Vegetable, fruit and antioxidant nutrient consumption and subsequent risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective cohort study in Japan
2009

Vegetable and fruit consumption and liver cancer risk in Japan

Sample size: 19998 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Kurahashi N, Inoue M, Iwasaki M, Tanaka Y, Mizokami M, Tsugane S

Primary Institution: National Cancer Center, Japan

Hypothesis

Is there an association between vegetable and fruit consumption and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan?

Conclusion

Higher consumption of vegetables, particularly green–yellow and green leafy vegetables, is associated with a lower risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Supporting Evidence

  • Participants with higher vegetable and fruit consumption tended to be older and had healthier lifestyle choices.
  • 101 new cases of hepatocellular carcinoma were identified during the study.
  • Consumption of green leafy vegetables showed a significant inverse association with HCC risk.

Takeaway

Eating more vegetables can help keep your liver healthy and lower the chances of getting liver cancer.

Methodology

A prospective cohort study using self-administered food-frequency questionnaires and blood samples to assess dietary intake and HCV/HBV infection status.

Potential Biases

Potential confounding factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption were adjusted for, but residual confounding may still exist.

Limitations

The study relied on self-reported dietary data, which may be subject to recall bias.

Participant Demographics

Participants were Japanese individuals aged 40-69 years.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.04

Confidence Interval

95% CI=0.36–1.03

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1038/sj.bjc.6604843

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