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Information Section associations (higher intakes were linked to lower blood pressures) (Stamler et aL, Circulation 1996, 94, 2417).

Dichloroacetic acid a liver carcinogen in rats

Dichloroacetic acid, found in drinking water as a disinfection byproduct, has previously been shown to produce liver cancer in mice. Liver cancer has now also been reported in male rats given daily doses of around either 40 or 140 mg/kg body weight for 2 yr in their drinking water. Liver tumours were not found at the lowest tested dose of 3.6 mg/kg body weight/day (DeAngelo et aL, Toxicology 1996, 114, 207).

Alcohol use and cleft lip

A study of birth defects in Iowa suggests that alcohol use during pregnancy may be a cause of cleft lip. The level of alcohol consumption was ascertained for the mothers of 287 babies born with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate (some of whom were also born with other birth defects) and the 302 mothers who produced a healthy child. Mothers who drank greater than 10 drinks a month experienced a fourfold increase in the risk of giving birth to a child with a cleft lip (Munger et aL, Teratology 1996, 54, 27).

Diet and the risk of colorectal tumours

A US case-control study has explored the relationships between the intake of six micronutrients (vitamins A, C and E, folate, calcium and iron) and the risk of developing colorectal tumours. The main findings were an association between reduced cancer risk and folate intake in women and with vitamin E intake in men. Dietary questionnaires were completed for 236 patients with colorectal neoplasia and 409 control subjects (all of whom had undergone full colonoscopy) (Tseng et aL, American Journal of Epidemiology 1996, 144, 1005). In another US case-control study (this one of 488 matched pairs), high carotenoid vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, garlic and tofu (soybeans) were among the food types found to be associated with a significant reduction in the risk of developing benign colorectal tumours. Evidence of this possible protective effect remained after adjusting for intake of folate, fibre, vitamin C, ~carotene and the commonly measured antioxidant components, suggesting other constituents (not as yet measured or identified) may be important (Witte etaL, ibid. 1996, 144, 1015).

l~-carotene, =-tocopherol and lung cancer

Additional analyses of the data from two major clinical trials, one in the US and the other in Finland, confirm that ~carotene supplements, taken alone or in combination with retinol, increase the risk of lung cancer among heavy smokers, with indications of an interaction with alcohol consumption. An associated editorial suggests that cigarette smoke may interact directly with ~carotene in the lungs of heavy smokers, forming harmful carotenoid oxidation products. Retinol may enhance this effect. The various investigators conclude that the safety and efficacy of vitamin supplementation should be demonstrated before recommending its use in any population (Albanes et aL, Journal of the National Cancer Institute 1996, 88, 1560; Omenn G.S. etal., ibid. 1996, 88, 1550; Mayne S.T. etal. (Editorial) ib/d. 1996, 88, 1513).

A broad range of dietary components may affect blood pressure

Data from a 6-yr study of over 10,000 middle-aged American men who were judged to be free from but at high risk of coronary heart disease suggested that "broad improvements in nutrition can be important in preventing and controlling.., high blood pressure'. As well as the previously established dietary influences on blood pressure (such as salt), a number of other food components were found to be influential. Higher intakes of cholesterol, saturated fatty acids and starch were associated with higher blood pressure; protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids each showed inverse

Soya and breast cancer

A high tofu intake has been found to be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. This was the key result of a limited study involving 597 breast cancer patients and 966 population-based controls, all of Asian origin. The adjusted odds ratio associated with each additional serving of tofu per wk was 0.85 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.74-0.99] (Wu et al., Cancer Epidemiology, Bioraarkers and Prevention 1996, 5, 901).

Soy protein and the human breast

Consumption of a soy protein isolate over a 6-month period appeared to have *a stimulatory