Onion/Garlic use & cancer

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Onion and garlic use and human cancer

Carlotta Galeone, Claudio Pelucchi, Fabio Levi, Eva

Negri, Silvia Franceschi, Renato Talamini, Attilio

Giacosa and Carlo La Vecchia

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 84, No.

5, 1027-1032, November 2006

Abstract

Background: Interest in the potential benefits of

allium vegetables, in particular, onion (Allium cepa)

and garlic (Allium sativum), has its origin in

antiquity, but the details of these benefits are still

open to discussion.

Objective: We investigated the role of allium

vegetables in the etiology of various neoplasms.

Previous data are scanty and are based mainly on

Chinese studies.

Design: Using data from an integrated network of

Italian and Swiss case-control studies, we analyzed

the relation between frequency of onion and garlic use

and cancer at several sites. We calculated odds ratios

(ORs) by using multivariate logistic regression models

that were adjusted for energy intake and other major

covariates.

Results: Consumption of onions varied between 0-14 and

0-22 portions/wk among cases and controls,

respectively. The multivariate ORs for the highest

category of onion and garlic intake were,

respectively, 0.16 and 0.61 for cancer of the

oral cavity and pharynx, 0.12 and 0.43 for esophageal

cancer, 0.44 and 0.74 for colorectal cancer, 0.17 and

0.56 for laryngeal cancer, 0.75 and 0.90 for breast

cancer, 0.27 and 0.78 for ovarian cancer, 0.29 and

0.81 for prostate cancer, and 0.62 and 0.69 for renal

cell cancer.

Conclusions: This uniquely large data set from

southern European populations shows an inverse

association between the frequency of use of allium

vegetables and the risk of several common cancers.

Allium vegetables are a favorable correlate of cancer

risk in Europe.

Online at:

http://www.ajcn. org/cgi/content/ abstract/ 84/5/1027