Anticancer Effects of Nutraceuticals in the Mediterranean Diet: An Epigenetic Diet Model

[pjoshea13]

New Italian paper below [1]. Two of my favorite topics: nutraceuticals (mostly polyphenols found in the diet) & epigenetics (silencing of genes is often not at the DNA - i.e. there is no mutation - merely an epigenetic silencing that can be reversed.)

See full text for a discusion of:

- Curcumin

- Resveratrol

- Lycopene

- Ellagic acid

- I3C & DIM

- Milk thistle (Silybum)

- Capsaicin

- Quercetin

- Fisetin

- EGCG (from tea)

- Anthocyanins

- Virgin olive oil polyphenols

I have reviewed the literature for most of these in older posts.

There many countries around the Mediterranean & there are variations in their basic diets. One thing they share is a low PCa incidence rate.

However, IMO, diet alone isn't enough for advanced PCa, whinch is why I use pharma-levels of some of these in supplement form.

-Patrick

[1] Full Text: sci-hub.tw/10.21873/cgp.20193

Abstract: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/325...

Review Cancer Genomics Proteomics

. Jul-Aug 2020;17(4):335-350. doi: 10.21873/cgp.20193.

Anticancer Effects of Nutraceuticals in the Mediterranean Diet: An Epigenetic Diet Model

Rosa Divella 1 , Antonella Daniele 2 , Eufemia Savino 3 , Angelo Paradiso 2

Affiliations collapse

Affiliations

1 Institutional BioBank, Experimental Oncology and Biobank Management Unit, IRCCS Istituto Tumori Giovanni Paolo II, Bari, Italy [e-mail].

2 Institutional BioBank, Experimental Oncology and Biobank Management Unit, IRCCS Istituto Tumori Giovanni Paolo II, Bari, Italy.

3 Clinical and Pathology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Tumori Giovanni Paolo II, Bari, Italy.

PMID: 32576579 DOI: 10.21873/cgp.20193

Abstract

Epidemiological and clinical studies support the association between nutrition and development or progression of different malignancies such as colon, breast, and prostate cancer, defining these tumors as diet-associated cancer. The Mediterranean diet shows inverse associations with metabolic diseases, cardiovascular pathologies and various types of cancer. Many bioactive nutrients of the Mediterranean diet have been identified as factors protective against these types of pathologies. The epigenome has been identified as the primary goal of modulations in gene expression related to these molecular nutrients. In fact, they can modify the epigenome and can be incorporated into the 'epigenetic diet', which translates into a diet regimen that can be used therapeutically for health or preventative purposes. Most epigenetic changes are influenced by lifestyle and nutrition. Epigenetic therapy is a new area for the development of nutraceuticals whose absence of toxicity can represent a valid asset in cancer prevention strategies. Recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of nutrigenomics, nutrigenetics and nutraceuticals have led to the identification of superfoods capable of favorably conditioning gene expression. In this review, we highlight the importance of nutraceuticals present in the Mediterranean diet as epigenetic modifiers both in the mechanisms of tumor onset and as protective agents.

Keywords: Mediterranean diet; cancer; epigenetic; nutraceuticals; nutrigenomics; review.

Copyright© 2020, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

[cesces]

I really wish there was some data differentiating the effects of antioxidants regarding:

1 precancer people, and

2 post cancer patients

Interfering with cell killing aptosis process may be a good thing precancer, while it may not be so good post cancer.

[pjoshea13 in reply to cesces]

True.

We need antioxidants while healthy, but we want pro-oxidant levels when there is cancer.

-Patrick

[LearnAll in reply to cesces]

Its a myth that we do not need antioxidants once we have cancer. Its totally wrong. Antioxidants prevent more normal cells convert into cancerous cells..also keeps immune system active and robust to eat existing cancer cells.

[cesanon in reply to LearnAll]

LearnAll

That may very well be.

Except I don't think it is a myth. It is not a prevalent belief among anyone except my self, so far as I know.

And I don't have a position on it.

All I would like is to see some data one way or another.

[LearnAll in reply to cesanon]

All you have to do is to look at world map in textbook of prostate cancer published by Harward faculty. It shows areas of low prevalence of prostate cancer and almost all low cancer regions eat lot more plant based foods.

[fluffyfur in reply to LearnAll]

I disagree. Our urologist does a ton of surgery in Africa. They eat a huge plant based diet and have some of the highest prostate cancer levels in the world.

[Hidden]

Agreed. I am now on the Mediterranean diet and feel great. IMO diet can help but isn't likely to cure cancer. So I do a mix of conventional meds/treatments and "alternative" meds/treatments. Like diet, exercise can likely help but not cure. Studies show between 40% and 80% PCa mortality HR improvement. Be cool if they showed 100% but you work with the tools you're given. Statins, metformin, low dose aspirin, all have nice evidence and logic behind them. Aspirin is more up in the air for me though since it also increases bleeding risks.

[cesanon in reply to Hidden]

"I am now on the Mediterranean diet and feel great."

That sort of doesn't mean anything one way or another if you think about it.

The Mediterranean diet is about a whole bunch of stuff and represents a whole boatload of confounding variables.

[Hidden in reply to cesanon]

Agreed that it is a waste of words and means absolutely nothing. What is great to one person might be horrible to another. And of course vice versa. And I've only tried standard low fat plant based (fat <5%), standard keto (carbs <5%), and "Mediterranean" (prot=15%, fat=40%,carbs=45%). I don't bother to count specific micro nutrients. N of 1 data anyway. Population studies and clinical trials provide much better data since they include 100's or 1000's or even millions of data points.

All of my statements are my opinions only.

[AnnieAppleseed]

Many studies continue to show that we CAN influence the epigenetics by what we eat or don't. How physically active we are or not. How we handle stress or not. It matters at every stage of our cancer journeys.

[pjoshea13 in reply to AnnieAppleseed]

Hi Ann,

Good to see that you are still keeping an eye on us. Back in the day, your useful posts were always of interest to me.

Best, -Patrick

[Magnus1964]

In total agreement. Lifestyle changes in diet and the use of supplements is important. The difficulty is that big pharma is not going pay for studies with no returns of profit.

The NIH does some of these kinds studies but no one runs with any of them.

[cesanon in reply to Magnus1964]

Agreed

[LearnAll]

Thanks Patrick....I hope the aggressive meat lobby back off now. I have dozens and dozens of studies from all over the World verifying that AntiOxidant, anti inflammatory diets are anticancer.

Just like mediterainian region..most of Asia icl.India has very low prevalence of Prostate cancer...for the same reason...eating a lot of vegetables,fruits,herbs and spices.

My daily salad now includes radishes..a great source of sulforaphanes ...crispy,tangi,crunchy tasty radishes !

[Currumpaw in reply to LearnAll]

Hey LearnAll!

The first vegetable harvested from my grandparent's garden was radishes. Early too! Almost while some vegetables were still being planted. Wash them off and add a bit of salt to eat them like an apple. He also grew horseradish and ground his own. I remember being with him while he ground it. Just the vapors would make my eyes water. Horseradish is similar to the radish for health benefits. It can be added to dips, used on burgers both real or meatless.

A link-scroll down to below the "Print Recipe" for a list of health benefits.

I Forgot About Horseradish | Read more at Full of Beans

fullofbeans.us/i-forgot-abo...

My grandparents also harvested the first dandelions from the lawn and made a pot of them frequently during the first weeks of spring.

Currumpaw

[wstein25]

Thanks for sharing. Have you seen this:

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/251...

[pjoshea13 in reply to wstein25]

Thanks! Good to know.

I get my PSP from a turkey tail mushroom supplement. See:

healthunlocked.com/advanced...

& gamma tocotrienol from Delta Gold:

healthunlocked.com/advanced....

-Patrick

[wstein25 in reply to pjoshea13]

Patrick - I have been taking this - nfh.ca/product/coriolus-ver...

and this - nutru.com/products/e-toca-chi/ , and I have no idea really if these are the right suppliments. What's an old engineer with zero biology education to do - except to depend upon you and others' very generous recommendations and research? Many thanks.

Bill

[pjoshea13 in reply to wstein25]

Hi Bill,

I can't speak to the mushroom product. They use a hot-water extraction process which is something to look out for. Cheap brands just give you mushroom powder & untreated powder isn't all that bioavailable.

The vitamin E product isn't someting I would choose. Tocomin is a palm oil product &, while it does have a favorable ratio of tocotrienols it comes with way too much alpha tocopherol to my mind - which competes with the trienols. The alternative DeltaGold from annatto is only tocotrinols. True, the gamma is only 10%, but the delta (90%) is heart protective. I wouldn't use any supplement that has alpha tocopherol.

Best, -Patrick

[Currumpaw]

Hey pjoshea13!

Thanks for the post!

Currumpaw

[pjoshea13]

Nala,

We both have more than a couple, but the author's list has the basics.

There is a rich PCa literature for these. You don't see that in other cancers I have studied.

&, if these things have no value, why is there research into analogs with greater bioavailability & possibly great finacial rewards?

There are 110 PubMed hits for <prostate cancer curcumin analog>.

Follow the smart money.

-Patrick

[ck722]

I think Nal is on to something here.

[MateoBeach]

I smell a bestselling diet book coming from Dr. Delinasios on the epigenetic diet. Probably will make him very wealthy. Though not a nutraceutical Metformin powerfully stabilizes the control mechanisms of the epigenome.

[pjoshea13]

I once thought of listing the pathways & identifying the polyphenols most likely to interfere with them. A tedious job & the post would have little impact. Bottom line is that taking 6 or more chosen at random might be as good a strategy as anything.

- buy from reputable brands that provide a standardised dose on the label & test their batches regularly.

- buy the most bioavailable, not the cheapest. One micronized cap of resveratrol is better than a score of caps from the common brands.

-Patrick

[CalBear74]

Just discovered this thread; life has been busy this summer in Tampa. The usual suspects have put up comments filled with great advice. Your posted list is excellent but appears to lack a critical plant food called IP6. If you go to my previous posts you will discover much more information that is to some extent duplicative. But the information on IP6 is new. Over the counter IP6, from enzymatic therapy for example, is derived from the Husks of brown rice. It is far more effective than many of the supplements being taken because it is highly concentrated in the production process so what you were getting is going to be potent.I have four years experience with it and it continues to contribute to my health. You could consume huge bowls of husks every day and not get the anti-cancer benefits from a commercial product.

Good luck and don’t let the gators get you.