Two studies look at eating patterns and risk of type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer

Two new studies led by Rania Mekary, a research associate at Harvard School of Public Health, and HSPH colleagues examine the health effects of men’s eating habits by analyzing data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

A study looking at eating frequency and colorectal cancer risk, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology on March 2, 2012, found that men who ate frequently (five to eight times per day) did not raise their risk of colorectal cancer when compared with men who ate three times per day. Frequently eating healthy food appeared to lower risk, especially for men with higher insulin sensitivity. Read abstract

A second study examined eating patterns and type 2 diabetes risk in men. Mekary and her colleagues found that men who skipped breakfast had a 21 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those who ate breakfast. It was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on March 28, 2012. Read abstract

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