title: Onion and garlic use and human cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interest in the potential benefits of allium vegetables, in particular, onion (Allium cepa) and garlic (Allium sativum), has its origin in antiquity, but the details of these benefits are still open to discussion.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the role of allium vegetables in the etiology of various neoplasms. Previous data are scanty and are based mainly on Chinese studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from an integrated network of Italian and Swiss case-control studies, we analyzed the relation between frequency of onion and garlic use and cancer at several sites. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) by using multivariate logistic regression models that were adjusted for energy intake and other major covariates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Consumption of onions varied between 0-14 and 0-22 portions/wk among cases and controls, respectively. The multivariate ORs for the highest category of onion and garlic intake were, respectively, 0.16 and 0.61 for cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx, 0.12 and 0.43 for esophageal cancer, 0.44 and 0.74 for colorectal cancer, 0.17 and 0.56 for laryngeal cancer, 0.75 and 0.90 for breast cancer, 0.27 and 0.78 for ovarian cancer, 0.29 and 0.81 for prostate cancer, and 0.62 and 0.69 for renal cell cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This uniquely large data set from southern European populations shows an inverse association between the frequency of use of allium vegetables and the risk of several common cancers. Allium vegetables are a favorable correlate of cancer risk in Europe.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri," Milan, Italy, Italy. galeone@marionegri.it
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galeone
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pelucchi
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Levi
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Negri
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Franceschi
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Talamini
authors.forename: Attilio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giacosa
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: La Vecchia
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005737:Garlic; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D019697:Onions; D012307:Risk Factors; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014675:Vegetables