Dietary effects on breast cancer

Journal Article · Sat Jul 20 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Lancet (North American Edition); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0140-6736(91)90175-O· OSTI ID:7171308

Stevens, R G ^[1]

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1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

Professor Lee and colleagues show a significant effect of dietary red meat intake, no effect of fat, and a protective effect of soya protein on the risk of breast cancer in young women in Singapore. They do not ascribe the red-meat effect to fat in the meat, and offer no alternative explanation. Red meat contains the most readily absorbed form of dietary iron, and there is evidence that increased body iron stores raise cancer risk, perhaps by one or both of two possible mechanisms: (1) boosting the availability of an essential nutrient for cancer cells, and (2) increasing the production of oxygen radicals. In addition, there is some evidence from studies in animals for a role for iron in mammary-tumor induction. Thompson et al administered 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea to groups of rats receiving normal rat chow, a low-iron diet, or an iron-supplemented diet. The group receiving dietary iron supplementation had the greatest mammary-tumor burden, whereas that receiving an iron-restricted diet had fewer tumors than the group on the normal diet (although this latter effect may have resulted merely from reduced body weight in the rats on an iron-restricted diet). The protective effect of soya protein seen by Lee et al may also be related to iron metabolism. Soy beans are a source of phytate, a constituent of most cereals, nuts, and legumes, that avidly binds iron in such a way that it is incapable of catalyzing the production of oxygen radicals. The protective effect of soya protein may be shared by increased intakes of other plant products that are high in phytate but either not consumed in quantity in Singapore or not assessed in the questionnaire Lee et al administered.

• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 7171308
• Journal Information: Lancet (North American Edition); (United States), Vol. 338; ISSN 0099-5355
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
IRON
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
MAMMARY GLANDS
NEOPLASMS
PATHOGENESIS
NITROSOUREAS
CARCINOGENESIS
SOYBEANS
BODY
DISEASES
ELEMENTS
FOOD
GLANDS
METALS
NITROSO COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PLANTS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VEGETABLES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
550900 - Pathology