Research report
Olive oil, diet and colorectal cancer: an ecological study and a
hypothesis
Michael Stoneham, Michael Goldacre, Valerie Seagroatt, Leicester Gill
Unit of Health-Care
Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Oxford University, Institute
of Health Sciences, Oxford
Correspondence to: Dr Stoneham, Millbarn Medical Centre, 34 London End, Beaconsfield, Bucks HP9 2JH (michael_david.stoneham{at}which.net)
Accepted for publication 3 April 2000
STUDY
OBJECTIVES
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common
cancer in many western countries and is probably caused in part by
dietary factors. Southern European countries have lower incidence rates
of CRC than many other western countries. It was postulated that,
because olive oil is thought to influence bile salt secretion patterns
in rats, it may influence the occurrence of CRC. The purpose of this
study was to compare national levels of dietary factors, with
particular reference to olive oil, with national differences in CRC incidence.
DESIGNEcological
study using existing international databases. Incidence rates for CRC,
food supply data, and olive oil consumption data were extracted from
published sources, combined, and analysed to calculate the correlations
between CRC and 10 dietary factors. Associations were then explored
using stepwise multiple regression.
SETTING28 countries
from four continents.
MAIN RESULTS76% of
the intercountry variation in CRC incidence rates was explained by
three significant dietary factorsmeat, fish and olive oilin
combination. Meat and fish were positively associated, and olive oil
was negatively associated, with CRC incidence.
CONCLUSIONOlive oil
may have a protective effect on the development of CRC. The proposed
hypothesis is that olive oil may influence secondary bile acid patterns
in the colon that, in turn, might influence polyamine metabolism in
colonic enterocytes in ways that reduce progression from normal mucosa
to adenoma and carcinoma.
Keywords: olive oil; colorectal carcinoma; diamine oxidase; diet
© 2000 by Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
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