Findings from
an Italian study published this month in the American Journal of Nutrition has
demonstrated a clear link between the amount of phytochemical-rich
polyphenols we eat and mortality from breast,
pancreatic, throat, prostate and skin cancers. Phytochemicals are plant
compounds, which give vegetables and fruit their pleasing colour, taste and
aroma.
Over 12 years, the joint
Italian/Spanish/USA study assessed intake in 807 men and women by measuring
their total urinary polyphenol, which could have come from numerous phytochemical-rich
polyphenol food sources including tomatoes, tea, broccoli, herbs and spices or
even Chianti wine. It showed that those with the highest polyphenol levels had
the lowest death rate from cancer and heart disease.
Clinical evidence for a dietary benefit after cancer
Other studies published by the British
Journal of Medical Practitioners have shown that the anti-cancer effects of phytochemicals
in these polyphenols do not stop after a diagnosis of cancer when combined with
other healthy lifestyle habits such as regular exercise.
Breast cancer survivors eating polyphenol
fruit, vegetables, soy and green tea were found to have lower relapse rates.
Individuals with skin cancer, who had a
high intake of leafy green vegetables and broccoli, had lower rates of new
cancer formation, while a polyphenol rich diet has been linked to a slower rate
of PSA progression among men with indolent prostate cancer.
A Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study
has shown a dramatic drop in relapse and death for breast, chronic leukaemia
and prostate cancer sufferers with high intake of polyphenols. Cancer cells have to go through a series of
biochemical pathways in order to grow faster, invade adjacent organs and
metastasise.
Laboratory experiments using
cancer and normal cells in petri dishes show that some foods can directly
inhibit these pathways. Polyphenols have
a direct Stop Cancer mechanism of action via inflammation cellular modulation
and signalling events involved in growth, invasion and metastasis.
I strongly recommend reading
the BJMP article below. Essential reading, it not only gives a summary of the recent studies but
also provides a comprehensive list of phytochemicals with notable food rich
sources in a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses and nuts.
Ian MacWatt
Further Reading
Stuart's Kitchen : Recipes for healthy seasonal Mediterranean Diet produce.
