Apples may ward off colon cancer

An apple a day may help to keep bowel cancer at bay, say researchers.

The key could be chemicals in the fruit called procyanidins, a team from the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research believe.

These chemicals were shown to significantly reduce the number of precancerous lesions in lab animals.

The research, which could lead to new cancer treatments, was presented at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Our work suggests that eating the whole apple, including the skin, might offer some anti-cancer benefits. - Dr Francis Raul

Parallel research suggests the chemicals - one of a class of compounds called polyphenols - work by altering signalling pathways that control the process by which cells commit suicide at the end of their natural life.

This process goes awry in cancer cells, leading to uncontrolling division, and the formation of tumours.

Lead researcher Dr Francis Raul said: "These studies not only offer insights into the mechanisms of the chemopreventive properties of these polyphenols, they also offer proof of their potential to prevent colon cancer."

Polyphenols of various types are concentrated in the skin of apples. They are antioxidants, preventing molecules called free radicals from inflicting damage on the body's tissue. [Cancer - Topix.net]

Posted October 2004 | Permanent Link


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