EC Dental Science

Diet and health are closely linked as health can be severely threatened by malnutrition. The deficiency effect that will be faced by most people is with a higher risk of getting a cancer disease. Therefore, numerous diet components may be important in preventing such disease as the bioactive diet components can interfere with the genes and their expression in altering phenotypes. On the other hand, dietary responses that influenced by genes’ regulations may affect absorption, metabolism, transport of the bioactive diet components.

In minimizing the risk of cancer, dietary components such as fibre, antioxidants, macronutrients and micronutrients are seemed to be the most significant in cells growth inhibition [1]. The intake of fruits, vegetables, and cereals, which are the main source of antioxidants and fibres, should be sufficiently consumed in the daily diet as it appears to be the strongest protective factor against cancerous growth [2]. Antioxidants can inhibit or decrease the development of components that may trigger cancer induced by frying or broiling protein and heterocyclic amine-generating foods [3].

1. A Madiyal SS. “Micronutrients and Their Role in Oral Cancer”. West Indian Medical Journal2 (2016): 383-388.
2. Shiva A and Shahin A. “Review article about nutrition and primary prevention of oral cancer”. Reviews in Clinical Medicine3 (2015): 138-143.
3. Nita Chainani-Wu JED. “Diet and Prevention of Oral Cancer: Strategies for Clinical Practice”. 142.2 (2011): 166-169.
4. Jiang X., et al. “Tobacco and oral squamous cell carcinoma: A review of carcinogenic pathways”. Tobacco Induced Diseases 17 (2019): 29.
5. Singh M., et al. “The role of tobacco as an etiological agent for oral cancer: Cytomorphometrical analysis of the buccal mucosa in tobacco users”. Dental Research Journal6 (2014): 649-655.
6. Irimie AI., et al. “Role of Key Micronutrients from Nutrigenetic and Nutrigenomic Perspectives in Cancer Prevention”. Medicina6 (2019): 283.