Whole Plant Foods and Colon Cancer Risk

The etiology of colorectal cancer (CRC), a common cause of cancer-related mortality globally, has strong associations with diet. There is considerable epidemiological evidence that fruits, vegetables and whole-grain cereals are associated with reduced risk of CRC. There is also extensive evidence that fruit and vegetable consumption can modulate biomarkers of DNA damage from in vitro studies and animal models and that these effects may be potentially chemoprotective, given the likely role that oxidative damage plays in mutation rate and cancer risk. Furthermore it is clear that the ability to establish an individual's gut microbiota and polyphenol metabolizing phenotype will become increasingly relevant when trying to understand the impact of whole foods on cancer risk in the individual. In this chapter we review the evidence for effects of whole foods on cancer risk in humans with a focus on cereals, brassica, and berry fruits.