More than 44,000 adults living in the United States receive a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer every year, the American Cancer Society states, and approximately 37,000 people die annually from the disease. As with any form of cancer, diet and lifestyle factors influence pancreatic cancer development and progression. When combined with an overall healthy diet, nuts are one food that may reduce your pancreatic cancer risk.
Pancreatic Cancer
Your pancreas is a football-shaped organ that sits deep inside your abdomen. Its two chief functions are to produce digestive enzymes and to produce and release insulin, the hormone responsible for transporting blood sugar from your blood into your cells. Pancreatic cancer may result when a single mutated cell begins to reproduce rapidly. If not stopped, these cells can form a tumor on your pancreas that may spread to other parts of your body. Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include age, smoking, obesity and family history of the disease.
Connection
In his book "Vegetables, Whole Grains, and Their Derivatives in Cancer Prevention," nutrition scientist Paul Davis, Ph.D., notes that several research studies have linked nut consumption with a significantly lower risk of developing cancer. Nuts are an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, a form of fat that decreases inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a risk factor for many forms of cancer. Additionally, nuts contain the antioxidant vitamin E, which helps prevent the damage to cell DNA that often precedes cancerous cell development.
Evidence
A research study published in the April 2009 edition of the "Archives of Internal Medicine" investigated the influence of a healthy lifestyle including regular physical activity and habitual intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts on pancreatic cancer. They found that a healthy lifestyle combatted pancreatic cancer risk. However, a study in the April 2009 "International Journal of Cancer" found no connection between nut intake and pancreatic cancer risk.
Considerations
Although healthy, nuts are high in calories and dietary fat. If you are overweight or obese, you may want to limit your nut intake. Healthy forms of nuts include almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts and cashews. When choosing, opt for minimally processed nuts that contain no sugar or oil.
References
- American Cancer Society: What are the key statistics about pancreatic cancer?
- "International Journal of Cancer"; Fruit and vegetable consumption and pancreatic cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition; A Vrieling et al.; April 2009
- "Vegetables, Whole Grains, and Their Derivatives in Cancer Prevention"; Paul A. Davies, Ph.D.; 2011
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; A Combined Healthy Lifestyle Score and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in a Large Cohort Study; Li Jiao et al.; April 2009
