The association between empirical dietary inflammatory pattern and colorectal cancer risk: a case-control study

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in Iran. Inflammation plays an essential role in developing CRC. A dietary pattern called the empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) has recently been designed based on the inflammatory potential of the diet. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the impact of EDIP on the risk of CRC. METHODS: The current case-control study was conducted on 142 controls and 71 CRC cases in three general hospitals and Hospital Cancer Organization in Tehran, Iran. We calculated EDIP by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The association between EDIP and CRC were evaluated by logistic regression. The level of significance was p < 0.05. RESULTS: The results revealed that people who were in the highest tertile of the EDIP had higher odds of CRC (in the adjusted model: odds ratio (OR) = 3.74; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.38–10.14; P = 0.011). CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated the potential role of dietary-induced inflammation in developing CRC. In the current study, an increase in the intake of red meat, processed meats, and refined grains was observed in the higher EDIP tertiles compared to the lower tertiles. Consequently, to decrease the risk of CRC, it is recommended to reduce the consumption of these foods.