Skip to main content
Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens in the Human Diet

Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens in the Human Diet

Contents


Executive Summary 1

1 Introduction 19

    Statement of Task and Deliberations of the Committee, 26
    Definitions, 28
    Structure of the Report, 31
    References, 32

2 Naturally Occurring Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens in the Diet 35
    Exposure to Naturally Occurring Chemicals, 35
    The Composition of Foods, 36
    Naturally Occurring Carcinogens Formed During Processing or Contamination of Food, 59
    Current State of Knowledge of Human Dietary Carcinogens, 65
    Current State of Knowledge of Human Dietary Anticarcinogens, 76
    Effect of Dietary Macronutrients on Carcinogenesis, 80
    Effect of Dietary Micronutrients on Carcinogenesis, 87
    Engineering an Optimal Diet, 100
    Summary and Conclusions, 103
    References, 104

3 Synthetic Carcinogens in the Diet 127
    Synthetic Food Additives, 129
    Occurrence and Exposure, 132
    Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis, 141
    Metabolism, 144
    Toxicological Comparisons, 148
    Summary and Conclusions, 163
    References, 164

4 Methods for Evaluating Potential Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens 181
    Methods for Evaluating Chemical Carcinogens, 185
    Comparison of Methods for Evaluating Natural
    and Synthetic Carcinogens, 204
    Criteria for Selecting and Testing, 205
    Summary and Conclusions, 208
    References, 209

5 Risk Comparisons 219
    Monitoring Food Consumption, 223
    Dietary Exposure to Potential Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens, 229
    Measures of Carcinogenic Potency, 252
    Dietary Cancer Risks, 278
    Estimating Human Cancer Risks, 266
    Summary and Conclusions, 303
    Overall Conclusions, 311
    References, 312

6 Conclusions, Recommendations, and Future Directions 335
    Conclusions, 336
    Recommendations, 341
    Future Directions, 346
    Closing Remarks, 355
    References, 356
Appendix A: Selected Substances in Food Subjected to Some Degree of Carcinogenicity Testing in Animals and for Which Some Positive Results Have Been Reported 359

Appendix B: Agents with Potential Carcinogenic Activity and Their Occurrence in the Diet 377

Appendix C: Chemical Compounds Occurring in Dietary Plants that Have Been Reported to Inhibit Carcinogenesis in Vivo 407
Previous Section | HTML Home Page

NAS Home Page | NAP Home Page | Reading Room | Report Home Page