Are vitamin and mineral deficiencies a major cancer risk?

Abstract

Diet is estimated to contribute to about one-third of preventable cancers -- about the same amount as smoking. Inadequate intake of essential vitamins and minerals might explain the epidemiological findings that people who eat only small amounts of fruits and vegetables have an increased risk of developing cancer. Recent experimental evidence indicates that vitamin and mineral deficiencies can lead to DNA damage. Optimizing vitamin and mineral intake by encouraging dietary change, multivitamin and mineral supplements, and fortifying foods might therefore prevent cancer and other chronic diseases.

Micronutrient intakes of wild primates: are humans different?

“…These studies 'firmly establish' (Rimm, 2002) that the intake of fruit and vegetables lowers the risk of chronic disease but they do not identify the biological mechanisms responsible for this benefit (Prasad et al, 1998;Ames and Wakimoto, 2002). It is not clear which of the many chemical constituents in fruits and vegetables may be responsible for such protective effects.…”

“…Here inadequate micronutrient intake is of concern as it is hypothesized to relate not only to traditional deficiency diseases and developmental problems but also to DNA damage, cancer and other degenerative diseases (MacGregor, 1990;Block et al, 1992;Temple, 1994;Ames, 1989;Prasad et al, 1998;Victoroff, 2002). A recent review of studies examining the role of dietary factors in cancer risk, for example, determined that, overall, there is a considerably higher cancer incidence among people who consume fewer fruits and vegetables when compared with those who consume the most (Ames and Wakimoto, 2002). A dietary pattern rich in fruits and vegetables also appears to play a protective role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and stroke (Bazzana et al, 2002).…”

“…It is not clear which of the many chemical constituents in fruits and vegetables may be responsible for such protective effects. But there is strong evidence that certain micronutrient deficiencies cause DNA damage (Castro et al, 1992;Ames and Wakimoto, 2002) and diets deficient in fruits and vegetables are commonly low in folate, and vitamins C and E, among other micronutrients (Ames, 1989;Ames and Wakimoto, 2002).…”

“…Folate is an important component in DNA synthesis while vitamins C and E are generally regarded as potent antioxidants (Wardlaw and Insel, 1996;Ames and Wakimoto, 2002). It is currently estimated that approximately two and a half billion people are severely deficient in one or more micronutrients, even though they get adequate or marginally adequate macronutrients or calories each day (Beachy et al, 2002).…”

“…Most Americans (i.e. 80% of children and adolescents, 68% of adults; Krebs-Smith et al, 1995) take in low levels of various micronutrients-levels lower than recommended by the National Cancer Institute and National Research Council Krebs-Smith et al, 1995) and likely insufficient for optimal health and longevity (Ames and Wakimoto, 2002;Lewis et al, 1998). Underconsumption of calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, folate, and vitamins B-6, A, E and C has been reported for adults in the United States (US) Lewis et al, 1998;Ames and Wakimoto, 2002).…”