Emergence of nutrigenomics and dietary components as a complementary therapy in cancer prevention

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2022 Dec;29(60):89853-89873. doi: 10.1007/s11356-022-24045-x. Epub 2022 Nov 11.

Abstract

Cancer is an illness characterized by abnormal cell development and the capability to infiltrate or spread to rest of the body. A tumor is the term for this abnormal growth that develops in solid tissues like an organ, muscle, or bone and can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymphatic systems. Nutrition is a critical and immortal environmental component in the development of all living organisms encoding the relationship between a person's nutrition and their genes. Nutrients have the ability to modify gene expression and persuade alterations in DNA and protein molecules which is researched scientifically in nutrigenomics. These interactions have a significant impact on the pharmacokinetic properties of bioactive dietary components as well as their site of action/molecular targets. Nutrigenomics encompasses nutrigenetics, epigenetics, and transcriptomics as well as other "omic" disciplines like proteomics and metabolomics to explain the vast disparities in cancer risk among people with roughly similar life style. Clinical trials and researches have evidenced that alternation of dietary habits is potentially one of the key approaches for reducing cancer risk in an individual. In this article, we will target how nutrigenomics and functional food work as preventive therapy in reducing the risk of cancer.

Keywords: Cancer; Dietary components; Nutrigenetics; Nutrigenomics; Polyphenols.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Complementary Therapies*
  • Humans
  • Metabolomics
  • Neoplasms* / prevention & control
  • Proteomics