Prostate cancer is the most prevalent disease affecting males in many Western countries, with an estimated 29,480 deaths in 2014 in the US alone. Incidence rates for
prostate cancer deaths have been decreasing since the early 1990s in men of all races/ethnicities, though they remain about 60% higher in African Americans than in any other group. The relationship between dietary
polyphenols and the prevention of
prostate cancer has been examined previously. Although results are sometimes inconsistent and variable, there is a general agreement that
polyphenols hold great promise for the future management of
prostate cancer. Various dietary components, including
polyphenols, have been shown to possess anti-
cancer properties. Generally considered as non-toxic, dietary
polyphenols act as key modulators of signaling pathways and are therefore considered ideal chemopreventive agents. Besides possessing various anti-
tumor properties, dietary
polyphenols also contribute to epigenetic changes associated with the fate of
cancer cells and have emerged as potential drugs for therapeutic intervention.
Polyphenols have also been shown to affect post-translational modifications and
microRNA expressions. This article provides a systematic review of the health benefits of selected dietary
polyphenols in
prostate cancer, especially focusing on the subclasses of
polyphenols, which have a great effect on disease prevention and treatment.