Darker fruits could fight cancer

[Guest guest]

The compounds which give certain fruit and vegetables their dark

colour may contain powerful cancer fighting properties, US research

suggests.

Studies on rats and human cells found anthocyanins - which colour

red, purple and blue fruits - notably slowed the growth of colon

cancer cells.

 

The more exotic the plant the better: purplecorn and bilberry were

found to be much more potent than the radish.

 

The research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical

Society.

 

In some experiments, the researchers from Ohio State University saw

cancer growth not just slowed, but as many as 20% of the cells

killed.

 

For instance, anthocyanin pigments obtained from black carrots and

radishes slowed the growth of cancer cells by between 50 to 80%.

 

But compounds from chokeberries for instance killed up to a fifth of

existing cells, without impacting upon healthy ones.

 

Working it out

 

The researchers say their findings bring the scientific community

closer to understanding what it is that gives fruit and vegetable

their much touted cancer-fighting properties.

 

 

" These foods contain many compounds, and we're just starting to

figure out what they are and which ones provide the most health

benefits, " said Monica Giusti, the lead author of the study.

 

She suggested that the results from this particular study suggested

that anthocyanin may be of particular use in fighting

gastrointestinal cancers.

 

Very little of the substance is absorbed by the bloodstream, but it

may be absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract as it passes through,

she said.

 

However, the researchers stopped short of recommending one particular

fruit and vegetable over another, stressing that more research was

needed into how these compounds worked.

 

Henry Scowcroft, senior information officer at Cancer Research UK,

said: " Although at an early stage, this research helps us understand

exactly how the substances in fruit and veg protect us from bowel

cancer.

 

" Isolating these substances - and tweaking them so that they're even

more potent - could allow scientists to develop new drugs to treat

the disease.

 

" In the future, it could lead to the development of drugs that help

prevent bowel cancer in people at high risk. "

 

 

 

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/6954696.stm

 

Published: 2007/08/20 13:45:44 GMT

 

© BBC MMVII