NCI dietary guidelines: rationale.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) believes that the potential for dietary changes to reduce the risk of cancer is considerable and that the existing scientific data provide evidence that is sufficiently consistent to warrant prudent interim dietary guidelines that will promote good health and reduce the risk of some types of cancer. Six interim dietary guidelines and their scientific rationale are discussed herein. The evidence presented for the scientific rationale is based on the 1982 National Academy of Sciences Committee report Diet, Nutrition and Cancer and NCI's own scientific reviews that link long-term dietary patterns with cancer risk. These guidelines to the American public are consistent with other dietary recommendations from the US departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association.