pasta and colon cancer

From: Doug Skrecky (oberon@vcn.bc.ca)
Date: Sun Jan 31 1999 - 14:30:32 MST


Authors
  Caderni G. Luceri C. Lancioni L. Biggeri A. Giannini A. Fazi M.
  Brighenti F. Cresci A. Orpianesi C. Dolara P.
Institution
  Department of Pharmacology, University of Florence, Italy.
Title
  Modification of azoxymethane intestinal carcinogenesis in rats by feeding
  sucrose boluses, pasta, and glucose.
Source
  Nutrition & Cancer. 28(2):146-52, 1997.
Abstract
  We studied whether repeated boluses of sucrose or diets containing
  carbohydrates with a variable glycemic
  index (GI) affect intestinal carcinogenesis in rats. Male
  F344 rats were treated twice (1 wk apart) with 15 mg/kg sc azoxymethane (AOM)
  and then divided into four experimental dietary groups with different
  carbohydrate composition and administration schedules: the sucrose group was
  fed 44% (wt/wt) sucrose (GI = 65), the bolus group was fed sucrose as
  carbohydrate and 43 boluses of sucrose (10-15 g/kg) at various time
  intervals, the pasta group was fed pasta [77% (wt/wt) cooked pasta, GI = 55],
  and the glucose group was fed 44% (wt/wt) glucose (GI = 97). All nutrients,
  including carbohydrates, were provided in similar amount to the different
  groups. The experiment was terminated between Day 230 and Day 245 after AOM
  administration. At this time the pasta group had significantly higher cecal
  short-chain fatty acids than the other groups. Intestinal adenomas and
  cancers occurred with the same frequency in the bolus, sucrose, and glucose
  groups. On the contrary, we observed a significant decrease (p = 0.03) in the
  cumulative incidence of intestinal adenomas, but not adenocarcinomas, in the
  pasta group compared with the sucrose group (intestinal adenoma incidence in
  the pasta group was 31% compared with 63% in the sucrose group, 46% in the
  bolus group, and 37% in the glucose group). In conclusion, these results do
  not support the hypothesis that sucrose boluses or carbohydrates with a high
  GI stimulate colon carcinogenesis, but they indicate that foods such as pasta
  may exert a protective effect.

  Note:

    Whole wheat pasta was not used in the above experiment. Whole wheat
pasta might be expected to more effective in inhibiting tumor growth due
to its phytic acid content.



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