Dietologia

Increasing scientific evidence suggests that the majority of diseases including cancer are driven by oxidative stress and inflammation, attributed to environmental factors. These factors either drive genetic mutations or epigenetically modify expression of key regulatory genes. These changes can occur as early as gestational fetal development, and major questions remain as to how dietary/nutritional phytochemical factors biochemically interact with such genetic and epigenetic events. With chapters written by international experts, Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Cancer: Dietary Approaches for Cancer Prevention examines the latest developments on the effects of various dietary phytochemicals. Divided into nine sections, the book begins with the basic mechanisms of inflammation/oxidative stress-driven cancer, including an overview of the topic and how to prevent carcinogenesis, the role of obesity in inflammation and cancer, and antioxidant properties of some common dietary phytochemicals. Subsequent sections cover cellular signal transduction, molecular targets, and biomarkers of dietary cancer-preventive phytochemicals, as well as their potential challenges with in vivo absorption and pharmacokinetics. The chapters also examine the cancer-preventive properties of various classes of phytochemicals, including vitamins A, D, and E; omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids; flavanoids and polyphenols; garlic organosulfur compounds and cruciferous glucosinolates; and selenium, traditional Chinese herbal medicines, and alpha lipoic acid. The final section of the book explores the latest developments on the interactions of dietary phytochemicals through epigenetics and the management of chronic inflammation with nutritional phytochemicals.

In this Very Short Introduction, Prof Lord John Krebs provides a brief history of human food, from our remote ancestors 3 million years ago to the present day. By looking at the four great transitions in human food - cooking, agriculture, processing, and preservation - he considers a variety of questions, including why people like some kinds of foods and not others; how your senses contribute to flavour; the role of genetics in our likes and dislikes; and the differences in learning and culture around the world. In turn he considers aspects of diet, nutrition, and health, and the disparity between malnutrition in some places and overconsumption in others. Finally, he considers some of the big issues - the obesity crisis, sustainable agriculture, the role of new technologies such as genetic modification of crops, and ends by posing the question: how will it be possible to feed a population of 9 billion in 2050, without destroying our natural environment? ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.