HHS HealthBeat (November 28, 2007)

Low-fat eating versus ovarian cancer

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Low-fat eating patterns can pay off in lots of ways, and a study indicates a lower risk of ovarian cancer may be among them.

Researchers looked at postmenopausal women who cut fat from about 36 percent to 24 percent to 28 percent over about four years. The data were in the Women’s Health Initiative study, supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Researcher Ross Prentice at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center says changing eating patterns changed risk – and the more, the better.

``Women who started their usual diet high in fat – say, more than 35 or 36 percent of energy – those women made the biggest reduction in fat content of their diet, and also showed the greatest reduction in ovarian cancer risk.’’ (13 seconds)

The study was in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May, 26 2008