Although nutritional factors are also implicated in the development of oral cancer, cigarettes and alcohol still have a significant impact on the disease's prognosis and progression. According to epidemiological studies, eating specific foods that are staples of some cultures' diets has been associated with an elevated risk of cancer. Some of them include food cooked over a wood burner and peppers.

Foods And Drinks That Can Prevent Cancer

While eating habits are well recognised to play a significant impact in the growth of tumours. It is well recognised that a diet high in antioxidants, carotenoids, and other vitamins can help prevent mouth cancer. One study found that eating a lot of fruit can reduce the risk of mouth cancer by 20% to 80%.

The adoption of a diet high in whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and legumes may offer cancer protection, according to another finding of a study published by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) in 2019. They have micronutrients that are known to have strong antioxidant properties.

Due to the decreased incidence of head and neck malignancies, numerous researchers have also looked into the roles of vitamin C and dietary fibres. Oral cancer and omega 3 have also been connected. According to study, maintaining a balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids helps control how carcinogenic substances act and lower the incidence of mouth cancer.

Among nutritional variables, fruits and vegetables with a high dietary fibre content are receiving more and more attention.

Food Categories That Don't Protect Against Cancer

According to a study that looked at the relationship between several food groups and oral cancer, there were substantial direct connections with milk and dairy products, eggs, red meat, potatoes, and desserts. However, trends in risk were only shown to be significant for potatoes and desserts.

According to the study, combining high meat consumption with high tobacco and alcohol use and poor fruit and vegetable consumption increased the risk of oral cancer by 10 to 20 times.

Oral cancer incidence has also been connected to increased usage of microwave heating and intake of fried and broiled meals due to the creation of heterocyclic amines.

Certain food patterns have been linked to inflammatory serum markers as CRP, interleukins, and tumour necrosis factors.

A pro-inflammatory diet causes ongoing inflammation that encourages the growth of some types of cancer in the body, including oral cancer.

In a similar vein, oral squamous cell cancer has also been linked to increased iron intake.

Food's Impact on Cancer Cells

Many scientists have investigated how specific foods can affect or modify cancer cells. Certain foods have a propensity to cause cellular epigenetic alterations that alter genetic information. The term "epigenetics" refers to the modification of chromatin structure and gene expression that occurs independently of DNA sequence. These alterations may significantly contribute to the emergence of head and neck malignancies.

Similar to how some diets high in fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals may influence the start of apoptosis and the inhibition of tumour genes.