Endometrial Cancer: Nutritional Considerations

As with many cancers, the risk for endometrial cancer appears to be associated with greater intakes of foods found in Western diets, including animal products and refined carbohydrates. Risk seems to be lower among women whose diets are high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. The lower risk in persons eating plant–based diets may be related to a reduced amount of free hormones circulating in the blood or to a protective effect of micronutrients found in these diets.

The following factors are under study for possible protective effects:

• Eating less meat and fat: Studies found a 50 percent greater risk for endometrial cancer among women who consumed the greatest amount of processed meat and fish. Consumption of red meat and eggs is also associated with greater risk.
  
  Higher intake of fat, particularly saturated fat, is associated with a 60 to 80 percent increased risk. Some evidence indicates that this association is due to the influence of dietary fat on weight gain and estrogens.
• Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes: Although findings are limited, evidence suggests that vegetables, fruits, and the nutrients these foods contain (e.g., vitamin C, various carotenoids, folate, and phytosterols) are associated with reduced risk for endometrial cancer — perhaps as much as a 50 to 60 percent lower risk.
  
  An inverse association between whole grain intake and endometrial cancer has been observed. Individuals with the highest intakes of whole grains appear to have the lowest risk, and vice versa. Higher intakes of soy and other legumes are associated with a reduced risk.
  
  Most beans, vegetables, and fruits, and some whole grains have a low glycemic index (a ranking of how carbohydrate–containing foods affect blood sugar; foods with a low glycemic index raise blood sugar only moderately, compared with foods with a high glycemic index). Studies have shown that women whose diets had more low–glycemic–index foods had a lower risk for endometrial cancer, compared with those whose diets had the more high–glycemic–index foods (e.g., sugar and white bread).
• Moderation of alcohol consumption: Outcomes of studies on alcohol intake and risk for uterine cancers are conflicting, with various studies finding no association, a protective effect, or increased risk. Consistently high alcohol intake is associated with an increased risk in young women (under age 50) and in African–American women. Regular alcohol consumption is also associated with higher breast cancer risk.