There is a strong association between the intake of fruits, vegetables and legumes and the reduced incidence of cancer. However, the identification of specific nutrients and/or components of these foods responsible for this effect remain elusive. The flavonoids, a family of organic compounds which are abundant in fruits, vegetables and soya-foods, have several biological activities which are consistent with the inhibition of several cancer processes. The investigation of the relationship between dietary flavonoids and reduced cancer risk requires an accurate database of these components. This epidemiological research tool currently is missing. Therefore, the overall purpose of this project is to provide a comprehensive database of values for prominent flavonoids in the food supply that are of interest to cancer research. This will be accomplished by developing appropriate analytical techniques, analyzing representative foods for their flavonoid content and tabulating acceptable flavonoid data for use by the scientific community. This database will facilitate the investigation of relationships between various cancers and dietary intake of these flavonoid fractions.
| Beecher, G R; Warden, B A; Merken, H (1999) Analysis of tea polyphenols. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 220:267-70 |
