{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.01486988847583643, 'fraction_numerical': 0.001486988847583643, 'mean_word_length': 5.118181818181818, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Inhibition of iron absorption by polyphenols as an anti-cancer mechanism.

It is well known that cancer might be considered in part to be a preventable disease, highly susceptible to modulation by dietary factors. Polyphenol compounds, which are abundant in fruits, vegetables, seeds and drinks, have been shown to play a potential role as chemopreventive agents.1 The mechanisms underlying this beneficial effect are not fully understood. Assessing the real impact of such constituents on human health is difficult, as in many cases the exact composition of foods and the bioavailability of active molecules are not known. However, there is evidence that polyphenol compounds can prevent the DNA damage caused by free radicals or carcinogenic agents. The mechanisms can be direct radical scavenging, chelating divalent cations involved in Fenton reaction and modulating enzymes related to oxidative stress.1 We suggest that some of the involved mechanisms might be related to inhibition of iron absorption by polyphenols present in the diet.

Iron is an essential nutrient in humans and both iron deficiency and iron excess can result in deviation from the optimal health. Although the absolute amount of iron extracted from the diet is small, its absorption is highly regulated in humans since there is no physiologic pathway for active iron …