All over the world the incidence of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) is increasing, and no one knows precisely why. Are changing dietary habits an important cause of this trend? Does what you eat affect your risk of lymphoma?
Many cancers are affected by diet. The amount of fat, red meat, fruits and vegetables you eat may affect your risk of many common cancers. Till recently, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma seemed to be unaffected by such dietary trends. But the rise in numbers of people affected by NHL over the past few decades urged epidemiologists (people who deal with how many or who gets affected by disease) to re-look into the whole issue of NHL and a person's eating habits. Two recent articles have found some very interesting associations.
It seems that there are some food groups that may affect an individual's risk of developing NHL. A recently published study from Sweden has found that NHL risk is decreased in those who had more fibre and marine items in their diet. In fact the risk reduces to nearly half in those who eat the most fibre and fish. Vitamins A and E also seemed to reduce the risk somewhat. More calcium in the diet, on the other hand, seems to increase the risk of lymphoma.
Another recent study from Italy has found that those with NHL seemed to have had lesser intake of fruits, vegetables and eggs than those without lymphoma. They also found that lymphoma patients also seemed to have much more rice/pasta and cheese in their diet.
These findings seem to suggest that food might affect the risk of developing NHL. But should you rush to change your eating habits because of this trend? The fact remains that lymphoma is a relatively rare cancer, and few people are at inherently high risk to develop it. Dietary modifications simply to reduce lymphoma risk may be premature. However, what is important to note is that most of the foods that seem to reduce lymphoma risk are those that have multiple other health benefits - from heart disease to colon cancer. So do change your dietary habits, for better overall health, and not just lymphoma risk.
