Dietary Flavonoids as Cancer Chemopreventive Agents: An Updated Review of Human Studies.

Carmen Rodríguez-García,José J Gaforio,Cristina Sánchez-Quesada

doi:10.3390/antiox8050137

Abstract

Over the past few years, interest in health research has increased, making improved health a global goal for 2030. The purpose of such research is to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing across individuals of all ages. It has been shown that nutrition plays a key role in the prevention of some chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. One of the aspects that characterises a healthy diet is a high intake of vegetables and fruits, as both are flavonoid-rich foods. Flavonoids are one of the main subclasses of dietary polyphenols and possess strong antioxidant activity and anti-carcinogenic properties. Moreover, some population-based studies have described a relationship between cancer risk and dietary flavonoid intake. In this context, the goal of this review was to provide an updated evaluation of the association between the risk of different types of cancers and dietary flavonoid intake. We analysed all relevant epidemiological studies from January 2008 to March 2019 using the PUBMED and Web of Science databases. In summary, this review concludes that dietary flavonoid intake is associated with a reduced risk of different types of cancer, such as gastric, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers.

Highlights

Cancer is among the diseases that have the greatest impact on society [1]
Several studies have reported that diets based on high levels of vegetables and fruits are strongly associated with a significant reduction in cancer risk [5,6]
The results suggested that prostate cancer risk could be reduced by a high intake of catechins (OR: 0.12, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.04–0.36) and flavonol (OR: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.06–0.56)

Summary

Introduction

Cancer is among the diseases that have the greatest impact on society [1]. Even though its incidence has increased over the years, its mortality has decreased because of advances in treatment [2].efforts to improve cancer prevention are needed. Cancer is among the diseases that have the greatest impact on society [1]. Even though its incidence has increased over the years, its mortality has decreased because of advances in treatment [2]. Efforts to improve cancer prevention are needed. The aetiology of cancer is multifactorial, involving both environmental and genetic factors [3]. Diet is one of the lifestyle factors that affect cancer incidence and mortality [4]. Several studies have reported that diets based on high levels of vegetables and fruits are strongly associated with a significant reduction in cancer risk [5,6]

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Conclusion