Dietary flavonoids and cancer risk: evidence from human population studies

High dietary intake of fruits and vegetables is consistently associated with a reduced risk of common human cancers, including cancers of the lung, breast, prostate, and colon. It is unknown which bioactive compound or compounds in plant foods provide the chemoprotective effects. One class of compou...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrition and cancer 2004, Vol.50 (1), p.1-7
Main Author: Neuhouser, M.L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antioxidants - administration & dosage
Apoptosis - drug effects
Biological and medical sciences
Case-Control Studies
Cell Cycle - drug effects
Cohort Studies
Diet
Female
flavonoids
Flavonoids - administration & dosage
Fruit - chemistry
Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics
human health
human nutrition
human population
Humans
literature reviews
Male
Mammary gland diseases
Medical sciences
neoplasms
Neoplasms - epidemiology
Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases
Pneumology
risk assessment
Risk Factors
Tumors
Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum
Tumors of the urinary system
Urinary tract. Prostate gland
Vegetables - chemistry
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Summary:High dietary intake of fruits and vegetables is consistently associated with a reduced risk of common human cancers, including cancers of the lung, breast, prostate, and colon. It is unknown which bioactive compound or compounds in plant foods provide the chemoprotective effects. One class of compounds currently under investigation is flavonoids, a large group of compounds with similar structure, consisting of two phenolic benzene rings linked to a heterocyclic pyran or pyrone. Although there are numerous in vitro and animal model data suggesting that flavonoids influence important cellular and molecular mechanisms related to carcinogenesis, such as cell cycle control and apoptosis, there are limited data from human population studies. This article reviews data from four cohort studies and six case-control studies, which have examined associations of flavonoid intake with cancer risk. There is consistent evidence from these studies that flavonoids, especially quercetin, may reduce the risk of lung cancer. Further research using new dietary databases for food flavonoid content is needed to confirm these findings before specific public health recommendations about flavonoids can be formulated.
ISSN:0163-5581
1532-7914
DOI:10.1207/s15327914nc5001_1