Dietary Patterns and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer.
Diet and lifestyle play a significant role in the development of colorectal cancer, but the full complexity of the association is not yet understood. Dietary pattern analysis is an important new technique that may help to elucidate the relationship. This review examines the most common techniques for extrapolating dietary patterns and reviews dietary pattern/colorectal cancer studies published between September 2011 and August 2012. The studies reviewed are consistent with prior research but include a more diverse international population. Results from investigations usinga prioridietary patterns (i.e., diet quality scores) anda posteriorimethods, which identify existing eating patterns (i.e., principal component analysis), continue to support the benefits of a plant-based diet with some dairy as a means to lower the risk of colorectal cancer, whereas a diet high in meats, refined grains, and added sugar appears to increase risk. The association between colorectal cancer and alcohol remains unclear.
Simmons College Department of Nutrition, Park Science Building, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115, USA, teresa.fung@simmons.edu.
Teresa T
TT
Fung
Simmons College Department of Nutrition, Park Science Building, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115, USA, lisa.brown@simmons.edu.
Lisa S
LS
Brown
Cluster analysis; Colorectal cancer; Diet score; Dietary patterns; Factor analysis; Principal component analysis; Reduced rank regression; Total diet quality