Poor Dietary Polyphenol Intake in Childhood Cancer Patients.

Nutrients. 2019;11(11)
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The Mediterranean diet is associated with reduced cancer risk due to the presence of antioxidants, primarily polyphenols, which are found in fruits, vegetables, and olive oil. This small-sample 2017 study of 59 paediatric cancer patients estimated their polyphenol intake (using a 24hr recall food diary) and explored the potential beneficial effects that a diet rich in polyphenols could have on survival, based on relapse rates in a 2019 follow-up. Overall 55.9% of the patients were diagnosed with acute lymphatic leukaemia, 90% were undergoing chemotherapy, and BMI varied with 7% overweight and 15.8% obese. The mean and median polyphenol intakes were 173.31 +/- 141.02 and 114.29 mg/day respectively (considered low). The polyphenols consumed by the children mainly came from fruits (26.6%), beverages (17.98%), and cereals (16.24%) with a distinct lack of vegetables. Twelve percent of patients had relapsed or died three years after the study recruitment. There was no difference between the relapse status and polyphenol intake but a general trend towards higher polyphenols in the non-relapse groups. The study concludes that polyphenol intake was low in participants compared to other age groups. This may be influenced by challenges in eating as an adverse effect to treatment, thus placing them at greater risk. Cancer treatment in children has been linked with the depletion of their bodies’ stores of antioxidants. Improving the dietary intake of polyphenols may have the potential to reduce their treatment-related side effects and improve treatment outcomes

Abstract

Emerging research demonstrates polyphenol-rich diets like the Mediterranean diet may play a role in improving the outcomes of adult cancer therapy. To date, there are no trials assessing the intake or efficacy of polyphenol-rich diets in childhood cancer patients. In this study we collected dietary data on 59 childhood cancer patients on treatment using a three-pass 24-h dietary recall (24-HDR), which is based on a validated and structured three-part methodology. Polyphenol consumption was calculated by matching the food consumption data with polyphenol content extracted from the most updated Phenol-Explorer database. The mean total polyphenol intake was 173.31 ± 141.02 mg/day. The major food sources of polyphenols were fruits, beverages, and cereals. There were no significant associations with time since diagnosis, body mass index (BMI) z-score, types of cancer, treatment intensity, food-related symptoms, relapse, and total daily polyphenol intake. Further investigation with larger studies will facilitate the steps in assessing the value of polyphenol-rich dietary patterns in future nutritional interventions for childhood cancer patients.

Lifestyle medicine

Fundamental Clinical Imbalances : Immune and inflammation
Patient Centred Factors : Mediators/Cancer/polyphenols
Environmental Inputs : Diet ; Nutrients
Personal Lifestyle Factors : Nutrition
Functional Laboratory Testing : Not applicable
Bioactive Substances : Polyphenols

Methodological quality

Jadad score : 1
Allocation concealment : Not applicable
Publication Type : Journal Article

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