Carbohydrate Nutrition and the Risk of Cancer

Abstract

Purpose of Review This review summarizes a selection of epidemiologic research assessing the associations between carbohydrate intake and cancer incidence and survival. Evidence for plausible biological mechanisms is also considered. Recent Findings The mechanistic paradigm explaining the relationship between carbohydrates and cancer risk has been contested by numerous observational studies. Summary Carbohydrates have conventionally been ascribed a deleterious role in the field of cancer research due to previous preclinical findings. A breadth of studies suggests that complex carbohydrate intake is inversely associated with risk of a number of cancer types. Data from studies assessing simple carbohydrates and cancer risk are mixed. Furthermore, recommendations for subsequent studies are framed.

Dietary Constituents: Relationship with Breast Cancer Prognostic (MCC-SPAIN Follow-Up)

“…Monosaccharides could worsen BC prognosis by activating the insulin-IGF-1 axis and employing aerobic glycolysis as the primary energy harvesting pathway (Warburg effect). On the contrary, polysaccharides could improve BC prognosis by disrupting the insulin/IGF-1 axis, decreasing bioavailable androgenic and estrogenic factors, increasing fecal excretion of carcinogens, and modulating the gastrointestinal microbiota [ 12 ].…”

Dietary Fiber, Whole Grains, and Head and Neck Cancer Prognosis: Findings from a Prospective Cohort Study

“…Dietary fiber consumption has received a notable degree of attention and is frequently cited as a lifestyle factor influencing cancer, although the bulk of evidence has come from examinations of colorectal cancer [4]. Fiber is believed to exert its effects through numerous mechanistic frameworks that may be contingent on the type of fiber consumed [4].…”

“…Dietary fiber consumption has received a notable degree of attention and is frequently cited as a lifestyle factor influencing cancer, although the bulk of evidence has come from examinations of colorectal cancer [4]. Fiber is believed to exert its effects through numerous mechanistic frameworks that may be contingent on the type of fiber consumed [4]. Within the context of colorectal cancer, these mechanisms may be succinctly summarized by the enhanced excretion of fecal carcinogens, modulation of the gastrointestinal microbiota and production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), subsequent alterations to bile acid circulation and recycling, and others [4,5].…”

“…Fiber is believed to exert its effects through numerous mechanistic frameworks that may be contingent on the type of fiber consumed [4]. Within the context of colorectal cancer, these mechanisms may be succinctly summarized by the enhanced excretion of fecal carcinogens, modulation of the gastrointestinal microbiota and production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), subsequent alterations to bile acid circulation and recycling, and others [4,5]. Systemically and in consideration of other cancer types, plausible mechanisms include the suppression of the insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling cascade, effects on growth-promoting androgenic and estrogenic factors present in circulation, as well as the suppression of circulating proinflammatory cytokines [4,6,7,8].…”

“…Within the context of colorectal cancer, these mechanisms may be succinctly summarized by the enhanced excretion of fecal carcinogens, modulation of the gastrointestinal microbiota and production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), subsequent alterations to bile acid circulation and recycling, and others [4,5]. Systemically and in consideration of other cancer types, plausible mechanisms include the suppression of the insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling cascade, effects on growth-promoting androgenic and estrogenic factors present in circulation, as well as the suppression of circulating proinflammatory cytokines [4,6,7,8]. Nevertheless, dietary fiber and its systemic mechanistic sequelae are multifaceted and their associations with measurable cancer phenotypes are likely to contribute in a synergistic manner [9].…”