Numerous reports, including some from the National Research Council, have examined the relationship of diet to cancer. It is generally accepted that diet is a contributing factor to the onset or progression of some types of cancer and that a prudent selection of foods, including fruits and vegetables, and avoidance or decreased consumption of other foods might influence the risk to an individual of contracting cancer. But can specific chemicals in our diet be identified as causative agents (carcinogens) or protective agents (anticarcinogens) for cancer? Some naturally occurring chemicals that are part of our diet have been shown in animal models to cause cancer—and therefore might also serve as.
