ecancermedicalscience

Conference Report

Nutrition and cancer: from prevention to nutritional support, 8th October 2010, Milan

14 Dec 2010
P Gnagnarella

Cancer is a disease of genes, which are vulnerable to beneficial and harmful mutations, especially over the long human lifespan. Nutritional factors are important in determining the likelihood of some mutations, as well as in changing gene function even without mutation. Epidemiological and experimental evidence demonstrate that only a small proportion of cancers are inherited; environmental factors are the most important cause of genetic modification. These factors include smoking, infectious agents, radiation, industrial chemicals and pollution and medication. Nutrition, physical activity and body composition can also play a role. Essentially this is good news. It means that a healthy lifestyle can stop cancer before it starts.

In this context, nutrition represents an extraordinary tool to prevent cancer. It is already known that being overweight or obese increases the cancer risk; a healthy diet could reduce this. Furthermore, there is evidence to indicate that bioactives in the diet play an important role in promoting health. Validating health effects of foods and food components represents the new target of nutrition research together with understanding mechanisms through which diet factors could prevent disease.
However, healthy nutritional guidelines are partially known and poorly practiced, others could be established and implemented.

Related Articles

Sidhart Misra, Zainab Yusufali Motiwala, Ayyaz Mulla, Jagatheswaran Chinnathambi, Danny Darlington Carbin
Faiza Ahmed, Aqsa Amjad, Eman Anwar, Mohammad Saad Saleem Naviwala, Warda Saleem, Nawazish Zehra, Munira Moosajee, Yasmin Abdul Rashid
Manas Dubey, Partha Sarathi Roy, Ankur Bhattacharyya, Kakoli Medhi, Rajdeep Bose, Munlima Hazarika, Pompi Daimari Buragohain, Zaveri Mohinta, Anupam Sarma
Joseph Daniels, Letlhogonolo Ernity Mosadi, Andrew Yaw Nyantakyi, Edwina Ayaaba Ayabilah, Judith Naa Odey Tackie, Kofi Adesi Kyei
Adu Bukola Gift, Michael Joseph Otorkpa, Oluwatobi O. Olayode, Ebubechukwu David Joseph, Ademola Abdulhakeem, Efuetlateh John Paul Nchonganyi, Feziechi Chikelundu Anele, Akolade Akeem Habib, Fodop Samuel Ghislain Junior, Oluwanifemi O. Akintoye, Omoregbee Benjamin