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Organic Agriculture Helps Fight Cancer

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The Institute of Science in Society

Science Society Sustainability

http://www.i-sis.org.uk

 

General Enquiries sam

Website/Mailing List press-release

ISIS Director m.w.ho

===================================================

 

 

ISIS Report 27/03/03

Organic Agriculture Helps Fight Cancer

*********************************

Organic agriculture largely excludes synthetic inputs - pesticides, herbicides

and fertilisers – and focuses instead on long-term ecological health. The health

benefits of organic foods have now been highlighted by new research: they are

richer in anti-cancer chemicals. Prof. Joe Cummins (jcummins) reports.

 

A longer, fully referenced version of this article is posted on ISIS Members’

website (http://www.i-sis.org.uk/full/oahfcFull.php). Details here

(http://www.i-sis.org.uk/membership.php).

 

Plant phenolics (flavonoids) are plant by-products believed to protect the plant

from insect predation, bacterial and fungal infection and photo-oxidation. This

same class of plant chemicals has been found to be effective in preventing

cancer and heart disease, and to combat age-related neurological dysfunctions.

 

The main target of these plant chemicals is to protect the cell against damage

caused by active oxygen radicals. Oxygen radicals are generated from exposure to

oxygen that has in turn been activated by exposure to radiation, heavy metal

ions and chemicals. Oxygen radicals cause cancer by damaging DNA, resulting in

mutations; by activating enzymes involved in regulating cell growth; and by

promoting angiogenesis (invasion of blood vessels into tumours to allow rapid

growth of the tumour). Oxygen radicals are also implicated in cardiovascular

disease and age-related nerve cell damage.

 

Conventional agriculture depends on heavy applications of chemical fertilisers,

frequent spraying with chemical pesticides and irrigation. Such practices are

believed to inhibit the production of flavonoids. On the contrary, organic

agriculture, which eliminates the use of synthetic pesticides and chemical

fertilizers, creates conditions favourable to the production of health-enhancing

plant flavonoids.

 

Recent research has been carried out comparing conventional with organic and

sustainable production of berries and corn; ‘sustainable’ designating farm

practices that are environmentally sound. The research showed that the plant

phenolics were significantly elevated in organic and sustainable produce

compared with conventional production.

 

Earlier studies comparing organic and conventionally grown foods did not examine

plant phenolics; but found that the conventionally produced foods had higher

levels of nitrates and synthetic pesticides and relatively less total solids

than organic foods. Animals preferred organic foods while human preferences were

less clear.

 

A new report by Asami and coworkers published in the current issue of the

Journal of Agircultural and Food Chemistry provides a long list of studies

documenting the health-enhancing attributes of plant phenolics.

 

For example, the natural compounds had multiple functions in the cell. They

affect the signal-transduction pathways of cells, and can kill cancer cells or

prevent them from proliferating.

 

There are good prospects for controlling cancer growth with nutrients and plant

chemicals. Combinations of plant chemicals could enhance cure rates for cancer

when used in conjunction with standard therapies.

 

Flavonoids also show protective effects against cardiovascular disease and

cancer in some studies, though other studies indicated no effect, and a few

suggested potential harm.

 

Long-term oxidative stress contributes to nerve degradation and age-related

diseases of the nervous system such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s

disease. And plant chemicals may be effective in combating these age-related

neurological dysfunctions.

 

A very large body of evidence thus suggests that plant phenolics, clearly

present in higher concentrations in organic than conventional foods, are

effective in the fight against cancer, heart disease and age-related

neurological dysfunction. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that organic

agriculture gives high yields, and is more beneficial to the environment and

more sustainable.

 

All this evidence is largely denied or ignored by advocates of genetically

modified foods.

 

A longer, fully referenced version of this article is posted on ISIS Members’

website (http://www.i-sis.org.uk/full/oahfcFull.php). Details here

(http://www.i-sis.org.uk/membership.php).

 

 

===================================================

This article can be found on the I-SIS website at http://www.i-sis.org.uk/

If you would like to be added to our mailing list - please send a blank

email to press-release with the word in the subject

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===================================================

CONTACT DETAILS

The Institute of Science in Society, PO Box 32097, London NW1 OXR

telephone: [44 20 8731 7714] [44 20 7383 3376] [44 20 7272 5636]

 

General Enquiries sam

Website/Mailing List press-release

ISIS Director m.w.ho

 

MATERIAL IN THIS EMAIL MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT PERMISSION, ON

CONDITION THAT IT IS ACCREDITED ACCORDINGLY AND CONTAINS A LINK TO

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/

 

 

 

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