New research suggests that a healthy diet could lower the risk of ovarian cancer in African-American women.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. African-American women are less likely than white women to be diagnosed with the disease, but more likely to die from it.

"Because there is currently no reliable screening available for ovarian cancer, most cases are diagnosed at advanced stages," study author Bonnie Qin, a postdoctoral associate at Rutgers Cancer Institute, said in a statement. "That highlights a critical need for identifying modifiable lifestyle factors, including dietary interventions."

For the study, researchers collected and analyzed data from 415 women with ovarian cancer and 629 control patients. Women answered questions about their diet in the year leading up to a diagnosis (for patients) or to the time of an interview (for controls). They received scores based on numerous components of the three diets.

They found that among all African-American women in the study, those with the highest adherence to the Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010) diet, which is based on a different nutrition guide, the Healthy Eating Pyramid, were 34 percent less likely to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer than women with the lowest AHEI-2010 adherence.

The benefits of AHEI-2010 derive from higher vegetable intake and lower intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice. 

"As a high quality diet is likely to have benefits for many chronic conditions, it is probably a safe bet for better health in general," she said.

The findings were presented at the Eighth American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved, held Nov. 13-16.