Abstract
The Western-style diet, which is common in developed countries and spreading into developing countries, is unbalanced in many respects. For instance, micronutrients (vitamins A, B complex, C, D, E, and K plus iron, zinc, selenium, and iodine) are generally depleted in Western food (causing what is known as ‘hidden hunger’), whereas some others (such as phosphorus) are added beyond the daily allowance. This imbalance in micronutrients can induce cellular damage that can increase the risk of cancer. Interestingly, there is a large body of evidence suggesting a strong correlation between vitamin intake as well as vitamin blood concentrations with the occurrence of certain types of cancer. The direction of association between the concentration of a given vitamin and cancer risk is tumor specific. The present review summarized the literature regarding vitamins and cancer risk to assess whether these could be used as diagnostic or prognostic markers, thus confirming their potential as biomarkers. Despite many studies that highlight the importance of monitoring vitamin blood or tissue concentrations in cancer patients and demonstrate the link between vitamin intake and cancer risk, there is still an urgent need for more data to assess the effectiveness of vitamins as biomarkers in the context of cancer. Therefore, this review aims to provide a solid basis to support further studies on this promising topic.
Highlights
Published: 1 November 2021The broadened food availability experienced by most countries after the Second WorldWar, reflected by a higher energy intake and body weight in comparison to levels before the war, has fostered an ongoing epidemic of obesity that is a significant concern for public health worldwide [1,2]
It is well-known that the Western diet—which is characterized by high amounts of fat and protein but low in fibers—is essentially unhealthy because it leads to a higher cancer risk
We demonstrated that apoptosis, and the fragmentation produces neither internucleosomal fragments the cytotoxicity of vitamin C requires high doses of this micronutrient
Summary
Published: 1 November 2021The broadened food availability experienced by most countries after the Second WorldWar, reflected by a higher energy intake and body weight in comparison to levels before the war, has fostered an ongoing epidemic of obesity that is a significant concern for public health worldwide [1,2]. Obesity has become so widespread that the American Medical. Association categorized it as a disorder in 2013 [3]. One consequence of this pandemic of food overload is that malnutrition went into oblivion and nutrition-related issues are often overlooked. It is well-known that the Western diet—which is characterized by high amounts of fat and protein but low in fibers (present in fruits and vegetables)—is essentially unhealthy because it leads to a higher cancer risk. Western countries show high prevalence of colorectal cancer [4]. The 4-year survival rate in ovarian cancer has a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.28 (95% confidence interval: 1.34–3.89) in people on a Western diet, whereas it is 0.66 (0.43–1.01) in patients eating preferably vegetables [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
