Key words: nuts, peanut butter, cancer, prevention, cohort study

"The potential of nuts and peanut butter in the prevention of cancer: an epidemiological approach"

Growing scientific evidence has indicated that nut intake might have beneficial effects on cancer-related mortality. However, prospective evidence on the relation between nut consumption and cancer risk is limited. This thesis investigated the associations between nut and peanut butter intake and the risk of cancer (sub)types in men and women in the prospective Netherlands Cohort Study on diet and cancer (NLCS). In 1986, 120,852 men and women, aged 55-69 years, completed a baseline questionnaire on diet and cancer risk factors. During 20.3 years of follow-up, cancer cases in the total cohort were identified through annual record linkage with the Netherlands Cancer Registry and the Netherlands Pathology Registry (PALGA). The results indicated that nut consumption shows promising potential in the prevention of several cancer (sub)types. However, the protective effects were not very strong and differed between men and women. For peanut butter intake, the associations with cancer risk were less consistent.

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