Dietary index for gut microbiota and risk of gastrointestinal cancer: a prospective gene-diet study

By:
Dong-Run Li, Bang-Quan Liu, Ming-Hui Li, Ying Qin, Jia-Cheng Liu, Wen-Rui Zheng, Ting-Ting Gong, Shan-Yan Gao, Qi-Jun Wu
Date:
2025

Using UK Biobank data, this study assessed the relationship between the Dietary Index for Gut Microbiota (DI-GM) and gastrointestinal (GI) cancer risk. Higher DI-GM scores, indicating better gut-microbiota-friendly diets, were linked to lower risks of GI cancers, especially esophageal and colorectal. The study also examined genetic risk via polygenic risk scores, revealing that individuals with both high DI-GM and low genetic risk had the lowest cancer incidence. An additive interaction between diet and genetic predisposition suggests the potential for personalized cancer prevention strategies.