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Epidemiology

Hot infusions and risk of colorectal cancer in Uruguay: a case–control study

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 71, pages 1429–1436 (2017)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

The evidence of possible roles for the most common hot infusions intake (tea and coffee) in the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) needs additional data. Regarding ‘mate’ intake (infusion of Ilex paraguariensis herb), a previous multi-site study reported lack of association for its highest intake on CRC risk. The present study was conducted to better understand the associations between the intake of this and other infusions and CRC risk.

Subjects/Methods:

Patients (611 CRC incident cases and 2394 controls, all belonging to public hospitals) were interviewed through a questionnaire, including socio-demographic, reproductive and lifestyle variables, and a food-frequency questionnaire of 64 items, analyzing tea, ‘mate’ and coffee intake (consumer status, daily intake, age at start and at quit). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated through unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for relevant potential confounders.

Results:

Tea and coffee intake displayed significant and inverse associations with CRC risk, mainly among men (OR=0.54, 95% CI 0.38–0.76 for tea and OR=0.59, 95% CI 0.41–0.85 for coffee). Mate intake showed a significant inverse association among women (OR=0.50, 95% CI 0.33–0.77), with a marginal heterogeneity between sexes (P=0.07). Concerning age strata, tea intake displayed inverse associations in all ages, whereas ‘mate’ and coffee intake showed stronger inverse associations for age ⩾70, suggesting a gradient along time.

Conclusions:

We found evidence of different significant inverse associations for tea, ‘mate’ and coffee intake and CRC risk. To our knowledge, this is the first epidemiologic study reporting inverse results on ‘mate’ intake and CRC, which are explained by a stronger association among women.

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Acknowledgements

We express our gratitude to Dr Magdalena De Stefani for her language assistance.

Author information

Author notes

  1. E De Stefani: We regret the sad loss of our dear co-author EDS, who passed away at the end of 2016.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Pereira Rossell Women’s Hospital, Montevideo, Uruguay

    A L Ronco

  2. IUCLAEH School of Medicine, Maldonado, Uruguay

    A L Ronco & E Lasalvia-Galante

  3. Biomedical Sciences Center, University of Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay

    A L Ronco, B Mendoza & A Vazquez

  4. Department of Pathology, Clinical Hospital, UDELAR State University, Montevideo, Uruguay

    E De Stefani

  5. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Clinical Hospital, UDELAR State University, Montevideo, Uruguay

    B Mendoza & G Sanchez

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  1. A L Ronco
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Correspondence to A L Ronco.

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Ronco, A., De Stefani, E., Lasalvia-Galante, E. et al. Hot infusions and risk of colorectal cancer in Uruguay: a case–control study. Eur J Clin Nutr 71, 1429–1436 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2017.130

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