Diet and Skin Cancer: The Potential Role of Dietary Antioxidants in Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Prevention

Abstract

Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common cancer among Americans. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure is the major risk factor for the development of NMSC. Dietary AOs may prevent free radical-mediated DNA damage and tumorigenesis secondary to UV radiation. Numerous laboratory studies have found that certain dietary AOs show significant promise in skin cancer prevention. These results have been substantiated by animal studies. In human studies, researchers have evaluated both oral AO supplements and dietary intake of AOs via whole foods. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of AOs in preventing tumorigenesis and outline four targeted dietary AOs. We review the results of research evaluating oral AOs supplements as compared to dietary AOs intake via whole foods. While these specific supplements have not shown efficacy, intake of AOs via consumption of whole foods has shown some promise. Lessons learned from the field of hypertension research may provide important guidance in future study design. Further research on the role of dietary AOs in the prevention of NMSC is warranted and should focus on intake via whole food consumption.

Antioxidants for Healthy Skin: The Emerging Role of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptors and Nuclear Factor-Erythroid 2-Related Factor-2

“…Oxidative stress has been shown in many dermatological diseases, including vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata, photoaging, carcinogenesis, and chemotoxicity [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]. Most free radicals in the body exist in the form of reactive oxygen species (ROS).…”

Cultural Evolution of Genetic Heritability

“…That is, there is no sensible or useful 'raw' heritability that is independent of culture. The effect of culture is many-fold, from the amount of time we spend indoors doing clerical work or outdoors on our daily running route, to the kind of clothes we wear and the amount of antioxidants in our diet (Katta and Brown 2015;Ichihashi et al 2000;Godic et al 2014). The question, "Which SNPs are associated with skin cancer?"…”

Nutraceuticals: The New Generation Therapeutics

“…These substances help to boost immune and digestive systems and modulate inflammatory and degenerative processes in the body [13]. According to a recent study, dietary modification through the intake of antioxidants can help in the prevention of skin cancer [14].…”