Effects of Dietary Components on Cancer of the Digestive System

Abstract

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in developed countries and poor diet and physical inactivity are major risk factors in cancer-related deaths. Therefore, interventions to reduce levels of smoking, improve diet, and increase physical activity must become much higher priorities in the general population's health and health care systems. The consumption of fruit and vegetables exerts a preventive effect towards cancer and in recent years natural dietary agents have attracted great attention in the scientific community and among the general public. Foods, such as tomatoes, olive oil, broccoli, garlic, onions, berries, soy bean, honey, tea, aloe vera, grapes, rosemary, basil, chili peppers, carrots, pomegranate, and curcuma contain active components that can influence the initiation and the progression of carcinogenesis, acting on pathways implied in cell proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis. The present review illustrates the main foods and their active components, including their antioxidant, cytotoxic, and pro-apoptotic properties, with a particular focus on the evidence related to cancers of the digestive system.

Keywords:

• Food
• chemoprevention
• neoplasia
• digestive system cancer
• apoptosis
• oncogene
• epigenetic

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We hereby acknowledge Eoin L.A. Mac Cárthaigh for his help in manuscript revision.

FUNDING

This study was supported by Funds from Italian Ministry of Research

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.