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Cancer Decisions

THE MOSS REPORTS Newsletter (01/18/04)

 

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Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D. Weekly CancerDecisions.com

Newsletter #116 01/18/04

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HERE AT THE MOSS REPORTS

 

 

Our year has gotten off to a busy start. We are

continually updating the 200-plus Moss Reports on

different kinds of cancer, incorporating the latest

research findings as well as new information gleaned

from my investigative travels abroad. I also continue

to offer one-on-one phone consultations to people who

are struggling with difficult cancer treatment

decisions. Many people find that the reports and/or the

phone consultations are a good way to clarify the

issues that are confronting them and to learn about new

treatment possibilities that might otherwise be hard to

find. Because of my busy writing and research schedule,

I do a maximum of one phone consultation per day, and

so appointment spaces are limited. If you are

interested in either a report or a phone consultation,

you should call Anne or Diane at 800-980-1234 (call

814-238-3367 from abroad).

 

 

 

 

BEANS AGAINST CANCER?

 

 

" ...and let them give us pulse to eat and water to

drink. " -Daniel 1.12

 

 

Here in the US Northeast we are suffering through one

of the coldest winters on record. As I write, the

temperature is ten below zero (-10º F.). Add in the

wind chill, and it feels like 35 below. The natives are

starting to grumble, although some of my neighbors are

thrilled at the imminent prospect of ice fishing. Even

our salt water coves are frozen over! When the weather

turns as inhospitable as this, we need as much comfort

as we can get. This is the perfect time, therefore, to

rediscover one of nature's prime comfort foods, beans.

Yes, beans.

 

 

The major problem in discussing Phaseolus vulgaris is,

well, its vulgarity. No other kind of food elicits as

much low humor as " the musical fruit. " It's impossible

to talk about beans without tackling the uncomfortable

subject of intestinal gas. I know this is a topic of

endless fascination to some people, especially those in

the 7 to 10 year-old age range. Benjamin Franklin, a

vegetarian who knew his beans, once wrote a whole essay

on this most unlikely of topics. He proposed a

scientific prize for the inventor who could come up

with " some drug, wholesome and not disagreeable, to be

mixed with our common food, or sauces, that shall

render the natural discharges of Wind from our bodies

not only inoffensive, but agreeable as perfumes. " Like

many utopian dreams of the Enlightenment, this one came

to naught. That mighty Wind is, alas, still with us.

 

 

However, we should not allow a little intestinal

rumbling to come between us and a truly beneficial

food. Happily, beans received a major boost last month

from the Bean Research Unit of the Department of

Agriculture (USDA). The US Midwest produces much of the

world's bean supply, so it is perhaps understandable

that these Michigan scientists are unabashedly partisan

toward beans. However, the facts speak for themselves:

the common dry bean turns out to be an outstanding

source of antioxidants.

 

 

When these USDA scientists analyzed the colored seed

coats of twelve different types of beans they found

that these legumes contained many of the same

antioxidants (such as anthocyanins) that are also found

in pricier berries and fruits, and also in wine.

" Although these polyphenols [i.e., antioxidants] can

cause problems in digestibility, " they admitted, " they

may be important dietary supplements with beneficial

health effects. "

 

 

Most of the antioxidant benefit of fruits and

vegetables comes from the component that gives them

their color. Just as with the beta-carotene that makes

the carrot orange and the lycopene that turns the

tomato and the watermelon their gorgeous shades of red,

so it is with beans: the darker the hue, the more

abundant the supply of valuable micronutrients.

According to another recent study, the amount of

antioxidants varies greatly in kidney beans, but in

general the greatest amount is found in red and black

varieties (Choung 2003). In shopping, therefore, shun

the pale cannellini and Great Northern and go for the

more colorful varieties.

 

 

 

 

Taking the Pulse of the Pulses

 

 

At various times, scientists have tried to agree upon

the ideal anti-cancer diet. These consensus statements

by large groups of experts have generally spoken in

positive tones about peas, beans and lentils (the group

collectively known as pulses or legumes) and cowpeas

(a related category that includes black-eyed peas).

For example, the World Cancer Relief Fund/American

Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) committee

included general recommendations concerning legume

consumption. The opinion of the committee was that, in

order to minimize the risk of developing cancer, 45-60

percent of dietary calories should come from starchy or

protein-rich foods of plant origin. Pulses are

included in this category. The World Health

Organization (WHO) has also recommended a daily

consumption of 30 grams (about an ounce) of pulses,

including nuts and seeds, to reduce the risk of heart

disease and some types of cancer.

 

 

A breakthrough in nutritional thinking came three

years ago when scientists showed that people who ate

legumes four times per week had a 22 percent lower risk

of heart disease compared with people who consumed

legumes less than once per week (Bazzano 2001). This

finally gave empirical justification to the childhood

jingle that beans are " good for the heart. " And

although beans are high in carbohydrates they have a

low-glycemic index (i.e., they are slowly digested),

and therefore " provide a sustained source of energy

that curbs caloric intake and helps to maintain weight "

(Smith 2003). Because of this beans can help people

with diabetes to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

 

 

Research over the past twenty years has in general

supported the health-promoting properties of beans.

One older survey found that people who ate lots of

beans enjoyed a measure of protection against breast,

prostate and colon cancer (Correa 1981). Another study

found an inverse trend between legume consumption and

the incidence of prostate cancer (Kolonel 2000). Two

experimental studies showed that feeding rodents navy,

black and pinto beans inhibited the incidence of colon

cancer by 52 to 57 percent (Hangen 2002 and Hughes

1997).

 

 

However, in most Western countries, beans get little

respect and therefore little research interest. In

cancer circles, it's genes, not beans, that attract the

big bucks. Questions on surveys about food consumption

typically lump together all pulses, a category that

generally includes nuts, seeds, lentils, peas, soy

beans as well as all types of dry beans. There has been a

tendency to look on beans as a source of cheap

calories, but nothing more.

 

 

 

 

Beaneaters

 

 

Culturally, one cannot think of beans without thinking

of Boston. At one time the local baseball team was even

called the " Beaneaters. " Boston has since become a home

of haute cuisine, but here in rural New England we still

adhere to the old ways. The Bean Supper is a prominent

feature of the social calendar, whether at the local

clapboard church, Town House or Odd Fellows' Hall. But,

as a general rule, bean consumption declines as one's

socioeconomic standing improves. (The exceptions being

the health-food conscious and the Tex-Mex crazed.)

Consumption in Western countries tends to be quite

low - a few pounds per head per year.

 

 

This cultural aversion to beans may backfire. A glance

at cancer mortality rates around the world raises a

provocative question: Can beans actually protect

against some major forms of cancer? As a general

observation, countries with low rates of colon, rectal,

breast and prostate cancer are those in which beans

form a prominent staple of the diet, while countries with

relatively high rates of these same diseases tend to be

those in which bean consumption is markedly lower.

Some of the highest rates of colorectal cancer in the

world are in Eastern European countries such as the Czech

Republic, Poland, and Slovenia, countries not famous

for their bean consumption. In Poland, for instance,

annual per capita bean consumption is just over one

kilogram (2.2 pounds). What is more, " basically Poland

is a white bean market " according to industry sources

(Northarvest 2003). White beans have the least amounts

of antioxidants.

 

 

The Czech Republic has the dubious distinction of

having the highest male colorectal cancer death rate in

the world (34.2 per 100,000). Among women it ranks

third. It is therefore interesting to read that

" domestic production of dry beans for human consumption

is practically non-existent in the Czech Republic and

consumption is low, " estimated at only approximately 11

to 14 ounces per person per year. As in Poland,

" production...is centered on white beans only, of the

navy bean type " (Northarvest 2003).

 

 

Contrast that with Latin America. In Mexico, for

instance, the colorectal cancer death rate is 4.7 per

100,000 for men and 4.6 per 100,000 in women. Thus, a

man's chances of dying of colorectal cancer are

one-seventh in Mexico City what they are in Prague!

Similar differentials apply to other forms of cancer as

well.

 

 

Beans contribute 70 to 80 percent of the vegetable

protein consumed by lower-income Mexicans. Mexican dry

bean consumption (much of which is of antioxidant-rich

black beans) is 33 pounds per year, more than five

times the US total. Perhaps not coincidentally, Mexico

has just 30 percent of the US colon cancer mortality

rate. Although the derisive term " bean eater " has been

hurled by nordamericanos at their neighbors to the

south, it seems that those who eat beans will have the

last word when it comes to some kinds of cancer.

 

 

My strong recommendation is to rediscover beans, if you

haven't already done so. You can of course buy beans

that are already prepared. I grew up eating Heinz

vegetarian baked beans, which now are much too bland

and sweet for my taste. A far more enjoyable and less

expensive way to incorporate beans into your diet is to

get yourself a good Yankee bean pot, a package of dried

beans, and a source of pure water. You can then add

such things as kombu (sea vegetables), mustard, tomato

sauce, vinegar, molasses or maple syrup. I generally

try to limit sweeteners as much as possible. Nothing is

more contrary to the wholesome taste of good baked

beans than to muck it up with goopy syrups, fatty

frankfurters or tiny marshmallows! But, that said, any

beans are probably better than no beans at all.

 

 

As to gas, experience shows that it tends to diminish

or go away after one has gotten into the bean habit.

But some people truly cannot abide this food. For those

who find the gas difficult to manage, a product called

Bean-O may prove helpful. Bean-O is a food additive

that is said to make legumes and other gas-engendering

foods more digestible and therefore less offensive.

Once you get past that obstacle, you will have

discovered an economical source of nutrition that may

be of tremendous value in the fight against cancer.

 

 

 

 

Some shopping hints:

 

 

Excellent sources of dried beans are your local food

co-op and health food store. There are many organic

varieties available with subtle, but interesting,

differences between them. Be sure to wash them well and

pick them over for tiny stones that may have been

included in the course of packaging. (This is

especially important when dealing with local

suppliers.) You can also get good information as well

as products online, especially from Amazon.com.

 

 

For me, part of the ritual of making baked beans is the

pot that I cook them in. I use a beautiful cast iron Le

Creuset Poterie four quart beanpot similar to the one

depicted here:

 

Click or go to:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005QFUS/cancerdecisio-20/104-6948735-0\

197512

 

 

For further suggestions on cooking beans, here is an

excellent " Bean Bible " :

 

Click or go to:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0762406895/cancerdecisio-20/104-6948735-0\

197512

 

 

There are many fine prepared bean dishes available

online. Here's a fine black bean soup from Indian

Harvest:

 

Click or go to:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000DH9VU/cancerdecisio-20/104-6948735-0\

197512

 

 

 

--Ralph W. Moss, PhD

 

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References:

 

 

Bazzano LA, He J, Ogden LG, et al. Legume consumption and

risk of coronary heart disease in US men and women. Arch

Intern Med 2001;161:2573-8.

 

Choung MG, Choi BR, An YN, Chu YH, Cho YS. Anthocyanin

profile of Korean cultivated kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris

L.). J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Nov 19;51(24):7040-3.

 

Correa, P. 1981. Epidemiological correlations between diet

and cancer frequency. Cancer Res, 41:3685-90.

 

Hangen L and Bennink MR. Consumption of black beans and navy

beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) reduced azoxymethane-induced

colon cancer in rats. Nutr Cancer. 2002;44(1):60-5.

 

Hughes JS, Ganthavorn C, Wilson-Sanders S. Dry beans inhibit

azoxymethane-induced colon carcinogenesis in F344 rats. J

Nutr. 1997 Dec;127(12):2328-33.

 

Kolonel, LN, Hankin JH, Whittemore AS, et al. Vegetables,

fruits, legumes and prostate cancer: A multiethnic

case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev,

2000;9:795-804.

 

Northarvest Bean Growers Association. National Dry Bean

Council Undertakes Market Development Programs in Eastern

Europe. May 02, 2003. Accessed January 17, 2004 at:

http://www.northarvestbean.org/html/news.cfm?ID=482

 

Smith, Aetna. You might not know beans. Growers,

researchers, distributors talk about methods of studying,

touting bean consumption. GrandForksHerald.com Posted on

Sat, Jul. 19, 2003.

 

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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

 

 

 

The news and other items in this newsletter are

intended for informational purposes only. Nothing in

this newsletter is intended to be a substitute for

professional medical advice.

 

 

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