Obesity-related colon cancer: dietary factors and their mechanisms of anticancer action.

Overweight/obesity is an epidemic in the US as well as in other developed countries, affecting two-thirds of Americans and an estimated 2.3 billion people worldwide. Obesity increases the risk for Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. For example, epidemiological studies have established a strong association between obesity and colon cancer. It is generally accepted that metabolic changes associated with overweight/obesity, particularly abdominal obesity and changes in adipocyte function, contribute to the increased risk of colon cancer. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this association is important for the development of preventive strategies for colon cancer. Part of these preventive strategies may be based on dietary factors, such as vitamins, minerals (e.g. selenium), fibre, phytochemicals and phenolic compounds. These anticancer nutrients may counteract the molecular changes associated with obesity. The present article reviews the evidence that inflammation and insulin resistance induced by obesity are the molecular mediators of the association between obesity and colon cancer. We also evaluate the evidence for the ability of dietary factors to target the obesity-induced changes and, thus, protect against colon cancer.