Pergamon
Food and Chemical Toxicology 35 (1997) I 131-1134 r~..a{k.kd T~
Information Section ABSTRACTS FROM THE LITERATURE These abstract, are taken from a sectionof the BIBRA Bulletin, a current-awarenessjournal compiled by the Information & AdvisorySectionof BIBRAInternational.This uniquemonthly digestof health and safety developments informs its readers of the toxicologicalissues that may affect product acceptability in chemicaland nutritional areas, new and proposed regulatory activitiesand correm *hinklng on fitture legislation, worldwide.The BIBRA Bulletin is availableon subscription.Further information can be obtained from the Information & AdvisorySectionat BIBRAInternational (tel. +44 (0)181-652 1000; fax +44 (0)181-661 7029).
Functional foods: beneficial effects of modified starches In a study to evaluate the effects of two chemically modified starches, ~r.etylated potato starch and I~zyclodextrin-enriched potato starch (CDS) on glucose metabolism and appetite, 11 men were given vanilla puddings containing 50 g of each of these materials. Compared with unmodified potato starch, the CDS had a beneficial effect on glucose metabolism (including reduced postprandial blood glucose), whereas both the modified starches produced a greater :Feelingof "fullness" (Raben A. et aL, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1997, 66, 304).
Meat intake and breast cancer risk A recent study of 352 breast cancer patients in Uruguay has found meat intake and compounds formed during the cooking process to be "strong risk factors" for breast cancer. In particular, dose-related increased risks were reported for total meat [odds ratio (OR) for highest exposure compared with lowest exposure category 2.26 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24-4.12], red meat (OR 2.62, 95% CI 1.41-4.85), beef (OR 3.84, 95% CI 2.09-7.05), lamb (OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.27-4.47), fried meat (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.61-4.55) and, in postmenopausal women, broiled meat (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.04-3.39) intakes. Exposure to the heterocyclic amines IQ (OR 3.34, 95% CI 1.85-6.02), MelQx (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.27-3.55) and PhIP (OR 2.59, 95% CI 1.42-t..70) were also positively related to the risk of breast: cancer. White meat (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.36-0.97) and boiled meat (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.23-0.78) were associated with a reduction in the risk of breast c~mcer (De Stefani E. et aL, Cancer Epidemiology, Biom~rkers & Prevention 1997, 6, 573).
Water consumption and breast cancer A link between the amounts an individual drinks as water and a lower risk of developing breast cancer has been reported by investigators from the University of Sheffield, UK. The small "pilot study" compared consumption of water (as is) by 44 patients with breast cancer and 55 non-cancer controls. Those reporting drinking water over a ~typical" 7-day period were almost five times less likely to have developed the disease (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.07-0.62) than were those who exclusively favoured other types of non-alcoholic beverages (Stookey J.D. et aL, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers 6" Prevention 1997, 6, 657).
Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and DNA adducts In female, but not male, volunteers high intakes of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-6 PUFAs) were associated with increased levels of a certain type of DNA damage that has been linked with diet-related cancers. The seven men and 13 women were given diets rich in either polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fatty acids for 25 days. DNA adduct levels in the white blood cells were similar in men on the two diets, whereas the average adduct levels in women on the diet high in omega-6 PUFAs were about 40 times greater than those on the monounsaturate-rich diet (although huge inter-subject variability was noted) (Nair J. et al., Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers 6" Prevention 1997, 6, 597).
Slimming and leukaemia Italian researchers have suggested that nutritionally unbalanced slimming diets may play a part in the development of acute leukaemia, after investigating the cases of a man and two women who developed the disease shortly after dieting strictly for 6 to