[Food consumption in Italy in relation to tumors of the digestive system]

Time trends of consumption of the principal food and nutrients in Italy are evaluated in relation with geographic area, using most of the published data. A progressive enrichment was observed for the Italian diet, with an increasing intake of animal proteins, saturated fats and sugars, and a decreasing intake of bread and pasta. Differences of dietary habits among different geographical areas are also decreasing. The main geographical and temporal patterns of digestive sites cancer are in agreement with the above described trends and with the principal hypothesis on nutritional causation of cancer.