action of SCFAs produced from a plant-based diet. This review shows the relevance of dietary constituents and gut microbial activity in ensuring optimal health of the host. INTRODUCTIONCancer, a public health problem affecting the populations of many industrialized nations, is the second leading cause of death in the United States. According to data compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there will be, in 2019, an estimated 870,970 new cases of cancer (at all sites of the human body) for men and 891,480 new cases of cancer for women. Sadly, the same agencies predict that, in this year, there will be approximately 321,670 and 285,210 deaths for men and women, respectively (1). Some of the most common forms of cancer expected to be diagnosed among men and women are those of the prostate, lung, breast, and colon. Prostate cancer accounts for nearly 1 in 5 new diagnoses for men, and breast cancer is responsible for a third of the new diagnoses for women. Traditional treatment methods (i.e., chemotherapy and/or surgery) are only moderately effective, have undesirable side effects, and can even accelerate the progression of the cancers (1).

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