Methylation: An Important Link between Food and Cancer

The potential roles of dietary polyphenols and methyl donors in reducing the risk of cancer and their therapeutic applications are being investigated by epigenetics, an important area of emerging study as we attempt to understand the heritable changes in gene function and its role in human disorders (Clemens and Pressman, 2006).

Methylation of DNA and acetylation of histone, the protein component of chromatin, are epigenetic mechanisms linked to cancer. DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), which utili…