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What Foods are Recommended for Cancer?
is a very common question. Personalized Nutrition Plans are foods and supplements which are personalized to a cancer indication, genes, any treatments and lifestyle conditions.

Foods for Ovarian Cancer!

Jul 26, 2023

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Introduction

Foods for Ovarian Cancer should be personalized for each individual and also must adapt when cancer treatment or tumor genetic change. The personalization and adaptation must consider all the active ingredients or bioactives contained in different foods with respect to cancer tissue biology, genetics, treatments, lifestyle conditions and diet preferences. Hence while nutrition is one of the very important decisions for a cancer patient and individual at risk of cancer to make – how to choose foods to eat is not an easy task.



For Ovarian Cancer does it matter what vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds one eats?

A very common nutrition question asked by cancer patients and individuals at-genetic risk of cancer is – for cancers like Ovarian Cancer does it matter what foods I eat and which I do not? Or if I follow a plant-based diet is that enough for cancer like Ovarian Cancer?

For example does it matter if vegetable Cauliflower is consumed more compared to Garden Tomato? Does it make any difference if fruit Black Elderberry is preferred over Pomegranate? Also if similar choices are made for nuts/seeds like Butternut over Brazil Nut and for pulses like Broad Bean over Chickpea. And if what I eat matters – then how does one identify foods which are recommended for Ovarian Cancer and is it the same answer for everyone with the same diagnosis or genetic risk?

Yes! Foods you eat matters for Ovarian Cancer!

Food recommendations may not be the same for everyone and can be different even for the same diagnosis and genetic risk.

All cancers like Ovarian Cancer can be characterized by a unique set of biochemical pathways - the signature pathways of Ovarian Cancer. Biochemical pathways like Inflammation, NFKB Signaling, Cell Cycle Checkpoints, Apoptosis are part of the signature definition of Ovarian Cancer.

All foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, pulses, oils etc.) and nutritional supplements are made up of more than one active molecular ingredient or bio-actives in different proportions and quantities. Each active ingredient has a unique mechanism of action – which can be activation or inhibition of different biochemical pathways. Simply stated foods and supplements which are recommended are those which do not cause an increase of molecular drivers of cancer but reduce them. Else those foods should not be recommended. Foods contain multiple active ingredients – hence when evaluating foods and supplements you need to consider the impact of all active ingredients cumulatively rather than individually.

For example Black Elderberry contains active ingredients Lycopene, Curcumin, Isoliquiritigenin, Quercetin, Myricetin. And Pomegranate contains active ingredients Curcumin, Isoliquiritigenin, Quercetin, Myricetin, Naringin and possibly others.

A common mistake made when deciding and choosing foods to eat for Ovarian Cancer – is to evaluate only selected active ingredients contained in foods and ignore the rest. Because different active ingredients contained in foods may have opposing effects on cancer drivers – you cannot cherry pick active ingredients in foods and supplements for making a nutrition decision for Ovarian Cancer.

YES – FOOD CHOICES MATTER FOR CANCER. NUTRITION DECISIONS MUST CONSIDER ALL ACTIVE INGREDIENTS OF FOODS.

Skills Needed for Nutrition Personalization for Ovarian Cancer?

Personalized nutrition for cancers like Ovarian Cancer consists of recommended foods / supplements; not recommended foods / supplements with example recipes which prioritize use of recommended foods. An example of personalized nutrition can be seen at this link.

Deciding which foods are recommended or not is extremely complicated, requiring expertise in Ovarian Cancer biology, food science, genetics, biochemistry along with good understanding of how cancer treatments work and associated vulnerabilities by which the treatments could stop being effective.

MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE EXPERTISE NEEDED FOR NUTRITION PERSONALIZATION FOR CANCER ARE: CANCER BIOLOGY, FOOD SCIENCE, CANCER TREATMENTS AND GENETICS.

Foods to Eat After Cancer Diagnosis!

No two cancers are the same. Go beyond the common nutrition guidelines for everyone and make personalized decisions about food and supplements with confidence.

Characteristics of cancers like Ovarian Cancer

All cancers like Ovarian Cancer can be characterized by a unique set of biochemical pathways – the signature pathways of Ovarian Cancer. Biochemical pathways like Inflammation, NFKB Signaling, Cell Cycle Checkpoints, Apoptosis are part of the signature definition of Ovarian Cancer. Each individual’s cancer genetics can be different and hence their specific cancer signature could be unique.

The treatments which are effective for Ovarian Cancer need to be cognizant of the associated signature biochemical pathways for each cancer patient and individual at genetic risk. Therefore different treatments with different mechanisms of actions are effective for different patients. Similarly and for the same reasons foods and supplements need to be personalized for each individual. Hence some foods and supplements are recommended for Ovarian Cancer when taking cancer treatment Olaparib, and some foods and supplements are not recommended.

Sources like cBioPortal and many others provide population representative patient anonymized data from clinical trials for all cancer indications. This data consists of clinical trial study details like sample size / number of patients, age groups, gender, ethnicity, treatments, tumor site and any genetic mutations.

TP53, MUC16, NF1, RYR2 and KMT2C are the top ranked reported genes for Ovarian Cancer. TP53 is reported in 29.2 % of the representative patients across all clinical trials. And MUC16 is reported in 3.2 %. The combined population patient data cover ages from 26 to 89. 0.0 % of the patient data are identified as men. The Ovarian Cancer biology along with reported genetics together define the population represented signature biochemical pathways for this cancer. If the individual cancer tumor genetics or genes contributing to the risk are also known then that should also be used for nutrition personalization.

NUTRITION CHOICES SHOULD MATCH WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL’S CANCER SIGNATURE.

Foods for Ovarian Cancer!

Food and Supplements for Ovarian Cancer

For Cancer Patients

Cancer patients on treatment or on palliative care need to make decisions on food and supplements – for the needed dietary calories, for managing any treatment side effects and also for improved cancer management. All plant-based foods are not equal and choosing and prioritizing foods which are personalized and customized to ongoing cancer treatment is important and complicated. Here are some examples providing guidelines for making nutrition decisions.

Choose Vegetable CAULIFLOWER or GARDEN TOMATO?

Vegetable Cauliflower contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Isoliquiritigenin, Cinnamaldehyde, Psoralen, Daidzein. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Inflammation, MAPK Signaling, TWEAK Signaling and MYC Signaling and others. Cauliflower is recommended for Ovarian Cancer when ongoing cancer treatment is Olaparib. This is because Cauliflower modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Olaparib.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in vegetable Garden Tomato are Lycopene, Curcumin, Isoliquiritigenin, Quercetin, Myricetin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair and others. Garden Tomato is not recommended for Ovarian Cancer when ongoing cancer treatment is Olaparib because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

VEGETABLE CAULIFLOWER IS RECOMMENDED OVER GARDEN TOMATO FOR Ovarian Cancer AND TREATMENT Olaparib.

Choose Fruit POMEGRANATE or BLACK ELDERBERRY?

Fruit Pomegranate contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Isoliquiritigenin, Quercetin, Myricetin, Naringin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair, Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition, Inflammation and MAPK Signaling and others. Pomegranate is recommended for Ovarian Cancer when ongoing cancer treatment is Olaparib. This is because Pomegranate modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Olaparib.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in fruit Black Elderberry are Lycopene, Curcumin, Isoliquiritigenin, Quercetin, Myricetin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair and MAPK Signaling and others. Black Elderberry is not recommended for Ovarian Cancer when ongoing cancer treatment is Olaparib because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

FRUIT POMEGRANATE IS RECOMMENDED OVER BLACK ELDERBERRY FOR Ovarian Cancer AND TREATMENT Olaparib.

Choose Nut BUTTERNUT or BRAZIL NUT?

Butternut contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Lycopene, Curcumin, Isoliquiritigenin, Myricetin, Caffeine. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair, Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition, Inflammation and MAPK Signaling and others. Butternut is recommended for Ovarian Cancer when ongoing cancer treatment is Olaparib. This is because Butternut modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Olaparib.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in Brazil Nut are Curcumin, Isoliquiritigenin, Cinnamaldehyde, Psoralen, Ellagic Acid. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition, Inflammation and TWEAK Signaling and others. Brazil Nut is not recommended for Ovarian Cancer when ongoing cancer treatment is Olaparib because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

BUTTERNUT IS RECOMMENDED OVER BRAZIL NUT FOR Ovarian Cancer AND TREATMENT Olaparib.

For Individuals with Genetic Risk of Cancer

The question asked by individuals who have genetic risk of Ovarian Cancer or familial history is “What Should I Eat Differently from Before?” and how they should choose foods and supplements to manage risks of the disease. Since for cancer risk there is nothing actionable in terms of treatment – decisions of foods and supplements become important and one of the very few actionable things which can be done. All plant-based foods are not equal and based on identified genetics and pathway signature – the choices of food and supplements should be personalized.

Choose Vegetable KALE or AMERICAN POKEWEED?

Vegetable Kale contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Lupeol, Indole-3-carbinol, Daidzein, Formononetin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair, Cell Cycle, MAPK Signaling and MYC Signaling and others. Kale is recommended for risk of Ovarian Cancer when associated genetic risk is KMT2C. This is because Kale increases those biochemical pathways which counteract the signature drivers of it.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in vegetable American Pokeweed are Apigenin, Curcumin, Lupeol, Quercetin, Daidzein. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair and MAPK Signaling and others. American Pokeweed is not recommended when risk of Ovarian Cancer when associated genetic risk is KMT2C because it increases the signature pathways of it.

VEGETABLE KALE IS RECOMMENDED OVER AMERICAN POKEWEED FOR KMT2C GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

Choose Fruit RED RASPBERRY or PUMMELO?

Fruit Red Raspberry contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Ellagic Acid, Lupeol, Quercetin, Daidzein. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle, P53 Signaling, DNA Repair and MYC Signaling and others. Red Raspberry is recommended for risk of Ovarian Cancer when associated genetic risk is KMT2C. This is because Red Raspberry increases those biochemical pathways which counteract the signature drivers of it.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in fruit Pummelo are Apigenin, Curcumin, Lupeol, Lycopene, Quercetin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair and Extracellular Matrix Remodelling and others. Pummelo is not recommended when risk of Ovarian Cancer when associated genetic risk is KMT2C because it increases the signature pathways of it.

FRUIT RED RASPBERRY IS RECOMMENDED OVER PUMMELO FOR KMT2C GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

Choose Nut BLACK WALNUT or CHESTNUT?

Black Walnut contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Apigenin, Curcumin, Ellagic Acid, Lupeol, Quercetin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle, P53 Signaling, MAPK Signaling and Cell Cycle Checkpoints and others. Black Walnut is recommended for risk of Ovarian Cancer when associated genetic risk is KMT2C. This is because Black Walnut increases those biochemical pathways which counteract the signature drivers of it.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in Chestnut are Apigenin, Curcumin, Ellagic Acid, Lupeol, Lycopene. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair, Extracellular Matrix Remodelling and Cell Cycle Checkpoints and others. Chestnut is not recommended when risk of Ovarian Cancer when associated genetic risk is KMT2C because it increases the signature pathways of it.

BLACK WALNUT IS RECOMMENDED OVER CHESTNUT FOR KMT2C GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.


In Conclusion

Foods and Supplements chosen are important decisions for cancers like Ovarian Cancer. Ovarian Cancer patients and individuals with genetic-risk always have this question: “What foods and nutritional supplements are recommended for me and which are not?” There is a common belief which is a misconception that all plant-based foods could be beneficial or not but would not be harmful. Certain foods and supplements can interfere with cancer treatments or promote molecular pathway drivers of cancer.

There are different types of cancer indications like Ovarian Cancer, each with different tumor genetics with further genomic variations across each individual. Further every cancer treatment and chemotherapy has a unique mechanism of action. Each food like Cauliflower contains various bioactives in different quantities, which have an impact on different and distinct sets of biochemical pathways. The definition of personalized nutrition is individualized food recommendations for the cancer indication, treatments, genetics, lifestyle and other factors. Nutrition personalization decisions for cancer require knowledge of cancer biology, food science and an understanding of different chemotherapy treatments. Finally when there are treatment changes or new genomics is identified – the nutrition personalization needs re-evaluation.

The addon nutrition personalization solution makes the decision making easy and removes all the guesswork in answering the question, “What foods should I choose or not choose for Ovarian Cancer?”. The addon multi-disciplinary team includes cancer physicians, clinical scientists, software engineers and data scientists.


Personalized Nutrition for Cancer!

Cancer changes with time. Customize and modify your nutrition based on cancer indication, treatments, lifestyle, food preferences, allergies and other factors.

References

Scientifically Reviewed by: Dr. Cogle

Christopher R. Cogle, M.D. is a tenured professor at the University of Florida, Chief Medical Officer of Florida Medicaid, and Director of the Florida Health Policy Leadership Academy at the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.

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