Development of the anti-cancer food scoring system 2.0: Validation and nutritional analyses of quantitative anti-cancer food scoring model

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: We have previously designed the anti-cancer food scoring model (ACFS) 1.0, an evidence-based quantitative tool analyzing the anti-cancer or carcinogenic potential of diets. Analysis was performed using simple quantitative indexes divided into 6 categories (S, A, B, C, D, and E). In this study, we applied this scoring model to wider recipes and evaluated its nutritional relevance. MATERIALS/METHODS: National or known regional databases were searched for recipes from 6 categories: Korean out-dining, Korean home-dining, Western, Chinese, Mediterranean, and vegetarian. These recipes were scored using the ACFS formula and the nutrition profiles were analyzed. RESULTS: Eighty-eight international recipes were analyzed. All S-graded recipes were from vegetarian or Mediterranean categories. The median code values of each category were B (Korean home-dining), C (Korean out-dining), B (Chinese), A (Mediterranean), S (vegetarian), and D (Western). The following profiles were correlated (P < 0.05) with ACFS grades in the univariate trend analysis: total calories, total fat, animal fat, animal protein, total protein, vitamin D, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B₁₂, pantothenic acid, sodium, animal iron, zinc, selenium, and cholesterol (negative trends), and carbohydrate rate, fiber, water-soluble fiber, vitamin K, vitamin C, and plant calcium (positive trends). Multivariate analysis revealed that animal fat, animal iron, and niacin (negative trends) and animal protein, fiber, and vitamin C (positive trends) were statistically significant. Pantothenic acid and sodium showed non-significant negative trends (P <0.1), and vitamin B₁₂ showed a non-significant positive trend. CONCLUSION: This study provided a nutritional basis and extended the utility of ACFS, which is a bridgehead for future cancer-preventive clinical trials using ACFS.