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Vegetarian diets and colon cancer: the German experience

1994; Elsevier BV; Volume: 59; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/ajcn/59.5.1143s

1938-3207

R Frentzel-Beyme, Jenny C. Chang,

Nutrition, Genetics, and Disease

The study assessed mortality and morbidity risks as related to nutritional status of moderate and strict vegetarians in Germany. The total cohort of 1904 self-identified persons was followed up for 11 y. Compared with national mortality rates for Federal Republic of Germany, the observed deaths for all causes were below expectation by a factor of 0.44 for men and 0.53 for women. The mortality for colon cancer was reduced [standardized mortality ration (SMR 44.1 for men and 77.9 for women]. No deaths were observed from rectal cancer. A vegetarian lifestyle of long duration (≥ 20 y) was associated with decreased overall and cancer mortality. Other determinants of decreased cause-specific mortality were physical activity, body weight, and strictness of adherence to the lifestyle. The relationship between a vegetarian and fiber-rich diet and a decreased risk for colon cancer has been reported in many studies. In this study, the influence of other factors such as health-conscious behavior and a healthy lifestyle seem to indicate partly stronger effects than nutrition itself. This may explain the generally better health of moderate vegetarians.