Vegetables, Fruits, and Related Nutrients and Risk of Breast Cancer: A Case-Control Study in Uruguay

Abstract

To evaluate whether the protective effect associated with vegetables and fruits in breast cancer could be explained by nutrients and bioactive substances present in these plant foods, we carried out a case-control study in Uruguay including 400 cases and 405 controls. The intake of vegetables, fruits, and related nutrients was estimated with a food frequency questionnaire on 64 food items. This questionnaire allowed the calculation of total energy intake, and nutrients were calorie adjusted by the residuals method. Odds ratios for study variables were estimated by unconditional multiple logistic regression. Total vegetable, total fruit, dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin E, lycopene, folate, and total phytosterol intakes were inversely associated with breast cancer risk [4th quartile odds ratio for total vegetable intake = 0.41, 95% confidence interval = 0.26-0.65, p (for trend) = 0.004]. The association with total vegetable intake was not independent of lycopene intake. The results related to vegetable and nutrient intakes are consistent with antioxidant and antiestrogenic effects. This could be mediated, among other nutrients, by dietary fiber and lycopene intake. The role of other unmeasured phytochemicals, correlated with dietary fiber and lycopene intakes, cannot be ruled out.

Theoretical Determination of the pK a Values of Betalamic Acid Related to the Free Radical Scavenger Capacity: Comparison Between Empirical and Quantum Chemical Methods

“…At pH [ 5, the completely dissociated microspecies is prevalent. Other microspecies (2,5,6,8) in which the cyclic nitrogen is protonated are in negligible percentage with respect to others. The pK a prediction of Betalamic Acid obtained by empirical methods Marvin and Epik is really consistent with results of Gandía-Herrero et al [16].…”

“…The contents of these substances in plants can be affected by many factors, such as season, regional differences and methods of cultivation and conservation (light, humidity, temperature, time). Epidemiological studies have shown that diets rich in plant-based foods help to prevent many diseases such as cardiovascular, metabolic, neurodegenerative and inflammatory [2][3][4]. Among the 1000s of different phenolic compounds, terpenoids, and sulfur-containing compounds, capable of reducing power and interfering in the redox processes modulated by cells [5][6][7], the Betalains, present in the plant kingdom, especially in Chenopodiaceae plants belonging to the Caryophyllales order, such as the prickly pear (Opuntia genus) and red beet (Beta vulgaris) as the main dietary sources, are compounds with high antioxidant (radical scavengers) capability of preventing the oxidation of biological molecules mediated by oxygen and free radicals and therefore can protect against diseases related to oxidative stress.…”

Changes in the sterol compositions of milk thistle oil (<em>Silybium marianum</em> L.) during seed maturation

“…Clinical studies confirmed that phytosterols have hypocholesterolemy, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects (Awad et al, 2007;Ronco et al, 1999;Berges et al, 1995). Therefore, phytosterols have been added to several functional food products such as yoghurt, milk (Lagarda et al, 2006), and some vegetable oils (Ntanios, 2001).…”

Effects of moderate alcohol consumption on folate and vitamin B12 status in postmenopausal women

“…Epidemiologic studies of folate and vitamin B 12 status and breast cancer have indicated a negative association between folate intake and risk of breast cancer (Graham et al, 1991;Freudenheim et al, 1996;Ronco et al, 1999;Zhang et al, 1999;Rohan et al, 2000), as well as a negative association between vitamin B 12 status and risk of breast cancer (Wu et al, 1999) and DNA damage (Fenech et al, 1998). The inverse association between folate status and breast cancer risk has been particularly strong among women who consumed alcohol (Sellers et al, 2001;Zhang et al, 2003).…”