Prospective study of intake of fruit, vegetables, and carotenoids and the risk of adult glioma.
BACKGROUND
Nutrients in dietary fruit and vegetables have been hypothesized to lower the risk of glioma by reducing the endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds. Studies examining fruit and vegetable consumption and brain tumors have relied on case-control study designs, with one exception, and results have been inconsistent.


OBJECTIVE
We prospectively examined the relation between consumption of fruit and vegetables (and specifically carotenoids) and the risk of glioma among men and women in 3 large US cohort studies: the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS), the Nurses' Health Study I (NHS I), and NHS II.


METHODS
Dietary intake was assessed by food-frequency questionnaires obtained at baseline and updated every 4 y through 2002 (HPFS and NHS I) or 2003 (NHS II). We identified 296 incident adult gliomas during 3 669 589 person-years of follow-up. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (RR) and 95% CIs between intake of fruit, vegetables, and carotenoids and glioma risk, with adjustment for age and total caloric intake.


RESULTS
Updated average consumption of total fruit and vegetables was not significantly associated with glioma risk in the men and women (pooled multivariate RR in a comparison of the highest with the lowest quintile: 1.12; 95% CI: 0.74, 1.69). Other fruit and vegetable subgroups, individual fruit and vegetables, and 5 major carotenoids were not significantly associated with risk of glioma.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that fruit, vegetable, and carotenoid consumption is not likely associated strongly with the risk of adult glioma.
Holick
Crystal N
CN
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. cholick@fhcrc.org
Giovannucci
Edward L
EL
Rosner
Bernard
B
Stampfer
Meir J
MJ
Michaud
Dominique S
DS
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005638:Fruit; D005910:Glioma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014675:Vegetables
D002338:Carotenoids