Association of Dietary Fiber and Yogurt Consumption With Lung Cancer Risk: A Pooled Analysis

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology and Oncology
• Nutritional Science
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Dietary fiber (prebiotics) and yogurt (probiotics) offer health benefits by influencing gut microbiota and metabolism.
• Their impact on lung cancer risk remains under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the individual and combined effects of dietary fiber and yogurt intake on lung cancer risk.
• To explore potential modifications by lifestyle and dietary factors.

Main Methods:

• Pooled analysis of 10 prospective cohorts (1,445,850 adults) from US, Europe, and Asia.
• Cox regression and random-effects meta-analysis used to estimate hazard ratios for lung cancer risk.
• Validated instruments measured dietary fiber and yogurt consumption.

Main Results:

• Increased dietary fiber intake and yogurt consumption were associated with reduced lung cancer risk (HR 0.83 and 0.81, respectively).
• Associations were significant in never-smokers and consistent across demographics and tumor types.
• Joint high intake of fiber and yogurt showed a synergistic protective effect, reducing lung cancer risk by over 30%.

Conclusions:

• Dietary fiber and yogurt consumption are associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer, even after accounting for smoking and other risk factors.
• These findings suggest a potential protective role for prebiotics and probiotics in preventing lung cancer.