Importance of nutrition in cancer prevention and treatment
23 January 2025
Cancer is a complex disease that affects everyone differently. Although the advent of new technologies and treatments have increased cancer survival rates over the years, cancer is still one of the leading causes of death globally. Cancer survival rates are affected by various factors, such as
- the type of cancer,
- stage of detection,
- diagnosis and treatment,
- the health status of the individual, and
- other tumour-related factors.
The link between adopting a healthy lifestyle and reduced cancer risk is well established. An unbalanced diet could increase the chance of developing cancer, while malnourishment could reduce the effectiveness of cancer treatment. Although nutritional requirements for cancer patients tend to differ, good nourishment should include a variety of foods such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, water, vitamins and minerals to help the body build up strength to fight cancer.
Increasing natural foods such as fruits and vegetables in one’s diet could be beneficial due to the presence of antioxidants and phytonutrients, which are well known for their health-promoting qualities. In this regard, health experts recommend that antioxidants and phytonutrients are best taken by eating the foods that contain them instead of supplements or pills.
Some of the best sources of antioxidants and phytonutrients include:
BROCCOLI
Phytochemical composition:
kaempferol, quercetin glucosides, isorhamnetin, glucosinolates and their derivatives
Bioactive properties:
Anti-cancer & Anti-oxidant effects
KALE
Phytochemical composition:
Contains glucosinolates, polyphenols, and carotenoids (β-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin)
Bioactive properties:
Anti-oxidant, Anti-cancer, Cardiovascular protection, Gastro-intestinal tract protection
BLUEBERRIES
Phytochemical composition:
Contains flavonoids (anthocyanins, flavonols, proanthocyanidins) and phenolic acids
Bioactive properties:
Anti-cancer, Anti-oxidant & Anti-inflammatory effects
APPLES
Phytochemical composition:
Contains quercetin, catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid.
Bioactive properties:
Antioxidant, Anti-cancer & Cardioprotective effects
GRAPES
Phytochemical composition:
contains phenolic compounds, flavonoids, anthocyanins, stilbenes and proanthocyanidins
Bioactive properties:
Cardioprotective, Neuroprotective, Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-oxidant, Anti-cancer effects
TOMATOES
Phytochemical composition:
Contains phenolic acids and flavonoids, carotenoids (lycopene, α, and β carotene)
Bioactive properties:
Anti-oxidant & Anti-cancer effects
Extensive research on the anti-cancer potential of several bioactive compounds from different natural sources such as plants, fruits, vegetables and spices have been explored. Interestingly, there is strong evidence that attribute the health benefits of fruits and vegetables to the additive and synergistic interactions of the phytochemicals present in whole foods, including the ability of these compounds to target multiple cell-signaling pathways associated with various cancer hallmarks (such as cell proliferation, angiogenesis, apoptosis and metastasis). Therefore, it is important to eat a variety of whole fruits and vegetables, to obtain a wide range of nutrients and phytochemicals for optimal nutrition and health well-being.
REFERENCES
- The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team (2022). Benefits of good nutrition during cancer treatment (Online). Available: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/survivorship/coping/nutrition/benefits.html Accessed: 06/12/2024
- Boyer J, Liu RH (2004). Apple phytochemicals and their health benefits. Nutr. J. 3:5. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-3-5. PMID: 15140261; PMCID: PMC442131.
- Chaudhary P, Sharma A, Singh B, Nagpal AK (2018). Bioactivities of phytochemicals present in tomato. J. Food Sci. Technol. 55(8):2833-2849. doi: 10.1007/s13197-018-3221-z.
Choudhari AS, Mandave PC, Deshpande M, Ranjekar P and Prakash O (2020). Phytochemicals in cancer treatment: from preclinical studies to clinical practice. Front Pharmacol. 10:1614.
- Felgus-Lavefve L, Howard L, Adams SH, Baum JI (2022). The effects of blueberry phytochemicals on cell models of inflammation and oxidative stress. Adv. Nutr. 13(4):1279-1309. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmab137.
- Georgiev V, Ananga A, Tsolova V (2014). Recent advances and uses of grape flavonoids as nutraceuticals. Nutrients. 6(1):391-415. doi: 10.3390/nu6010391. PMID: 24451310; PMCID: PMC3916869.
- Kotecha R, Takami A, Espinoza JL (2016). Dietary phytochemicals and cancer chemoprevention: a review of the clinical evidence. Oncotarget. 7(32):52517-52529. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.9593. PMID: 27232756; PMCID: PMC5239570.
- Liu RH (2013). Dietary bioactive compounds and their health implications. J Food Sci. 78 Suppl 1:A18-25. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.12101. PMID: 23789932.
- Ortega-Hernández E, Antunes-Ricardo M, Jacobo-Velázquez DA (2021). Improving the health-benefits of kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala DC) through the application of controlled abiotic stresses: A Review. Plants (Basel). 10(12):2629. doi: 10.3390/plants10122629. PMID: 34961097; PMCID: PMC8706317.
- Ranjan A, Ramachandran S, Gupta N, Kaushik I, Wright S, Srivastava S, Das H, Srivastava S, Prasad S, Srivastava SK (2019). Role of phytochemicals in cancer prevention. Int J Mol Sci. 20(20):4981. doi: 10.3390/ijms20204981. PMID: 31600949; PMCID: PMC6834187.
- Zhou K, Raffoul JJ (2012). Potential anticancer properties of grape antioxidants. J. Oncol. 2012:803294
NOTE:
Appropriate nutrition support is an important requirement for cancer treatment, however, always check with your doctor and nutritionist before making changes to your diet.
The information provided here is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
