Mediterranean Diet as a Shield against Male Infertility and Cancer Risk Induced by Environmental Pollutants: A Focus on Flavonoids
The role of environmental factors in influencing health status is well documented. Heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, pesticides, ultrafine particles, produced by human activities put a strain on the body’s entire defense system. Therefore, tog...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/3/1568 |
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| author | Luigi Montano Alessandro Maugeri Maria Grazia Volpe Salvatore Micali Vincenzo Mirone Alberto Mantovani Michele Navarra Marina Piscopo |
| author_facet | Luigi Montano Alessandro Maugeri Maria Grazia Volpe Salvatore Micali Vincenzo Mirone Alberto Mantovani Michele Navarra Marina Piscopo |
| author_sort | Luigi Montano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The role of environmental factors in influencing health status is well documented. Heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, pesticides, ultrafine particles, produced by human activities put a strain on the body’s entire defense system. Therefore, together with public health measures, evidence-based individual resilience measures are necessary to mitigate cancer risk under environmental stress and to prevent reproductive dysfunction and non-communicable diseases; this is especially relevant for workers occupationally exposed to pollutants and/or populations residing in highly polluted areas. The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high intake of fruits and vegetables rich in flavonoids, that can promote the elimination of pollutants in tissues and fluids and/or mitigate their effects through different mechanisms. In this review, we collected evidence from pre-clinical and clinical studies showing that the impairment of male fertility and gonadal development, as well as cancers of reproductive system, due to the exposure of organic and inorganic pollutants, may be counteracted by flavonoids. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:46:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-06c5948498bd4da79e02201522c7115f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:46:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-06c5948498bd4da79e02201522c7115f2023-11-23T16:42:41ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672022-01-01233156810.3390/ijms23031568Mediterranean Diet as a Shield against Male Infertility and Cancer Risk Induced by Environmental Pollutants: A Focus on FlavonoidsLuigi Montano0Alessandro Maugeri1Maria Grazia Volpe2Salvatore Micali3Vincenzo Mirone4Alberto Mantovani5Michele Navarra6Marina Piscopo7Andrology Unit and Service of Lifestyle Medicine in UroAndrology, Local Health Authority (ASL), 84124 Salerno, ItalyDepartment of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, ItalyInstitute of Food Sciences, National Research Council, CNR, 83100 Avellino, ItalyUrology Department, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, ItalyDepartment of Neurosciences, Science of Reproduction and Odontostomatology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Food, Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary public health, Italian National Health Institute, 00161 Roma, ItalyDepartment of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, ItalyDepartment of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Napoli, ItalyThe role of environmental factors in influencing health status is well documented. Heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, pesticides, ultrafine particles, produced by human activities put a strain on the body’s entire defense system. Therefore, together with public health measures, evidence-based individual resilience measures are necessary to mitigate cancer risk under environmental stress and to prevent reproductive dysfunction and non-communicable diseases; this is especially relevant for workers occupationally exposed to pollutants and/or populations residing in highly polluted areas. The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high intake of fruits and vegetables rich in flavonoids, that can promote the elimination of pollutants in tissues and fluids and/or mitigate their effects through different mechanisms. In this review, we collected evidence from pre-clinical and clinical studies showing that the impairment of male fertility and gonadal development, as well as cancers of reproductive system, due to the exposure of organic and inorganic pollutants, may be counteracted by flavonoids.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/3/1568pollutionflavonoidscancermale infertilityMediterranean dietheavy metals |
| spellingShingle | Luigi Montano Alessandro Maugeri Maria Grazia Volpe Salvatore Micali Vincenzo Mirone Alberto Mantovani Michele Navarra Marina Piscopo Mediterranean Diet as a Shield against Male Infertility and Cancer Risk Induced by Environmental Pollutants: A Focus on Flavonoids International Journal of Molecular Sciences pollution flavonoids cancer male infertility Mediterranean diet heavy metals |
| title | Mediterranean Diet as a Shield against Male Infertility and Cancer Risk Induced by Environmental Pollutants: A Focus on Flavonoids |
| title_full | Mediterranean Diet as a Shield against Male Infertility and Cancer Risk Induced by Environmental Pollutants: A Focus on Flavonoids |
| title_fullStr | Mediterranean Diet as a Shield against Male Infertility and Cancer Risk Induced by Environmental Pollutants: A Focus on Flavonoids |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mediterranean Diet as a Shield against Male Infertility and Cancer Risk Induced by Environmental Pollutants: A Focus on Flavonoids |
| title_short | Mediterranean Diet as a Shield against Male Infertility and Cancer Risk Induced by Environmental Pollutants: A Focus on Flavonoids |
| title_sort | mediterranean diet as a shield against male infertility and cancer risk induced by environmental pollutants a focus on flavonoids |
| topic | pollution flavonoids cancer male infertility Mediterranean diet heavy metals |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/3/1568 |
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