CONSUMPTION OF ONIONS AND A REDUCED RISK OF STOMACH CARCINOMA

Background & Aims: Results from case-control studies acid laboratory t ests indicate that consumption of allium vegetables may considerably r educe the risk of stomach cancer. The association between onion and le ek consumption, garlic supplement use, and the incidence of stomach ca rcinoma was studied. Methods: The association was investigated in the Netherlands Cohort Study on diet and cancer, which started in 1986 wit h 120,852 men and women ranging in age from 55 to 69 years, Dietary da ta were available for 139 stomach carcinoma cases diagnosed during 3.3 years of follow-up and for 3123 subjects of the randomly selected sub cohort, Results: The rate ratio for stomach carcinoma in the highest o nion consumption category (greater than or equal to 0.5 onions/day) wa s 0.50 (95% confidence interval, 0.26-0.95) compared with the lowest c ategory (0 onions/day) after adjustment for other risk factors, The re duction in risk was restricted to carcinoma in the noncardia part of t he stomach (P = 0.002) and was also found among subjects without a his tory of stomach disorders (P = 0.01). The consumption of leeks and the use of garlic supplements were not associated with stomach carcinoma risk. Conclusions: The Netherlands Cohort Study provides evidence for a strong inverse association between onion consumption and stomach car cinoma incidence.