REVIEW article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Metabolism
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1640092
Synergistic power of functional foods and exercise in colorectal cancer control: Targeting metabolism, mitochondrial function, redox homeostasis, exercise performance, neuroimmune signaling, and brain-gut axis crosstalk
Provisionally accepted
- 1Xianda College of Economics and Humanities，Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
- 2Guangdong Police College, Guangzhou, China
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Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers-including colorectal, gastric, esophageal, and pancreatic malignancies-are among the most prevalent and lethal cancers globally. Despite advancements in treatment, the prognosis for many patients remains poor, highlighting the urgent need for integrative and preventive approaches. Functional foods, rich in bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and omega-3 fatty acids, possess potent antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and anti-tumor properties. Meanwhile, exercise has emerged as a nonpharmacological intervention capable of modulating systemic inflammation, enhancing immune responses, and improving quality of life in cancer patients. This review critically examines the synergistic impact of functional food consumption and regular physical activity on the molecular pathways underlying GI cancer initiation and progression. Emphasis is placed on key signaling cascades, which are implicated in oxidative stress, inflammation, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis. Furthermore, the role of neurotrophic factors-particularly brain-derived neurotrophic factor-is explored, revealing their potential as molecular links between gut-brain axis modulation, cancer pathophysiology, and exercise-induced neuroprotection. By integrating current preclinical and clinical evidence, this review underscores the promise of combining functional nutrition with exercise as a holistic, personalized strategy for the prevention and management of GI cancers. Such approaches may not only target tumor biology but also improve cognitive function, mood, and overall patient well-being, paving the way for precision lifestyle medicine in oncology.
Keywords: Functional Foods, Exercise, gastrointestinal cancer, Metabolism, Mitochondrial function
Received: 03 Jun 2025; Accepted: 01 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wu, Cheng, Li and Liang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Chuanzhong Wu, Xianda College of Economics and Humanities，Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
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