Precise nutritional modulation of cancer biomarkers through the employment of functional foods and bioactive compounds | Functional Foods in Health and Disease - Online ISSN: 2160-3855; Print ISSN: 2378-7007 Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer Open Menu Functional Foods in Health and Disease - Online ISSN: 2160-3855; Print ISSN: 2378-7007 Home Food Science Publisher Functional Food Center Current Archives About About the Journal Aims and Scope Contact Editing Services Editorial Team Express Peer Review Graphical Abstract Journal Insights Privacy Statement Submissions Announcements Search Search Register Login Home / Archives / Vol. 15 No. 7 (2025): July 2025 / Research Articles Precise nutritional modulation of cancer biomarkers through the employment of functional foods and bioactive compounds Authors Jacqueline McCarthy Danik Martirosyan DOI: https://doi.org/10.31989/ffhd.v15i7.1686 Abstract Cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, prompting growing interest in preventive strategies that target early molecular changes. Functional foods (FFs), defined as bioactive-rich dietary components with health-promoting properties, have emerged as promising modulators of cancer-related biomarkers. This article reviews clinical and preclinical evidence on the influence of FFs and food bioactive compounds(FBCs) on key biomarkers, such as including HER2, Ki-67, PSA, and CEA, across various cancer types. Mechanistic insights reveal that these dietary compounds exert their effects through epigenetic modulation, anti-inflammatory signaling, reduction of oxidative stress, and regulation of apoptosis and the gut microbiome. Applications of these findings extend to biomarker-based early detection, dietary chemoprevention, and personalized nutrition strategies. However, limitations such as biomarker specificity, variable bioavailability, and a lack of long-term randomized trials continue to hinder clinical translation. Future directions emphasize the need for integrated omics approaches, development of multi-marker panels, and personalized dietary interventions supported by novel delivery systems. FFs hold significant promise in oncology, but rigorous, longitudinal studies are essential to validate their role in cancer prevention and precision medicine. Novelty: This article uniquely synthesizes current clinical and preclinical evidence linking FFs and BCs to specific cancer-related biomarkers, while emphasizing mechanistic pathways and translational challenges. It further proposes integrated omics-based strategies and personalized nutrition approaches to enhance biomarker-guided cancer prevention, —an area that remains underexplored in current literature. Keywords: Functional foods, Bioactive Compounds, cancer biomarkers, chemoprevention, epigenetics, metabolomics, personalized nutrition, sulforaphane, bioavailability, dietary intervention, early detection. Downloads [Abstract] [Full Article] Published 2025-07-19 Issue Vol. 15 No. 7 (2025): July 2025 Section Research Articles License Copyright (c) 2025 Functional Foods in Health and Disease This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Authors retain the copyright of their articles and grant the Functional Food Center (FFC) and its journals the right of first publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, including commercial use, provided the original author(s) and source are properly credited. Authors may post and share their published work freely, provided that the original publication in this journal is acknowledged. By submitting to this journal, authors confirm that their manuscripts are original, not under consideration elsewhere, and that they hold the necessary rights to grant this license. The Functional Food Center encourages open scientific exchange and allows derivative and extended works, provided attribution to the original publication is maintained. About the Journal      Editing Services      Graphical Abstract      Journal Insights        Submissions        Editorial Team       Privacy Statement        Contact        Current        Archives   Open Journal Systems Hosting and Support by: OpenJournalSystems.com