Which dietary changes are best for cancer prevention?

Cancer is a highly complex, multifaceted disease that places a substantial health burden all over the world. Since treatment is many times unsuccessful, especially if cancer is detected late, recent years have witnessed a significant surge in devising prevention strategies.

Many cancer prevention strategies are focused on dietary changes and the consumption of certain dietary supplements. However, the precise role of nutrition in cancer prevention is not yet fully understood. 

Now, a review study published in the journal Cancer Screening and Prevention has attempted to provide more comprehensive dietary guidelines to prevent this frequently lethal disease.

Diet and cancer prevention 

“Diet and supplements have a significant impact on the causes and prevention of cancer. It is generally accepted that nutrition plays an important part in cancer incidence,” wrote the study authors.

“However, even after decades of epidemiological research, several inconsistencies arise as to how exactly specific dietary factors are linked to cancer prevention, limiting the establishment of firm conclusions.”

Factors increasing cancer risk

It is generally agreed in the scientific world that factors such as obesity, or intake of high-calorie foods, sugary beverages, and processed products increase cancer risk. 

Obesity

Studies have found that obesity is linked to 14 percent of cancer deaths in men and 20 percent in women, with specific products such as red meat, alcohol, or aflatoxins being related to the development of a variety of cancer types.

Fruits and vegetables 

On the other hand, consuming a high intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains appears to play a major role in cancer prevention. 

Vitamins and micronutrients

Moreover, various micronutrients and antioxidants found in dietary supplements, such as vitamin B12, C, D, selenium, folic acid, and carotenoids have also been shown to prevent the development of carcinogenic tumors and increase overall health. Yet, their indiscriminate use can be dangerous, as many studies attest. 

Plant extracts and cancer prevention 

Another promising direction of research in cancer prevention has focused on plant extracts such as polyphenols, which were found to prevent cancer emergence and development. 

Polyphenols are mostly found in fruits, vegetables, and nuts and can be classified into flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, stilbenes, and other compounds.

“The main polyphenols found in plants are flavonoids and phenolic acids, which make up about 30% and 60% of all naturally occurring polyphenols, respectively,” noted the researchers. 

“Some forms of cancer are well-protected against polyphenols: They have toxic effects on cells that can limit the growth of tumors and that cause apoptosis.”

Protective effects of polyphenols 

According to the study authors, polyphenols appear to be effective chemopreventive drugs due to a number of protective actions they exhibit, including cell cycle signaling modification, activation of antioxidant enzymes, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest.

“The antioxidants (present in fruits, vegetables, and nuts) help to repair cells, have anti-inflammatory properties, and reduce excessive free radical formation in the body, which is the main mechanism of action of cancer cells.”

Connecting diet and cancer prevention

The researchers also noted that data from epidemiological, preclinical, and clinical research have made a significant contribution to the knowledge connecting diet and cancer prevention.

However, up to date, there is only a limited understanding of the fundamental relationship between diet and cancer prevention.

In addition, as the researchers argued, dietary supplements should not be administered indiscriminately since they may also have negative effects.

Lack of conclusive evidence

“Cancer research is challenging, and it is never easy to determine the true impact of just one of these factors because several lifestyle factors also have an impact on the risk of cancer. This is an important point regarding the efficacy of diet and supplements in the prevention of cancer,” noted the study authors.

“There is currently no conclusive evidence in favor of any one dietary regimen for lowering the risk of cancer.”

Yet, as they repeatedly stress, the findings of various studies indicate that general dietary modification has a positive impact on the prevention of cancer.  

The experts concluded that while diet and dietary supplements enable cancer patients to actively participate in their care, it is important to make sure that the patient is aware of the risks associated with forgoing proven conventional treatments.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–