Dried Fruits, Nuts, and Cancer Risk and Survival: A Review of the Evidence and Future Research Directions

Dried fruits and nuts contain high amounts of nutrients and phytochemicals—all of which may have anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. This narrative review summarizes the evidence for dried fruits and nuts and cancer incidence, mortality, and survival and their potential...

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Main Authors: Bradley W. Bolling, Dagfinn Aune, Hwayoung Noh, Kristina S. Petersen, Heinz Freisling
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-03-01
Series:Nutrients
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/6/1443
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author Bradley W. Bolling
Dagfinn Aune
Hwayoung Noh
Kristina S. Petersen
Heinz Freisling
author_facet Bradley W. Bolling
Dagfinn Aune
Hwayoung Noh
Kristina S. Petersen
Heinz Freisling
author_sort Bradley W. Bolling
collection DOAJ
description Dried fruits and nuts contain high amounts of nutrients and phytochemicals—all of which may have anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. This narrative review summarizes the evidence for dried fruits and nuts and cancer incidence, mortality, and survival and their potential anticancer properties. The evidence for dried fruits in cancer outcomes is limited, but existing studies have suggested an inverse relationship between total dried fruit consumption and cancer risk. A higher consumption of nuts has been associated with a reduced risk of several site-specific cancers in prospective cohort studies, including cancers of the colon, lung, and pancreas, with relative risks per 5 g/day increment equal to 0.75 (95% CI 0.60, 0.94), 0.97 (95% CI 0.95, 0.98), and 0.94 (95% CI 0.89, 0.99), respectively. A daily intake of total nuts of 28 g/day has also been associated with a 21% reduction in the rate of cancer mortality. There is also some evidence that frequent nut consumption is associated with improved survival outcomes among patients with colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer; however, further studies are needed. Future research directions include the investigation of additional cancer types, including rare types of cancer. For cancer prognosis, additional studies with pre- and postdiagnosis dietary assessment are warranted.
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spelling doaj.art-b5631597d9f940d7807f9da9c47a542b2023-11-17T13:05:52ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432023-03-01156144310.3390/nu15061443Dried Fruits, Nuts, and Cancer Risk and Survival: A Review of the Evidence and Future Research DirectionsBradley W. Bolling0Dagfinn Aune1Hwayoung Noh2Kristina S. Petersen3Heinz Freisling4Department of Food Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USADepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, UKDepartment of Cancer Prevention and Environment, INSERM U1296, Léon Bérard Cancer Center, 28 Rue Laennec, 69008 Lyon, FranceDepartment of Nutritional Sciences, Texas Tech University, 508 Human Sciences Building, Lubbock, TX 79409, USANutrition and Metabolism Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC-WHO), 25 Avenue Tony Garnier, CS 90627, CEDEX 07, 69366 Lyon, FranceDried fruits and nuts contain high amounts of nutrients and phytochemicals—all of which may have anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. This narrative review summarizes the evidence for dried fruits and nuts and cancer incidence, mortality, and survival and their potential anticancer properties. The evidence for dried fruits in cancer outcomes is limited, but existing studies have suggested an inverse relationship between total dried fruit consumption and cancer risk. A higher consumption of nuts has been associated with a reduced risk of several site-specific cancers in prospective cohort studies, including cancers of the colon, lung, and pancreas, with relative risks per 5 g/day increment equal to 0.75 (95% CI 0.60, 0.94), 0.97 (95% CI 0.95, 0.98), and 0.94 (95% CI 0.89, 0.99), respectively. A daily intake of total nuts of 28 g/day has also been associated with a 21% reduction in the rate of cancer mortality. There is also some evidence that frequent nut consumption is associated with improved survival outcomes among patients with colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer; however, further studies are needed. Future research directions include the investigation of additional cancer types, including rare types of cancer. For cancer prognosis, additional studies with pre- and postdiagnosis dietary assessment are warranted.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/6/1443dried fruitstree nutspeanutscancercancer survivorsmortality
spellingShingle Bradley W. Bolling
Dagfinn Aune
Hwayoung Noh
Kristina S. Petersen
Heinz Freisling
Dried Fruits, Nuts, and Cancer Risk and Survival: A Review of the Evidence and Future Research Directions
Nutrients
dried fruits
tree nuts
peanuts
cancer
cancer survivors
mortality
title Dried Fruits, Nuts, and Cancer Risk and Survival: A Review of the Evidence and Future Research Directions
title_full Dried Fruits, Nuts, and Cancer Risk and Survival: A Review of the Evidence and Future Research Directions
title_fullStr Dried Fruits, Nuts, and Cancer Risk and Survival: A Review of the Evidence and Future Research Directions
title_full_unstemmed Dried Fruits, Nuts, and Cancer Risk and Survival: A Review of the Evidence and Future Research Directions
title_short Dried Fruits, Nuts, and Cancer Risk and Survival: A Review of the Evidence and Future Research Directions
title_sort dried fruits nuts and cancer risk and survival a review of the evidence and future research directions
topic dried fruits
tree nuts
peanuts
cancer
cancer survivors
mortality
url https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/6/1443
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