Healthy diet linked to lower risk of pancreatic cancer

People who most closely follow healthy eating guidelines may have a lower risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a new study. Researchers from the National Cancer Institute and other institutions studied more than 500,000 people (ages 50-71) who were already taking part in a long-term study that tracked their eating habits. They compared participants’ eating habits with the federal government’s 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Those guidelines recommended eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and beans; whole grains instead of refined grains; and low-fat or fat-free dairy. They also recommended limiting fat and added sugars. (The government updated these guidelines in 2010.). Read more.

Study mentioned: Arem, H et al. The Healthy Eating Index 2005 and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in the NIH-AARP Study. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2013 Aug 15. [Epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1093/jnci/djt185