Flavonoids' impact on prostate, gastric cancers

A study published October 18th in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that total dietary flavonoid intake was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of gastric cancer in women. Of the 477,312 subjects aged 35–70 years from 10 European countries, during an average follow-up of 11 years, researchers found an inverse association between total flavonoid intake and gastric cancer risk in women.
 
In another study, high total intake of flavonoids, was inversely associated with the risk for highly aggressive prostate cancer, according to data presented at the AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research.

Using data from 920 African-American men and 977 European-American men who were newly diagnosed with prostate cancer, researchers found that those with the highest total intake of flavonoids had a 25 percent lower risk for aggressive prostate cancer compared with those men with the lowest flavonoid intake. In the study, no individual subclass of flavonoids appeared to be protective independently, suggesting that it is important to consume a variety of plant-based foods in the diet, rather than to focus on one specific type of flavonoid or flavonoid-rich food.

However, another study presented at the conference did single out a specific flavonoid: green tea. Prostate patients scheduled for a prostatectomy reduced their levels of disease-associated inflammation by drinking six cups of brewed green tea per day in the weeks preceding the operation.