According to new research people who consume a lot of fat particularly from animal foods such as meat and dairy products could be at a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

The study was undertaken by the National Institutes of Health and the findings are published in the July 15 edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

NIH researchers analyzed records of more than 500,000 people enrolled in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study and in 1995 and 1996 the study participants none of whom had pancreatic cancer were asked to fill a food frequency questionnaire.

They were followed for an average of 6.3 years to track various health issues including pancreatic cancer. During the follow up period 865 men and 472 women were diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic cancer.

Rachael Stolzenberg-Solomon, PhD, RD, a nutritional epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute said, "Our study demonstrated a positive association between dietary intake of total fat, particularly fat from animal sources. The strongest associations we observed were from meat and dairy products."

Previous studies have shown mixed results on whether dietary fat is associated with pancreatic cancer risk said Stolzenberg-Solomon. Adding that in the study those who ate a lot of fat were "regular eaters of fat from animals."

The study findings also showed that people with the lowest fat intake were 23 % less likely to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer as compared to those who had the highest fat intake. People who had the highest intake of saturated fats were 36 % more likely to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

The link between fat intake and cancer was strongest for saturated fat from animal food sources, which were associated with a 43 % increase in cancer risk. Among the high fat consumers in the study, the rate of cancer was 53 % higher for men and 23 % higher for women, compared to participants with the lowest fat diets.

Saturated fat has been linked to insulin resistance and diabetes and insulin resistance have been associated with increased pancreatic cancer risk in earlier studies.

The researchers said although studies like this one indicate an association between high fat intake and pancreatic cancer, they however don’t prove that high dietary fat particularly meat or dairy fat were particularly to blame. Stolzenberg-Solomon said other studies are needed to confirm the findings.

Eric Jacobs, PhD, strategic director of pharmacoepidemiology at the American Cancer Society said, "This study is large and well designed, and provides important evidence that a diet high in animal fat may increase risk of one of the leading causes of cancer death. While further confirmatory research about animal fat and pancreatic cancer is still needed, results of this study support the American Cancer Society's recommendations to limit red meat and emphasize plant foods to help reduce risk of a variety of cancer."