Dr Nadia Slimani
Dietary Exposure Assessment Group, Section of Nutrition and Metabolism
International Agency for Research on Cancer [IARC-WHO], The World Health Organization
Lyon, France
Project title
Biomarkers of industrial trans fatty acids and breast cancer risk within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. (2009/90)
Scientific abstract
The relationship between trans fatty acids and health is still of major concern. Industrial trans fatty acids (ITFAs) occur in hydrogenated vegetable oils, used as ingredients in industrially processed foods. A French study has discovered that high levels of ITFAs found in blood, as a result of eating processed foods, is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. However, further research needs to be carried out to confirm this in other European populations with large differences in dietary patterns and plasma ITFA levels, as well as to distinguish the specific effects of ITFAs from natural trans- and other fatty acids.
In order to build on the evidence on the adverse effects of ITFAs on breast cancer risk, this project will extend the French study to include a wider population demographic to individuals that participated in a European study (EPIC). This study includes about half a million men and women, recruited through 23 research centres located in 10 western European countries and includes 4,852 breast cancer cases and their matched controls.
Increased knowledge of the link between ITFAs and breast cancer will contribute to the formulation of public health policies for cancer prevention.
Project plain language abstract
Background: The relationship between trans fatty acids and health is still of major concern. Industrial trans fatty acids (ITFAs) occur in hydrogenated vegetable oils, used as ingredients in industrially processed foods. A French study has discovered that high levels of ITFAs found in blood, as a result of eating processed foods, is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. However, further research needs to be carried out to confirm this in other European populations with large differences in dietary patterns and plasma ITFA levels, as well as to distinguish the specific effects of ITFAs from natural trans- and other fatty acids.
Project details: In order to build on the evidence on the adverse effects of ITFAs on breast cancer risk, this project will extend the French study to include a wider population demographic to individuals that participated in a European study (EPIC). This study includes about half a million men and women, recruited through 23 research centres located in 10 western European countries and includes 4,852 breast cancer cases and their matched controls. Increased knowledge of the link between ITFAs and breast cancer will contribute to the formulation of public health policies for cancer prevention.
| Institution and location | Degree | Year | Scientific Field |
|---|---|---|---|
Ecole de diététique (Toulouse, France) |
BTS |
1984-198 |
Dietetics |
University B. Pascal (Clermont-Ferrand, France) |
Masters |
1986-1987 |
Cell Biology and Physiology |
University of Languedoc-Roussillon (Montpellier, France) |
DESS (Postgraduate specialization)
|
1987
|
Nutrition in developing countries
|
IARC (Lyon, France) |
Special Training Award |
1989-1990
|
Nutrition, epidemiology and cancer |
University of Wageningen (Wageningen, The Netherlands) |
PhD |
2002 |
Nutrition and epidemiology |
| 2007–Present | Head, Dietary Exposure Assessment Group, Section of Nutrition and Metabolism International Agency for Research on Cancer [IARC-WHO], The World Health Organization, Lyon, France |
| 1990–2007 | Senior nutritionist in the Nutrition and Hormones Group at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC-WHO), Lyon, France. |
Research interests
Dietary exposures (including biomarkers) and their association with cancer and other chronic diseases in international study contexts.
