Preventive Methods for Colorectal Cancer Through Dietary Interventions: A Focus on Gut Microbiota Modulation

The imbalance of gut microbiota can significantly exacerbate or even directly contribute to the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Modulating the gut microbiota through dietary interventions, such as supplementation with probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics presents a promising strategy to enhance treatment efficacy and mitigate the adverse effects of CRC therapies. This review outlines the significant potential of dietary interventions (supplementation with probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics) in preventing or ameliorating CRC by modulating the gut microbiota. On the one hand, this review illustrates the intricate relationship between the gut microbiota and CRC, as well as the carcinogenic mechanisms mediated by these microbial communities. On the other hand, the application prospects and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analyses of dietary interventions in preventing CRC are reviewed in detail. In conclusion, this review provides new preventive and mitigative strategies for improving the safety and efficiency of CRC therapy/prevention through dietary interventions. It also expands the use of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, or postbiotics in dietary nutritional interventions.