga C. Ocké
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  3. Daan Kromhout
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science and Technology Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Oiwake-cho, Kitashirakawa, Kakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-01, Japan

    Hajime Ohigashi Ph.D. (Professor) (Professor)

  2. Department of Applied Biological Sciences Faculty of Agriculture, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-01, Japan

    Toshihiko Osawa Ph.D. (Professor) (Professor)

  3. Lipid Science Laboratory, National Food Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 2-1-2 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305, Japan

    Junji Terao Ph.D. (Head) (Head)

  4. Nutrition and Epidemiology, Department of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156, Japan

    Shaw Watanabe M.D. (Professor) (Professor)

  5. First Department of Internal Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602, Japan

    Toshikazu Yoshikawa M.D. (Associate Professor) (Associate Professor)

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© 1997 Springer Japan

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Bueno-de-Mesquita, H.B., Ocké, M.C., Kromhout, D. (1997). Epidemiology of Vegetables and Fruits in Cancer Prevention. In: Ohigashi, H., Osawa, T., Terao, J., Watanabe, S., Yoshikawa, T. (eds) Food Factors for Cancer Prevention. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-67017-9_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-67017-9_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Tokyo

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