• Long-term exposure to nitrate in drinkin

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Wed Mar 8 21:30:44 2023
    Long-term exposure to nitrate in drinking water may be a risk factor for prostate cancer

    Date:
    March 8, 2023
    Source:
    Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)
    Summary:
    The nitrate ingested over the course of a person's adult lifetime
    through the consumption of tap water and bottled water could be
    a risk factor for prostate cancer, particularly in the case of
    aggressive tumors and in younger men.


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    FULL STORY ==========================================================================
    The nitrate ingested over the course of a person's adult lifetime through
    the consumption of tap water and bottled water could be a risk factor
    for prostate cancer, particularly in the case of aggressive tumours
    and in younger men. This is the conclusion of a study conducted in
    Spain and led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal),
    a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation. The findings have been published in Environmental Health Perspectives.


    ==========================================================================
    The study also suggests that diet plays an important role. The researchers found that eating plenty of fibre, fruit/vegetables and vitamin C could
    reduce the negative effect of nitrate in drinking water.

    Ingestion of Waterborne Nitrate and Trihalomethanes The aim of the study
    was to assess whether there was an association between the ingestion of waterborne nitrate and trihalomethanes (THMs) and the risk of prostate
    cancer. Nitrate and THMs are two of the most common contaminants in
    drinking water. The nitrate present in the water comes from agricultural fertilisers and manure from intensive livestock farming; it is washed into aquifers and rivers by rainfall. "Nitrate is a compound that is a part
    of nature, but we have altered its natural cycle," explained Cristina Villanueva, an ISGlobal researcher specialised in water pollution. The
    new study looked at whether long-term exposure to nitrite throughout
    adulthood could lead to cancer.

    THMs are by-products of water disinfection -- i.e. chemical compounds
    formed after drinking water is disinfected, usually with chlorine. Unlike nitrate, for which the only route of entry is ingestion, THMs can also
    be inhaled and absorbed through the skin while showering, swimming in
    pools or washing dishes.

    Long-term exposure to THMs has been associated with an increased risk
    of bladder cancer, but evidence of the relationship between THMs and
    other types of cancer is, to date, very limited.

    Prostate Cancer and Long-Term Exposure to Nitrate and THMs in Drinking
    Water To evaluate the possible association between prostate cancer and long-term exposure to nitrate and THMs in drinking water, a research
    team led by ISGlobal studied 697 cases of prostate cancer in Spanish
    hospitals between 2008 and 2013 (including 97 aggressive tumours), as
    well as a control group made up of 927 men aged 38-85 years who had not
    been diagnosed with cancer at the time of the study. The average nitrate
    and trihalomethanes to which each participant had been exposed since
    the age of 18 was estimated based on where they had lived and the type
    (tap water, bottled water or, in some cases, well water) and amount of
    water they had drunk throughout their lives. Estimates were made on
    the basis of available data from drinking water controls carried out
    by municipalities or concessionary companies, from analyses of bottled
    water of the most widely distributed brands, and from measurements taken
    in different Spanish locations supplied by groundwater.

    The findings showed that the higher the nitrate intake, the greater the association with prostate cancer. Participants with higher waterborne
    nitrate ingestion (lifetime average of more than 14 mg per day) were 1.6
    times more likely to develop low-grade or medium-grade prostate cancer
    and nearly 3 times more likely to develop an aggressive prostate tumour
    than participants with lower nitrate intakes (lifetime average of less
    than 6 mg per day).

    "It has been suggested that aggressive prostate cancers, which
    are associated with a worse prognosis, have different underlying
    aetiological causes than slow-growing tumours with an indolent course,
    and our findings confirm this possibility," explained ISGlobal researcher Carolina Donat-Vargas, lead author of the study. "The risks associated
    with waterborne nitrate ingestion are already observed in people who
    consume water with nitrate levels below the maximum level allowed by
    European directives, which is 50 mg of nitrate per litre of water."
    Drinking Water Does Not Imply Getting Cancer The authors noted that this
    study simply provides the first evidence of the association, which will
    need to be confirmed through further research.

    Therefore, there is still a long way to go before we can assert a
    causal relationship. "Being exposed to nitrates through drinking
    water does not mean that you are going to develop prostate cancer,"
    commented Donat-Vargas. "Our hope is that this study, and others, will encourage a review of the levels of nitrate that are allowed in water,
    in order to ensure that there is no risk to human health." While the
    ingestion of waterborne THMs was not associated with prostate cancer,
    THM concentrations in residential tap water were associated with the development of these tumours, suggesting that inhalation and dermal
    exposure may play a significant role in total exposure. Further studies properly quantifying exposure to THMs via multiple routes are needed to
    draw firm conclusions.

    Fibre, Fruit, Vegetables and Vitamin C to Prevent Prostate Cancer
    Participants also completed a food frequency questionnaire, which provided individual dietary information. A striking finding of the study was that
    the association between ingested nitrate and prostate cancer were only
    observed in men with lower intakes of fibre, fruit/vegetables and vitamin
    C. "Antioxidants, vitamins and polyphenols in fruits and vegetables may
    inhibit the formation of nitrosamines -- compounds with carcinogenic
    potential -- in the stomach," explained Donat-Vargas. "Moreover, vitamin
    C has shown significant anti-tumour activity. And fibre, for its part,
    benefits the intestinal bacteria, which protect against food-derived
    toxicants, including nitrosamines." In participants with lower intakes
    of fibre (<=11 g/day), higher nitrate intake increased the likelihood
    of prostate cancer by a factor of 2.3. However, in those with higher
    intakes of fibre (>11 g/day), higher nitrate intake was not associated
    with an increased likelihood of prostate cancer.

    The research team hopes that this study will help to raise awareness of
    the potential environmental and human health impacts of pollutants in
    water, and to persuade authorities to ensure more rigorous control of
    this natural resource.

    Among the measures proposed by the authors of the study to reduce nitrate levels are "putting an end to the indiscriminate use of fertilisers and pesticides," and encouraging the adoption of diets that prioritise the
    health of the planet by reducing the consumption of animal-based foods, especially meat.

    Prostate Cancer: The Most Common Cancer in Spanish Men Prostate cancer
    appears to be on the rise worldwide. It is currently the most common
    cancer in Spanish men, among whom it accounts for 22% of all tumours
    diagnosed. However, its causes remain largely unknown, and it is one of
    the few cancers for which the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has not identified a clear carcinogenic agent. The currently
    recognised risk factors -- age, ethnicity and family history -- are non-modifiable. However, it is suspected that certain environmental
    exposures may contribute to the development of prostate cancer,
    especially in its advanced-stage and more aggressive forms. Therefore,
    it is vitally important to continue exploring the environmental factors
    that may contribute to the development of this cancer, so that action
    can be taken to prevent it.

    * RELATED_TOPICS
    o Health_&_Medicine
    # Men's_Health # Prostate_Cancer # Urology #
    Prostate_Health
    o Earth_&_Climate
    # Water # Drought_Research # Environmental_Issues #
    Pollution
    * RELATED_TERMS
    o Prostate_cancer o Stomach_cancer o Cholera o
    Water_purification o Desalination o Hair o Esophageal_cancer
    o Cancer

    ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Barcelona_Institute_for_Global_Health_(ISGlobal). Note: Content may be
    edited for style and length.


    ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
    1. Carolina Donat-Vargas, Manolis Kogevinas, Gemma Castan~o-Vinyals,
    Beatriz
    Pe'rez-Go'mez, Javier Llorca, Mercedes Vanaclocha-Espi',
    Guillermo Fernandez-Tardon, Laura Costas, Nuria Aragone's,
    Ine's Go'mez-Acebo, Victor Moreno, Marina Pollan, Cristina
    M. Villanueva. Long-Term Exposure to Nitrate and Trihalomethanes
    in Drinking Water and Prostate Cancer: A Multicase-Control Study
    in Spain (MCC-Spain). Environmental Health Perspectives, 2023;
    131 (3) DOI: 10.1289/EHP11391 ==========================================================================

    Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230308112202.htm

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