Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer: Directions for Research [Paperback]

National Research Council (Author)

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Committee on Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer, National Research Council --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 74 pages
• Publisher: Natl Academy Pr (June 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0309033853
• ISBN-13: 978-0309033855
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,506,346 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference, March 16, 2007

By 

Erika Mitchell (E. Calais, VT USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer: Directions for Research (Paperback)

This book is a collection of review articles written to explain current research (as of 1982) on diet and cancer. It begins with an executive summary, summarizing the research results and outlining the methodology used to write the book. Then there are several chapters explaining what cancer is and the methodology used to test whether there is evidence for dietary links to cancer. The remainder of the book is divided into 3 sections: the relationship between nutrients and cancer, in which there are separate chapters for each type of nutrient (calories, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, alcohol), the role of nonnutritive dietary constituents (food additives, naturally occurring carcinogens, mutagens, contaminants), and patterns of diet and cancer. End material includes a glossary and an index. Sources are cited at the end of each chapter.

The book is highly informative, highly readable, and it presents a no-nonsense summary of the facts. The authors, all physicians or scientists, draw exclusively on peer-reviewed scientific literature, and strive to present a balanced review of each topic. Where results of studies are inconsistent with those of other studies, they analyze what factors may have caused the differences, and whether the differences reflect uncertainty in scientific understanding or varied methodology. As these authors report, the research is clear on certain points: a diet high in calories is associated with increased cancer risk, as are diets high in fat or protein. Alcohol is a known carcinogen. Carbohydrates do not seem to be associated with either an increased or decreased cancer risk, while dietary fiber is known to lower cancer risk. Certain vitamins and minerals can also reduce cancer risk. When avoiding toxins, the consumer should keep in mind that cancer-causing chemicals are found not only in pesticide residues and additives, but can also be naturally occurring. Indeed, one of the most potent cancer-causing toxins found in the average diet is aflatoxin, a naturally occurring mycotoxin that can occur in carelessly processed peanut or corn products.