Association between nutrient intake related to the one-carbon metabolism and colorectal cancer risk: a case–control study in the Basque Country

Abstract

Purpose Epidemiologic evidence for the association between methyl-donor nutrient intake and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk remains inconclusive. We aimed to examine the relationship between intake of vitamins of the B group, methionine, total choline and betaine and CRC risk, in a population from the CRC screening programme in the Basque Country. Design This observational study included 308 patients with CRC and 308 age- and sex-matched subjects as controls. During recruitment, dietary, anthropometric, lifestyle, socioeconomic, demographic, and health status information was collected. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) for CRC risk. Results The adjusted ORs for CRC risk decreased with higher intakes of choline and betaine (p < 0.05). After further adjustment for folate, high intake of choline and betaine remained associated with a reduced CRC risk (adjusted model for choline, OR third tertile vs first tertile = 0.45, 95% CI 0.26–0.80, p = 0.006; for betaine, OR third tertile vs first tertile = 0.27, 95% CI 0.16–0.47, p < 0.001). Regarding the other nutrients, our findings indicated a non-significant decrease in CRC risk with the high level of intake. Conclusions Our data suggest that choline and betaine intake influence CRC risk in the studied population.

Dietary choline intake and health outcomes in U.S. adults: exploring the impact on cardiovascular disease, cancer prevalence, and all-cause mortality

“…Concerning colon cancer, our results are consistent with prior research, suggesting a potential protective effect of choline intake. Earlier studies, including an Italian multicenter case‒control study [ 27 ] and recent observational research [ 11 ], have also shown an inverse relationship between choline intake and colorectal cancer risk. Nevertheless, divergent results must be acknowledged; for example, an Iranian case‒control study reported an elevated risk of colorectal cancer with increased choline intake [ 28 ], and a large cohort study tracking men over nearly 2 decades found no significant trend in colorectal cancer risk associated with choline intake [ 12 ].…”

“…In the field of oncology, a meta-analysis of eleven scholarly articles indicated a possible inverse correlation between increased choline intake and overall cancer risk [ 10 ]. Nonetheless, there are contradictory results concerning colorectal cancer, with some studies revealing negative [ 11 ] or no significant relationships [ 12 ]. Elevated levels of plasma choline have been positively correlated with increased mortality risk among older adults in the United States [ 13 ] and among Chinese adults with hypertension [ 14 ].…”