Postmenopausal osteoporosis and breast cancer: The biochemical links and beneficial effects of functional foods

Breast cancer as a multifactorial disease has been classified among the major causes of morbidity and mortality in women across the world, with a higher prevalence among post-menopausal women. Osteoporosis, a condition characterized by altered bone mineralization is also commonly found among post-menopausal women. Consequently, post-menopausal women are at risk of morbidity and mortality associated with breast cancer and postmenopausal osteoporosis. This may not be unconnected to the fact that, there may be existent biochemical links between the two mayhems, which might rally round between the cellular and molecular connectivity based on the actions and inactions of RANKL, estrogen, free radicals-induced oxidative stress and metabolic implications of age related obesity among others. Cells and tissues including breast and bone are more prone to oxidative stress with age, and oxidative stress could alter the activity of key proteins and pathways required for protection against breast cancer and osteoporosis. As a result, the potentials of antioxidant rich functional foods in preventing, managing and possibly treating breast cancer and postmenopausal osteoporosis cannot be overemphasised. This review mainly uses ISI, SCOPUS and PubMed indexed journals and books containing various experimental reports vacillating from humans, animals and in vitro studies in relation to breast cancer and postmenopausal osteoporosis, biochemical links and possible beneficial effects of functional foods. One distinct feature of the review is that it categorically intends to provide a critical appraisal on the said available experimental data within the variables of breast cancer and osteoporosis among females vis-à-vis the potentials of functional foods.