ABSTRACT
It is now apparent that dietary phytochemicals can alter gene expression, interact with the genome and epigenome, augment protein composition, and modify epigenetic states (Subbiah and Ravi 2008; Robert 2006). While many dietary agents have been deemed harmful in excess (e.g., salt, fats, oils), several have advantageous effects. These dietary compounds are of particular interest in the prevention of diseases, including cancer, which is often thought of as both a genetic and epigenetic disease. Epigenetic alterations associated with human disease can be inuenced by environmental factors and may be, at least in part, mediated by diet (Skinner and Guerrero-Bosagna 2009; Jaenisch and Bird 2003; Hardy and Tollefsbol 2011; Riley and Anderson 2011).
