DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS AND COLORECTAL CANCER

Consumption of fruits and vegetables that contain many non-nutritive and nutritive compounds is associated with decreased risk of several types of cancer, including CRC (CRC) and dietary habit is instrumental in more than 50% of human CRC Many experimental preclinical studies suggest that several non-nutritive components, belonging to different chemical groups, in foods protect against certain types of cancer, including CRC These chemicals are known aspotential 'cancer chemopreventive agents' that are able to suppress carcinogenesis by inhibiting multiple targets that are involved in multiple steps of carcinogenesis. Given the definite increase in the increase of CRC in the developed countries, we should determine the most effective mean of prevention and understand the mechanism(s) underlying successful prevention of CRC. Non-nutritive compounds in fruits, vegetables and other dietary constituents (teas, spices, herbs, etc.) consumed as part of the diet are attractive for reducing CRC occurrence by their supplementation in diet. Although epidemiologic studies showed similar associations, there have been very few intervention studies. This article will overveiw pathobiology of CRC and preclinical and clinical chemopreventive studies using dietary supplementation with possible chemopreventive agent(s) against CRC development.