Publications by authors named "Fiona Malcomson"
The gut microbiome is impacted by certain types of dietary fibre. However, the type, duration and dose needed to elicit gut microbial changes and whether these changes also influence microbial metabolites remain unclear. This study investigated the effects of supplementing healthy participants with two types of non-digestible carbohydrates (resistant starch (RS) and polydextrose (PD)) on the stool microbiota and microbial metabolite concentrations in plasma, stool and urine, as secondary outcomes in the Dietary Intervention Stem Cells and Colorectal Cancer (DISC) Study.
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- * This review analyzed 28 studies and found that following the American Cancer Society (ACS) dietary guidelines and consuming a plant-rich, low-carb diet could lower CRC-specific mortality rates.
- * The study suggests that a Western dietary pattern, which includes refined grains and sugary drinks, increases the risk of CRC recurrence, while adherence to ACS guidelines and higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce risk, highlighting the need for more standardized dietary research in CRC survivorship.
Association of a dietary inflammatory index with cardiometabolic, endocrine, liver, renal and bones biomarkers: cross-sectional analysis of the UK Biobank study.
Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis
July 2024
Article Synopsis
- Research explores the connection between an Energy-adjusted Diet-Inflammatory Index (E-DII) and 30 health biomarkers, focusing on healthy individuals, which is under-researched compared to chronic disease populations.
- The study analyzed data from 66,978 UK Biobank participants and categorized E-DII scores into anti-inflammatory, neutral, and pro-inflammatory diets, revealing that a pro-inflammatory diet correlated with higher levels of several unhealthy biomarkers.
- Findings suggest that a pro-inflammatory diet negatively impacts cardiometabolic, endocrine, liver, and renal health, indicating a need for dietary awareness to promote better health outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- - The Eatwell Guide is the UK government's recommendation for a balanced diet, but its specific link to dementia risk hasn't been studied until now.
- - Analysis of data from 517 participants showed no significant correlation between Eatwell Guide scores and Alzheimer's disease risk, but higher scores were linked to lowered blood pressure and BMI.
- - While the Eatwell Guide didn’t directly affect dementia risk, it may help in preventing it by managing hypertension and obesity, which are known risk factors. Future research is suggested to explore these relationships further.
This report summarises a Forum conducted in June 2023 to explore the current state of the knowledge around the Eatwell Guide, which is the UK government's healthy eating tool, in relation to population and planetary health. The 1.5-day Forum highlighted the limited, albeit promising evidence linking higher adherence to the Eatwell Guide with favourable health outcomes, including reduced overall mortality risk, lower abdominal obesity in post-menopausal women and improved cardiometabolic health markers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Cancer Prevention Recommendations are lifestyle-based recommendations which aim to reduce cancer risk. This study investigated associations between adherence, assessed using a standardised scoring system, and the risk of all cancers combined and of 14 cancers for which there is strong evidence for links with aspects of lifestyle in the UK.
Methods: We used data from 94,778 participants (53% female, mean age 56 years) from the UK Biobank.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to explore the relationship between five common dietary scores and the risk of developing severe non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among UK Biobank participants.* -
- A total of 162,999 participants were analyzed over an average follow-up of 10.2 years, with 1,370 diagnosed with severe NAFLD; specific dietary scores like MEDAS-14, RFS, and HDI showed a consistent association with a lower risk of NAFLD.* -
- The findings suggest that adhering to a healthy diet, as indicated by these scores, can significantly reduce the risk of developing severe NAFLD, highlighting the importance of nutrition in liver health.*
Background: The 2018 (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Cancer Prevention Recommendations are evidence-based lifestyle recommendations which aim to reduce the risk of cancer worldwide. Sociodemographic factors modulate lifestyle behaviours, and both cancer incidence and survival are socio-economically patterned. We investigated adherence to these recommendations and examined patterns of adherence across sociodemographic subgroups in the UK Biobank cohort.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Cancer Prevention Recommendations are lifestyle-based guidelines which aim to reduce cancer risk. This study investigated, in the UK Biobank, associations between an abbreviated score to assess adherence to these Recommendations and the risk of all cancers combined and of 14 cancers for which there is strong evidence for links with diet, adiposity, and physical activity.
Methods: We used data from 288,802 UK Biobank participants (mean age 56.
Article Synopsis
- A study with 364,856 participants from the UK Biobank explored the link between dietary fiber (DF) and the risk of 17 types of cancer, finding that higher DF intake is associated with lower cancer risk overall.
- Over an average follow-up period of 8.8 years, participants who consumed the most partial dietary fiber (≥19.1 g/day) had a 10% reduced risk of cancer compared to those with the lowest intake (<9.6 g/day), with notable reductions in risks for specific cancers like cervical, esophageal, and lung.
- The research highlights that higher intake of cereal fiber and fiber from fruits and vegetables in particular contributes to a significant decrease in risk for various cancers, especially among
Article Synopsis
- The goal of the gathering was to bring together experts from various fields to create a research plan focused on the relationship between processed food consumption and the risk of obesity and cardiometabolic diseases in the U.S. !*
- Attendees participated in discussions about the effects of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on health, exploring foundational knowledge, potential mechanisms, and gaps in current research during breakout sessions. !*
- Six key research questions were developed to guide future studies, addressing topics like improving UPF classification, assessing intake, and understanding environmental influences on UPF consumption. !*
Background: DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism through which environmental factors including nutrition and inflammation influence health. Obesity is a major modifiable risk factor for many common diseases including cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In particular, obesity-induced inflammation resulting from aberrantly-methylated inflammatory genes may drive risk of several non-communicable diseases including colorectal cancer (CRC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Cancer Prevention Recommendations are lifestyle-based guidelines that aim to reduce cancer risk. A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies investigating associations between a score for adherence to the 2018 Cancer Prevention Recommendations and cancer risk was conducted.
Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched for studies published to November 28, 2022.
White kidney bean extract (WKBE) is a nutraceutical often advocated as an anti-obesity agent. The main proposed mechanism for these effects is alpha-amylase inhibition, thereby slowing carbohydrate digestion and absorption. Thus, it is possible that WKBE could impact the gut microbiota and modulate gut health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: In 2018, The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) published ten evidence-based Cancer Prevention Recommendations designed to reduce the risk of cancer improved lifestyle behaviours. In 2019, Shams-White and colleagues created the "2018 WCRF/AICR Score" which aimed to standardise how adherence to these recommendations is assessed. The standardised scoring system includes seven of the recommendations concerning weight, physical activity and diet, with an optional eighth recommendation on breastfeeding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate several metabolic pathways and are potential biomarkers for early risk prediction of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Our aim was to evaluate the levels of 21 miRNAs in plasma according to MetS components and sex in adults. We employed a cross-sectional study of 192 adults aged 20 to 59 years old from the 2015 Health Survey of São Paulo with Focus in Nutrition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAssociation of meat, vegetarian, pescatarian and fish-poultry diets with risk of 19 cancer sites and all cancer: findings from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study and meta-analysis.
BMC Med
February 2022
Background: The associations of cancer with types of diets, including vegetarian, fish, and poultry-containing diets, remain unclear. The aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate the association of type of diet with all cancers and 19 site-specific incident cancers in a prospective cohort study and then in a meta-analysis of published prospective cohort studies.
Methods: A total of 409,110 participants from the UK Biobank study, recruited between 2006 and 2010, were included.
Article Synopsis
- - The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is linked to a lower risk of several non-communicable diseases, potentially through its effects on gut microbiota composition and metabolism.
- - A systematic review of 34 studies (17 randomized controlled trials and 17 observational studies) found no consistent evidence that the MedDiet significantly alters gut microbiota or its metabolites.
- - Variations in study methods, cohort characteristics, and the quality of research may explain the lack of clear results, highlighting the need for more structured studies to better understand the MedDiet's impact on gut health.
Article Synopsis
- This study examines the relationship between a new adiposity marker, A Body Shape Index (ABSI), and cancer risk across 23 different cancer types using data from over 442,000 participants in the UK Biobank.
- Results show that individuals with higher ABSI are at an increased risk of developing lung, liver, esophagus, colorectal, and breast cancers, as well as a higher overall risk of all cancers combined, even after considering body mass index (BMI).
- The findings suggest that while ABSI is a valuable indicator of fat distribution related to cancer risk, combining it with BMI provides an even clearer picture of potential cancer risk.
Article Synopsis
- Obesity is linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), but the impact of weight loss on CRC risk and its relationship with microRNA expression is not well understood.
- Researchers studied microRNA expression in the rectal mucosa of obese patients before and after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and healthy non-obese controls, finding significant differences in microRNA levels.
- The study revealed that obesity causes abnormal microRNA expression, which can be normalized after significant weight loss from RYGB, potentially influencing pathways related to inflammation, obesity, and cancer risk.
Article Synopsis
- Inflammation plays a key role in the development of colorectal cancer, and dietary factors like fiber can influence this risk.
- This study examined how a pro-inflammatory diet, measured by the Energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII), relates to WNT signaling pathways, which are important in cancer development.
- Results showed that higher E-DII scores were linked to increased inflammatory markers and altered WNT gene expression, suggesting that inflammatory diets may negatively impact gut health and could be important for cancer prevention strategies.
Article Synopsis
- * Alternative weight-loss strategies, like bioactive compounds from food, offer a low-cost and low-burden option, with white kidney bean extract (WKBE) showing promise in inhibiting carbohydrate digestion and possibly aiding weight management.
- * This review examines both human and animal studies on WKBE's impact on body composition and metabolic health, includes safety assessments, and suggests areas for future research to better understand its effectiveness.
There is strong evidence that foods containing dietary fibre protect against colorectal cancer, resulting at least in part from its anti-proliferative properties. This study aimed to investigate the effects of supplementation with two non-digestible carbohydrates, resistant starch (RS) and polydextrose (PD), on crypt cell proliferative state (CCPS) in the macroscopically normal rectal mucosa of healthy individuals. We also investigated relationships between expression of regulators of apoptosis and of the cell cycle on markers of CCPS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism through which environmental factors, including obesity, influence health. Obesity is a major modifiable risk factor for many common diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Obesity-induced metabolic stress and inflammation are key mechanisms that affect disease risk and that may result from changes in methylation of metabolic and inflammatory genes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe ageing trajectory is plastic and can be slowed down by lifestyle factors, including good nutrition, adequate physical activity and avoidance of smoking. In humans, plant-based diets such as the Mediterranean dietary pattern are associated with healthier ageing and lower risk of age-related disease, whereas obesity accelerates ageing and increases the likelihood of most common complex diseases including CVD, T2D, dementia, musculoskeletal diseases and several cancers. As yet, there is only weak evidence in humans about the molecular mechanisms through which dietary factors modulate ageing but evidence from cell systems and animal models suggest that it is probable that better dietary choices influence all 9 hallmarks of ageing.
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