Citrus Fruits May Help Lower Men’s Cancer Risk

There are over 4,000 flavonoids identified in fruits, vegetables, and beverages (such as tea, coffee, wine, and fruit drinks). Experimental studies have suggested that flavonoids may exert an anti-inflammatory action, induce cell death, and impair angiogenesis – all of which may help to lower men’s risks for aggressive prostate cancer.  Susan E. Steck, from the University of South Carolina (South Carolina, USA), and colleagues  analyzed data collected on 920 black and 977 white men who were newly diagnosed with prostate cancer, enrolled in the North Carolina–Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP), a multidisciplinary study of the social, individual, and tumor-level causes of racial differences in disease aggressiveness.  The researchers used the 2011 US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Database for the Flavonoid Content of Selected Foods to help them calculate total flavonoid intake among study subjects.  The team observed that men with the highest intake of flavonoids had a 25% lower risk for aggressive prostate cancer, as compared to men with the lowest flavonoid intake; the results did not differ by race.  The investigators observed orange and grapefruit juices and tea to be the main contributors to total flavonoid intake for all study participants combined.