According to a recent study, those overeating or with unrestricted eating habits have a higher risk of gastrointestinal (GI) tract tumors.
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| Image: Two Women Overeating | InStyleHealth |
For 18 years, the researchers monitored cancer-free
Nurses' Health Study participants who reported dietary information in 1994.
Using Cox regression models, they calculated the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95
percent confidence intervals (CIs) for overeating (eating whatever you
want, whenever you want) and the risk of digestive system malignancies.
In studies of eating anything at any moment throughout
follow-up, a total of 2,064 instances of digestive system cancer were found
among 70,450 eligible subjects. There were 2,081 cancer cases among 72,468
individuals in analyses of no concern with figure change.
Women who ate anything at any time had a higher risk
of overall digestive system cancer (HR, 1.22, 95 percent CI, 1.10–1.35),
overall GI tract cancer (HR, 1.33, 95 percent CI, 1.18–1.50), buccal cavity and
pharynx cancer (HR, 1.50, 95 percent CI, 1.02–2.21), esophageal cancer (HR,
1.62, 95 percent CI, 1.01–2.62), small intestine cancer.
There was no statistically significant link between
pancreatic cancer and liver or gallbladder cancer. Furthermore, when compared
to those who exhibited the opposite behavior, the combined effect of eating
anything at any time and having no concern about weight change was associated
with a significantly increased risk of overall digestive system cancer (HR,
1.27, 95 percent CI, 1.10–1.46), overall GI tract cancer (HR, 1.45, 95 percent
CI, 1.23–1.71), and colorectal cancer (HR, 1.34, 95 percent CI, 1.11–1.63).
"It's worth noting the possible impact of
unrestricted eating behavior adjustment in preventing gastrointestinal tract malignancies," the researchers said.
Sources: Am J Clin Nutr 2021;114:1612-1624