Flavonoid Rich Foods, Such as Tea, May Help Improve Survival in Colorectal Cancer Patients

USA: A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that increasing the intake of flavonoids after colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis could potentially reduce CRC-specific mortality rates.

Despite evidence of anti-cancer effects, the impact of flavonoids on CRC survival remains unclear. The study aims to investigate the association of post-diagnostic flavonoid intake with CRC mortality.

The prospective study included 2,552 patients diagnosed with Stage I-III CRC in two cohort studies, who were followed for a total of 31,026 person-years. The patients were assessed for their intake of total flavonoids and their subclasses using validated food frequency questionnaires. The researchers used the inverse probability weighted multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model to calculate the hazard ratio (HR).

The mean age of patients at diagnosis was 68.7 (9.4) years. During 31,026 person-years of follow-up, 1,689 deaths were documented, of which 327 were due to CRC.

The study found the following key clinical takeaways:

1. 1.Total flavonoid intake was not associated with mortality.
2. 2.A higher intake of flavan-3-ol was associated with lower CRC-specific and all-cause mortality.
3. 3.Tea, which is a major contributor to flavan-3-ol intake, showed an inverse association with CRC-specific and all-cause mortality.
4. 4.No beneficial associations were found for other flavonoid subclasses.
5. 5.Spline analysis showed a linear relationship between post-diagnostic flavan-3-ol intake and CRC-specific mortality.

The lead author of the study Dr. Shanshan Shi also noted that “While the study provides important insights into the potential benefits of flavonoids for cancer patients, more research is needed to fully understand their mechanisms of action and how they can be best used in clinical settings.”

The study provides further evidence that diet and lifestyle factors can play an important role in cancer prevention and treatment. Patients diagnosed with CRC may benefit from increasing their intake of flavan-3-ol-rich foods, such as tea, as part of their overall treatment plan.

Reference:

Shi S., Wang K., Zhong R., Ng K., Meyerhardt J., Song M. et al.; Flavonoid intake and survival after diagnosis of colorectal cancer: A prospective study in two US cohorts, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2023.04.01; doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.03.026