Many Fruits and Vegetables Fight Cancer

[Guest guest]

http://www.lef.org/whatshot/2001_06.html#vcal

 

June 11, 2001

 

Yet another fruit with cancer-fighting properties

 

Almost every week, the discovery of disease fighting properties of a new fruit

or vegetable is revealed. Diets high in fruits and vegetables have been shown to

play a role in the prevention of heart disease, cancer and other conditions. An

abstract presented at the 2000 annual Food Technology meeting revealed that

mangoes have anticancer properties beyond those conferred by their natural

carotenoid content. Researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville

tested several dilutions of an organic extract of mangoes and an aqueous extract

in which the carotenoids were removed on an in vitro model of cancer consisting

of 3T3 mouse cells treated with a carcinogen. The cells were incubated with the

mango extracts for a period of three to six weeks before being examined for

transformation into cancer cells. Although both extracts inhibited cancer cell

formation, the water-soluble compound was found to be ten times as potent in

inhibiting the formation of cancer cells than the carotenoid-containing extract,

demonstrating the presence of an as yet unknown compound in mangoes responsible

for this benefit. The researchers believe that the known anticancer properties

of carotenoids were responsible for the cancer-inhibiting effects of the organic

extract.

 

Study coauthor Sue Percival PhD, of the department of Food science and Human

Nutrition at the University of Florida, summarized, " We did a study with cells

in culture and found that mangoes were able to inhibit the formation of

cancerous-type cells. The water soluble portion was about 10 times more

effective. " The researchers conclude that mango consumption may be beneficial in

reducing the risk of some cancers.

 

 

 

 

 

Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now