Plant-Based Diets and Cancer Risk: What is the Evidence?

Understanding how foods and enteral feedings influence the gut microbiome

The gut microbiome supports both gut and overall health. Diet is known to be one of the driving factors that influences the gut microbiome. The foods we eat, the dietary and nondietary components they contain, various food consumption patterns, and the ratio of nutrients consumed have been shown to impact gut microbiome composition and function. Studies indicate that many acute and chronic diseases are associated with alterations to the gut microbiome. There are many patients who rely on enteral tube feeding for their nutrition support. More recently, enteral tube feeding formulations of "real food" have become commercially available. However, little is known about how enteral tube feeding impacts the gut microbiome in patients requiring this specialized form of nutrition therapy. This review summarizes the existing evidence regarding the food sources of commonly consumed macronutrients and their impact on the gut microbiome. Also presented is what is known regarding "standard" and real food enteral formulations on the gut microbiome. Existing evidence is suggestive that real food enteral formulations positively impact the gut microbiome. Still, more research is needed on ready-to-feed formulations, particularly in patients with various clinical conditions, and how gut microbiome modulation impacts clinical outcomes.

A Narrative Review of Quercetin's Role as a Bioactive Compound in Female Reproductive Disorders

Lifestyle, nutrition, and metabolic status are central to maintaining women's reproductive health. With the rising prevalence of infertility, the need for effective strategies to preserve and enhance women's reproductive well-being has become increasingly urgent. Quercetin, a plant-derived polyphenol, has attracted growing interest for its potential to support reproductive health, regulate the hormonal balance, and improve fertility. This narrative review examines Quercetin's role in women's reproductive health and delineates its possible mechanisms of action in female reproductive system disorders, including polycystic ovary syndrome, recurrent miscarriage, and cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancer (EC). By highlighting the biological pathways through which quercetin may exert its effects, this article underscores the need for further research and clinical trials to validate its therapeutic potential and its applications as a bioactive compound in foods aimed at enhancing women's reproductive health.

Dietary Restrictions and Cancer Prevention: State of the Art

Worldwide, almost 10 million cancer deaths occurred in 2022, a number that is expected to rise to 16.3 million by 2040. Primary prevention has long been acknowledged as a crucial approach to reducing cancer incidence. In fact, between 30 and 50 percent of all tumors are known to be preventable by eating a healthy diet, staying active, avoiding alcohol, smoking, and being overweight. Accordingly, many international organizations have created tumor prevention guidelines, which underlie the importance of following a diet that emphasizes eating plant-based foods while minimizing the consumption of red/processed meat, sugars, processed foods, and alcohol. However, further research is needed to define the relationship between the effect of specific diets or nutritional components on cancer prevention. Interestingly, reductions in food intake and dietetic restrictions can extend the lifespan of yeast, nematodes, flies, and rodents. Despite controversial results in humans, those approaches have the potential to ameliorate health via direct and indirect effects on specific signaling pathways involved in cancer onset. Here, we describe the latest knowledge on the cancer-preventive potential of dietary restrictions and the biochemical processes involved. Molecular, preclinical, and clinical studies evaluating the effects of different fasting strategies will also be reviewed.

Plant-Based Functional Foods from Borneo

Borneo, the third-largest island in the world, is shared between Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), Indonesia (Kalimantan) and Brunei. As a biodiversity hotspot, it is home to about 15,000 flowering plants and 3000 tree species, of which many are endemic to the region. Locally derived plant-based foods are gaining popularity due to their lower environmental impact, contribution to food sustainability and health benefits. The local fruits and vegetables of Borneo have been used traditionally by the indigenous community for medicinal purposes. This community knowledge can provide a valuable guide to their potential for use as functional foods. This review explores the contemporary foods from Borneo, including fruit, vegetables, seaweeds and plant-derived food products that are locally consumed. The findings show that the unique tropical food groups have a wide diversity of phytochemical compositions that possess a wide array of biological activities including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-proliferative, anti-fungal, wound healing and expectorant properties. The wide range of plant-based foods in Borneo deserves further development for wider applications as functional foods.

New Insights into Aspirin's Anticancer Activity: The Predominant Role of Its Iron-Chelating Antioxidant Metabolites

Epidemiological studies have suggested that following long-term, low-dose daily aspirin (LTLDA) administration for more than 5 years at 75-100 mg/day, 20-30% of patients (50-80 years old) had a lower risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) and about the same proportion in developing iron deficiency anemia (IDA). In cases of IDA, an increase in iron excretion is suspected, which is caused by aspirin chelating metabolites (ACMs): salicylic acid, salicyluric acid, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid. The ACMs constitute 70% of the administered aspirin dose and have much longer half-lives than aspirin in blood and tissues. The mechanisms of cancer risk reduction in LTLDA users is likely due to the ACM's targeting of iron involved in free radical damage, iron-containing toxins, iron proteins, and associated metabolic pathways such as ferroptosis. The ACMs from non-absorbed aspirin (about 30%) may also mitigate the toxicity of heme and nitroso-heme and other iron toxins from food, which are responsible for the cause of colorectal cancer. The mode of action of aspirin as a chelating antioxidant pro-drug of the ACMs, with continuous presence in LTLDA users, increases the prospect for prophylaxis in cancer and other diseases. It is suggested that the anticancer effects of aspirin depend primarily on the iron-chelating antioxidant activity of the ACMs. The role of aspirin in cancer and other diseases is incomplete without considering its rapid biotransformation and the longer half-life of the ACMs.

The Veg∗n Eating Motives Inventory Plus (VEMI+): A measure of health, environment, animal rights, disgust, social, pandemic and zoonotic diseases, and farm workers' rights motives

Health, environmental concern, and animal rights are established motives for reduced meat consumption that can be measured by the Vegetarian Eating Motives Inventory (VEMI). This preregistered study aimed to expand the VEMI to include four less-studied motives: disgust, social, concern about zoonotic diseases and pandemics, and concern for workers' rights. We had three objectives: to combine the seven motives into a comprehensive model, to test if the VEMI+ scales function equivalently across omnivore and vegan groups, and to validate and differentiate these motives against external measures and meat reduction appeals. In samples of 731 omnivores and 731 vegans (total N = 1,462), we found support for the measurement invariance of a seven-factor structure across groups and created a scale with reliable measures for each dimension (ω total between 0.82 and 0.97). Vegans scored higher overall, with substantially higher scores on environmental concern, animal rights, disgust, and zoonotic disease concerns, while omnivores had slightly higher scores on health, social, and workers' rights scales. Scale scores had expected correlations with criterion measures and differentially predicted support for motive-tailored appeals. This study enhances our understanding of dietary motivations and provides a valuable tool for future research.

MicroRNAs and the Mediterranean diet: a nutri-omics perspective for lung cancer

Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer type worldwide with ~ 1.8 million deaths per-year. Smoking accounts for ~ 85% of all cases, with a described joint effect with unhealthy diet in lung cancer risk increase. Public health policies to prevent carcinogens exposure, promote smoking cessation and advocacy for healthy nutrition, are therefore highly recommended. Here we have examined the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) in protecting against some non-communicable diseases including lung cancer, highlighting the epidemiological and biomolecular aspects of MedDiet anti-inflammatory effect and its interaction with smoking habits closely linked to risk of lung cancer. Considering the high incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer, we discussed also about the global impact that a Planeterranean extension of the benefits of MedDiet could have on controlling lung cancer risk. We also debated the impact of personalized nutrition on lung cancer prevention, considering individual heterogeneity in response to diet plans as well as recent advancements on nutri-omics in lung cancer research, with a specific focus on the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) as a promising nutritional molecular hub for lung cancer prevention. We strongly believe that a deep understanding of the molecular link between food components and genetic/epigenetics factors can expand effective intervention strategies.

Spontaneous Tumor Regression and Reversion: Insights and Associations with Reduced Dietary Phosphate

Tumors that spontaneously shrink from unknown causes in tumor regression, and that return to normal cells in tumor reversion, are phenomena with the potential to contribute new knowledge and novel therapies for cancer patient survival. Tumorigenesis is associated with dysregulated phosphate metabolism and an increased transport of phosphate into tumor cells, potentially mediated by phosphate overload from excessive dietary phosphate intake, a significant problem in Western societies. This paper proposes that reduced dietary phosphate overload and reregulated phosphate metabolism may reverse an imbalance of kinases and phosphatases in cell signaling and cellular proliferation, thereby activating autophagy in tumor regression and reversion. Dietary phosphate can also be reduced by sickness-associated anorexia, fasting-mimicking diets, and other diets low in phosphate, all of which have been associated with tumor regression. Tumor reversion has also been demonstrated by transplanting cancer cells into a healthy microenvironment, plausibly associated with normal cellular phosphate concentrations. Evidence also suggests that the sequestration and containment of excessive phosphate within encapsulated tumors is protective in cancer patients, preventing the release of potentially lethal amounts of phosphate into the general circulation. Reducing dietary phosphate overload has the potential to provide a novel, safe, and effective reversion therapy for cancer patients, and further research is warranted.

Cardiovascular health and cancer risk associated with plant based diets: An umbrella review

CONTEXT

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and cancer are the two main leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Suboptimal diet, poor in vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grain, and rich in processed and red meat, refined grains, and added sugars, is a primary modifiable risk factor. Based on health, economic and ethical concerns, plant-based diets have progressively widespread worldwide.

OBJECTIVE

This umbrella review aims at assessing the impact of animal-free and animal-products-free diets (A/APFDs) on the risk factors associated with the development of cardiometabolic diseases, cancer and their related mortalities.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed and Scopus were searched for reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses published from 1st January 2000 to 31st June 2023, written in English and involving human subjects of all ages. Primary studies and reviews/meta-analyses based on interventional trials which used A/APFDs as a therapy for people with metabolic diseases were excluded.

DATA EXTRACTION

The umbrella review approach was applied for data extraction and analysis. The revised AMSTAR-R 11-item tool was applied to assess the quality of reviews/meta-analyses.

RESULTS

Overall, vegetarian and vegan diets are significantly associated with better lipid profile, glycemic control, body weight/BMI, inflammation, and lower risk of ischemic heart disease and cancer. Vegetarian diet is also associated with lower mortality from CVDs. On the other hand, no difference in the risk of developing gestational diabetes and hypertension were reported in pregnant women following vegetarian diets. Study quality was average. A key limitation is represented by the high heterogeneity of the study population in terms of sample size, demography, geographical origin, dietary patterns, and other lifestyle confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

Plant-based diets appear beneficial in reducing cardiometabolic risk factors, as well as CVDs, cancer risk and mortality. However, caution should be paid before broadly suggesting the adoption of A/AFPDs since the strength-of-evidence of study results is significantly limited by the large study heterogeneity alongside the potential risks associated with potentially restrictive regimens.

Green Cancer Prevention and Beyond

The concept of green chemoprevention was introduced in 2012 by Drs. Jed Fahey and Thomas Kensler as whole-plant foods and/or extract-based interventions demonstrating cancer prevention activity. Refining concepts and research demonstrating proof-of-principle approaches are highlighted within this review. Early approaches included extensively investigated whole foods, including broccoli sprouts and black raspberries showing dose-responsive effects across a range of activities in both animals and humans with minimal or no apparent toxicity. A recent randomized crossover trial evaluating the detoxification of tobacco carcinogens by a broccoli seed and sprout extract in the high-risk cohort of current smokers highlights the use of a dietary supplement as a potential next-generation green chemoprevention or green cancer prevention approach. Challenges are addressed, including the selection of dose, duration and mode of delivery, choice of control group, and standardization of the plant food or extract. Identification and characterization of molecular targets and careful selection of high-risk cohorts for study are additional important considerations when designing studies. Goals for precision green cancer prevention include acquiring robust evidence from carefully controlled human studies linking plant foods, extracts, and compounds to modulation of targets for cancer risk reduction in individual cancer types.

The Dairy and Cancer Controversy: Milking the Evidence

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cancer risk reduction remains a significant concern for both individuals with a cancer diagnosis and those aiming to prevent it. Dairy products, a source of beneficial dietary nutrients, have sparked controversy regarding their impact on cancer risk.

RECENT FINDINGS

Evidence indicates that dairy consumption, particularly milk, can decrease colorectal cancer risk. However, cow's milk, a key dairy product, exposes individuals to growth hormones, notably insulin-like growth factor-1, potentially elevating cancer risk. Extensive research supports the link between dairy intake and heightened prostate cancer risk. Nonetheless, investigations into dairy's association with breast, ovarian, and other cancers yield mixed results. The overall data on dairy and cancer remains inconclusive. Available data suggests that a diet emphasizing fiber-rich foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, while restricting milk and dairy intake-similar to the Mediterranean dietary pattern-might mitigate cancer incidence. However, further research is crucial to elucidate the precise role of dairy products in overall cancer risk.

Dietary Patterns Associated with Breast Cancer in the Middle East: A Scoping Review

Breast cancer (BC) is the most predominant malignancy in Arab women in the Middle East, and yearly increases in occurrence by 37.5 and mortality rates by 15.2 for every 100,000 in 2019. This review explores the gap in research investigating the role of dietary patterns and BC in Middle Eastern countries. Furthermore, we analyze the evidence connecting these patterns to BC prevalence in the region, discussing implications for public health and preventive strategies. PubMed, ProQuest, and Cochrane databases were searched up to November 2023. Articles published in English from 2000 to 2023 were identified. Our search included dietary patterns (DP), their association with BC and specific to Middle Eastern Regions. The majority of existing research is concentrated in Iran, with limited illustration from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Jordan, and a notable absence of studies from other Middle Eastern countries. We found that dietary intervention is closely related to the occurrence, development, and prognosis of BC. Most DPs such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, Mediterranean, Plant-based and Paleolithic diets are identified to decrease the probability of BC by being rich sources of fiber, healthy fats, and vitamins and minerals. However, there are few DPs that increase the risk of BC, because of the existence of foods such as unhealthy fats, low fiber, sugars, and fried foods in those patterns which contribute to increasing the risk factors associated with BC. This review highlights the intricate connection between DPs and the risk of BC in the Middle East, revealing potential protective effects and heightened risks linked to specific dietary elements.

Effects of a Short-Term Vegan Challenge in Older Adults on Metabolic and Inflammatory Parameters-A Randomized Controlled Crossover Study

SCOPE

A long-term vegan diet carries the risk of insufficient protein and micronutrient intake for older adults. However, even a short-term (48 h) vegan diet exerts positive metabolic effects in younger adults. In this study, we investigate the feasibility and effects of a short-term vegan challenge on metabolic and inflammatory markers in older adults.

METHOD AND RESULTS

In this randomized controlled crossover-study, 30 healthy older adults (≥65 years) are assigned to either a 48 h ad libitum vegan or omnivorous diet. During the vegan diet, participants exhibit lower protein (p = 0.001) and fat intake as well as higher carbohydrate and dietary fiber intake, resulting in a lower caloric intake (all p < 0.001). Insulin concentrations (p = 0.042) and insulin resistance (p = 0.036) decline only after the vegan diet. The study observes reductions in serum glucose (p < 0.001), triglyceride (p = 0.005), and hsCRP (p = 0.044) concentrations and weight (p < 0.001), independent of the diet. Participants with low-grade inflammation exhibit notable metabolic improvements after the vegan diet.

CONCLUSION

Improvements in insulin homeostasis are observed after the vegan diet, but meeting protein requirements are not feasible during the short-term vegan challenge despite dietary counseling, which warrants concern.

Can a Low-Phosphate Diet for Chronic Kidney Disease Treat Cancer? An Interdisciplinary Literature Review

Background: Cancer therapeutics have a low success rate in clinical trials. An interdisciplinary approach is needed to translate basic, clinical, and remote fields of research knowledge into novel cancer treatments. Recent research has identified high dietary phosphate intake as a risk factor associated with cancer incidence. A model of tumor dynamics predicted that reducing phosphate levels sequestered in the tumor microenvironment could substantially reduce tumor size. Coincidently, a low-phosphate diet is already in use to help patients with chronic kidney disease manage high serum phosphate levels. Methods: A grounded-theory literature-review method was used to synthesize interdisciplinary findings from the basic and clinical sciences, including oncology, nephrology, nutritional epidemiology, and dietetic research on cancer. Results: Findings of tumor remission associated with fasting and a ketogenic diet, which lower intake of dietary phosphate, support the hypothesis that a low-phosphate diet will reduce levels of phosphate sequestered in the tumor microenvironment and reduce tumor size. Additionally, long-term effects of a low-phosphate diet may reverse dysregulated phosphate metabolism associated with tumorigenesis and prevent cancer recurrence. Conclusions: Evidence in this article provides the rationale to test a low-phosphate diet as a dietary intervention to reduce tumor size and lower risk of cancer recurrence.

Chitosan Nanoparticles Loaded with Capparis cartilaginea Decne Extract: Insights into Characterization and Antigenotoxicity In Vivo

Plant-based foods may enhance the prevention of cancer. The present investigation aimed to assess the antigenotoxic effects of chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) when loaded with the ethanol extract of C. cartilaginea (CNPs/Cc). Synthesis of CNPs and CNPs/Cc and their characterization were carried out using TEM, EDS, DSC, and Zeta potential. For in vivo experiments, animal groups were treated in the following groups: negative control, ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) (240 mg/kg), CNPs (350 mg/kg), high and low doses of CNPs/Cc, CNPs plus EMS, high dose of CNPs/Cc plus EMS, and low dose of CNPs/Cc plus EMS. Bone marrow chromosomal aberrations and sperm shape abnormalities were examined. TEM results showed that CNPs and CNPs/Cc are spherical particles. CNPs' physical stability was observed to be lower than that of CNPs/Cc due to the presence of more positive charges on CNPs/Cc. EMS significantly enhanced chromosomal abnormalities and sperm shape abnormalities. CNPs showed powerful antigenotoxic properties. For the first time, it could be concluded that loading chitosan nanoparticles with C. cartilaginea extract significantly promotes its protective properties.

Genetics of vegetarianism: A genome-wide association study

A substantial body of evidence points to the heritability of dietary preferences. While vegetarianism has been practiced for millennia in various societies, its practitioners remain a small minority of people worldwide, and the role of genetics in choosing a vegetarian diet is not well understood. Dietary choices involve an interplay between the physiologic effects of dietary items, their metabolism, and taste perception, all of which are strongly influenced by genetics. In this study, we used a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify loci associated with strict vegetarianism in UK Biobank participants. Comparing 5,324 strict vegetarians to 329,455 controls, we identified one SNP on chromosome 18 that is associated with vegetarianism at the genome-wide significant level (rs72884519, β = -0.11, P = 4.997 x 10-8), and an additional 201 suggestively significant variants. Four genes are associated with rs72884519: TMEM241, RIOK3, NPC1, and RMC1. Using the Functional Mapping and Annotation (FUMA) platform and the Multi-marker Analysis of GenoMic Annotation (MAGMA) tool, we identified 34 genes with a possible role in vegetarianism, 3 of which are GWAS-significant based on gene-level analysis: RIOK3, RMC1, and NPC1. Several of the genes associated with vegetarianism, including TMEM241, NPC1, and RMC1, have important functions in lipid metabolism and brain function, raising the possibility that differences in lipid metabolism and their effects on the brain may underlie the ability to subsist on a vegetarian diet. These results support a role for genetics in choosing a vegetarian diet and open the door to future studies aimed at further elucidating the physiologic pathways involved in vegetarianism.

The Impact of Modern Dietary Practices on Cancer Risk and Progression: A Systematic Review

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality around the world, despite continued advancements in the management of cancer. Recent research efforts have shifted to evaluating the role that modifiable risk factors play in cancer risk and development, as diet and nutrition have been found to play a significant role in the onset and progression of cancer. As a result, there has been an increasing focus on the impact of dietary modifications on preventing the onset, progression, and reoccurrence of cancer. In this systematic review, data were collected on three common diets, the Mediterranean diet (MD), ketogenic diet (KD), and plant-based diet, to gain insight into the application of these three dietary modification approaches for risk prevention and limitation of cancer burden. Initially, 4,397 articles were identified from three databases (Ovid, Web of Science, and CINHAL). After removing studies based on the exclusion criteria, only 23 studies were eligible to be included in the systematic review of which 15 evaluated the MD, four assessed the ketogenic diet, and four evaluated the plant-based diet. Each article was considered for its methods, procedures, and findings. The findings indicate that dietary interventions may effectively reduce the odds of cancer development and the advancement of diagnosed cancers. With the introduction of the MD, KD, and plant-based diets, significant improvements in lowering cancer development, recurrence-free status, and limiting tumor growth were noted across numerous cancer types. Currently, the MD has been extensively studied in the literature, and amongst the widest variety of cancer types. Additional information and evaluation are required on the ketogenic and plant-based diets to fully understand their impact on the cancer burden across a wider subset of cancers. Clinicians should evaluate and recommend nutritional adaptations to their patients to limit the development of specific cancers and as an adjunctive therapy to traditional pharmacological treatment options for patients with diagnosed cancers.

Trends in Diet and Cancer Research: A Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis

Diet plays a critical role for patients across the cancer continuum. The World Cancer Research Fund International and the American Cancer Society have published evidence supporting the role of nutrition in cancer prevention. We conducted an analysis of the literature on dietary nutrients and cancer to uncover opportunities for future research. The objective of the bibliometric analysis was to describe trends in peer-reviewed publications on dietary components and cancer and to highlight research gaps. PubMed was queried for manuscripts with diet- and cancer-related keywords and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms. Metadata covering 99,784 publications from 6469 journals were analyzed to identify trends since 1970 on diet topics across 19 tumor types. Publications focused largely on breast, colorectal, and liver cancer, with fewer papers linking diet with other cancers such as brain, gallbladder, or ovarian. With respect to "unhealthy" diets, many publications focused on high-fat diets and alcohol consumption. The largest numbers of publications related to "healthy" diets examined the Mediterranean diet and the consumption of fruits and vegetables. These findings highlight the need for additional research focused on under-investigated cancers and dietary components, as well as dietary studies during cancer therapy and post-therapy, which may help to prolong survivorship.

Designing healthier plant-based foods: Fortification, digestion, and bioavailability

Many consumers are incorporating more plant-based foods into their diets as a result of concerns about the environmental, ethical, and health impacts of animal sourced foods like meat, seafood, egg, and dairy products. Foods derived from animals negatively impact the environment by increasing greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use, pollution, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. The livestock industry confines and slaughters billions of livestock animals each year. There are concerns about the negative impacts of some animal sourced foods, such as red meat and processed meat, on human health. The livestock industry is a major user of antibiotics, which is leading to a rise in the resistance of several pathogenic microorganisms to antibiotics. It is often assumed that a plant-based diet is healthier than one containing more animal sourced foods, but this is not necessarily the case. Eating more fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grain cereals has been linked to improved health outcomes but it is unclear whether next-generation plant-based foods, such as meat, seafood, egg, and dairy analogs are healthier than the products they are designed to replace. Many of these new products are highly processed foods that contain high levels of saturated fat, sugar, starch, and salt, and low levels of micronutrients, nutraceuticals, and dietary fibers. Moreover, they are often rapidly digested in the gastrointestinal tract because processing disrupts plant tissues and releases the macronutrients. Consequently, it is important to formulate plant-based foods to reduce the levels of nutrients linked to adverse health effects and increase the levels linked to beneficial health effects. Moreover, it is important to design the food matrix so that the macronutrients are not digested and absorbed too quickly, but the micronutrients are highly bioavailable. In this article, we discuss how next-generation plant-based foods can be made healthier by controlling their nutrient profile, digestibility, and bioavailability.

Translation of nutrigenomic research for personalised and precision nutrition for cancer prevention and for cancer survivors

Personalised and precision nutrition uses information on individual characteristics and responses to nutrients, foods and dietary patterns to develop targeted nutritional advice that is more effective in improving the diet and health of each individual. Moving away from the conventional 'one size fits all', such targeted intervention approaches may pave the way to better population health, including lower burden of non-communicable diseases. To date, most personalised and precision nutrition approaches have been focussed on tackling obesity and cardiometabolic diseases with limited efforts directed to cancer prevention and for cancer survivors. Advances in understanding the biological basis of cancer and of the role played by diet in cancer prevention and in survival after cancer diagnosis, mean that it is timely to test and to apply such personalised and precision nutrition approaches in the cancer area. This endeavour can take advantage of the enhanced understanding of interactions between dietary factors, individual genotype and the gut microbiome that impact on risk of, and survival after, cancer diagnosis. Translation of these basic research into public health action should include real-time acquisition of nutrigenomic and related data and use of AI-based data integration methods in systems approaches that can be scaled up using mobile devices.

Plant Nutrition for Human Health: A Pictorial Review on Plant Bioactive Compounds for Sustainable Agriculture

Is there any relationship between plant nutrition and human health? The overall response to this question is very positive, and a strong relationship between the nutrition of plants and humans has been reported in the literature. The nutritional status of edible plants consumed by humans can have a negative or positive impact on human health. This review was designed to assess the importance of plant bioactive compounds for human health under the umbrella of sustainable agriculture. With respect to the first research question, it was found that plant bioactives (e.g., alkaloids, carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolics, and terpenoids) have a crucial role in human health due to their therapeutic benefits, and their potentiality depends on several factors, including botanical, environmental, and clinical attributes. Plant bioactives could be produced using plant tissue culture tools (as a kind of agro-biotechnological method), especially in cases of underexploited or endangered plants. Bioactive production of plants depends on many factors, especially climate change (heat stress, drought, UV radiation, ozone, and elevated CO2), environmental pollution, and problematic soils (degraded, saline/alkaline, waterlogged, etc.). Under the previously mentioned stresses, in reviewing the literature, a positive or negative association was found depending on the kinds of stress or bioactives and their attributes. The observed correlation between plant bioactives and stress (or growth factors) might explain the importance of these bioactives for human health. Their accumulation in stressed plants can increase their tolerance to stress and their therapeutic roles. The results of this study are in keeping with previous observational studies, which confirmed that the human nutrition might start from edible plants and their bioactive contents, which are consumed by humans. This review is the first report that analyzes this previously observed relationship using pictorial presentation.