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Powerful Cancer-Fighting Foods and Their Role in Body Repair

Posted in Anticancer Resistance, Artificial Intelligence - General, Cancer - General, Cancer and Current Therapeutics, CANCER BIOLOGY & Innovations in Cancer Therapy, cancer metabolism, Cancer Prevention: Research & Programs, cancer-general, Health Care System by Country, Population Health Management, Population Health Management, Genetics & Pharmaceutical, Population Health Management, Nutrition and Phytochemistry, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on October 24, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Powerful Cancer-Fighting Foods and Their Role in Body Repair

Curator: Dr. Sudipta Saha, Ph.D.

In the search for dietary approaches to prevent and fight cancer, certain foods have been found to possess potent anti-cancer properties. These foods not only help reduce the risk of cancer but also assist in repairing the body. Five such foods are green tea, broccoli like vetables, papaya, purple potatoes, and pomegranate—and the bioactive compounds responsible for their benefits.

1. Green Tea

Green tea, particularly rich in the catechin epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), has gained considerable attention for its cancer-fighting properties. EGCG functions as a potent antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals and reducing oxidative stress, which is a key factor in the development of cancer. Studies suggest that EGCG can inhibit cancer cell proliferation by disrupting the signaling pathways essential for cell growth and survival, especially in breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. Additionally, green tea has been shown to enhance the body’s immune function, making it more effective at targeting abnormal cells. EGCG induces apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells, halts angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels that nourish tumors), and inhibits metastasis (the spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body).

2. Broccoli and Cauliflower

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower are rich in sulforaphane, a compound known for its detoxifying and anti-carcinogenic properties. Sulforaphane activates the body’s natural detoxification enzymes, which help eliminate carcinogens before they can damage cells. Moreover, it has been shown to inhibit the growth of various cancer cells, including those of the colon, breast, and prostate. Sulforaphane enhances the activity of phase II detoxification enzymes and induces apoptosis in cancer cells. It also inhibits histone deacetylase, an enzyme associated with cancer cell growth, thus preventing cancerous cells from replicating.

3. Papaya

Papaya is rich in carotenoids such as beta-carotene, lycopene, and beta-cryptoxanthin, which are powerful antioxidants. These compounds neutralize free radicals, reducing oxidative stress that can lead to cancer. Lycopene, in particular, has been linked to a lower risk of cancers, including those of the prostate, breast, and lung. Papaya also contains other bioactive compounds that help modulate immune responses, supporting the body’s ability to identify and destroy cancer cells. Carotenoids act by scavenging free radicals and reducing oxidative stress. Lycopene has also been shown to regulate cell cycle progression and inhibit growth factor signaling in cancer cells.

4. Purple Potatoes

Purple potatoes are unique due to their high levels of anthocyanins, which not only provide them with their distinctive color but also contribute to cancer prevention. Studies suggest that anthocyanins in purple potatoes help repair damaged tissues by promoting stem cell regeneration. They also have anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects, which are crucial for halting cancer growth. Anthocyanins inhibit the growth of cancer cells by inducing cell cycle arrest and promoting the repair of damaged tissues through stem cell activation.

5. Pomegranate

Pomegranates are rich in ellagitannins, compounds that break down into ellagic acid in the body. Ellagic acid has been shown to possess anti-cancer properties by inhibiting tumor growth and promoting apoptosis in cancer cells. Pomegranate juice has demonstrated potential in reducing the progression of cancers such as breast and prostate cancer, due to its ability to suppress inflammation and oxidative stress. Ellagitannins and their metabolites inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. They also act by reducing inflammation and inhibiting the pathways involved in cancer cell survival and growth.

Conclusion

Incorporating foods like green tea, broccoli, papaya, purple potatoes, and pomegranates into your diet may help fight cancer and promote the repair of damaged tissues. The bioactive compounds found in these foods—EGCG, sulforaphane, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and ellagitannins—work through various mechanisms to inhibit cancer cell growth, induce apoptosis, and support the body’s natural repair processes. Including these nutrient-dense foods in your diet may contribute to overall health and resilience against cancer.

References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9327595

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1549603

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15068816

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17867677

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17532103

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19472429

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18800808

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16309738

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9781420009866-5/pomegranate-phytochemicals-navindra-seeram-yanjun-zhang-jess-reed-christian-krueger-jakob-vaya

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25403817

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25027102

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16563357

https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2018/03/14/benefits-of-fiber-in-diet
https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2018/02/08/relations-between-breast-cancer-and-diet-amino-acid-called-asparagine
https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2018/10/17/announcement-11am-5pm-live-conference-coverage-from-mediterranean-diet-and-lifestyle-a-symposium-on-diet-and-human-health-s-h-r-o-and-temple-university-october-19-2018/
https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2016/04/18/consuming-risk-free-food-beverages/
https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2015/11/18/nutrition-plan/
https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2015/11/29/nuts-and-health-in-aging/
https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2015/11/15/seaweed-in-diet
https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2014/07/06/health-benefit-of-anthocyanins-from-apples-and-berries-noted-for-men/

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High Doses of Certain Dietary Supplements Increase Cancer Risk

Posted in CANCER BIOLOGY & Innovations in Cancer Therapy, Chemical Biology and its relations to Metabolic Disease, tagged , , , , , , on May 17, 2012| 2 Comments »

Reporter: Prabodh Kandala, PhD

Beta-carotene, selenium and folic acid — taken up to three times their recommended daily allowance, these supplements are probably harmless. But taken at much higher levels as some supplement manufacturers suggest, these three supplements have now been shown to increase the risk of developing a host of cancers.

“It’s not that these nutrients are toxic — they’re essential and we need them, but we need them in a certain balance,” says Tim Byers, MD, MPH, professor of epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health and associate director for prevention and control at the University of Colorado Cancer Center.

Byers is senior author of a commentary recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that discusses the clinical and policy implications of the increased cancer risk from high dose dietary supplements.

“We have a window into less than half of the biology of what these nutrients are doing,” Byers says. “We say generalized things about them, calling them an antioxidant or an essential mineral, but true biology turns out to be more complex than that. The effects of these supplements are certainly not limited to the label we give them. And, as we’ve seen, sometimes the unintended effects include increased cancer risk.”

Currently the FDA regulates dietary supplements as food, but, as Byers and colleagues suggest, supplements, especially at high doses, are more accurately described as inhabiting a mid-ground between food and drugs. Like drugs, supplement ingredients are biologically active — sometimes for better and sometimes for worse

“We need to do a better job as a society in ensuring that the messages people get about value versus risk is accurate for nutritional supplements,” Byers says. “My conclusion is that taking high doses of any particular nutrient is more likely to be a bad thing than a good thing.”

Abstract:

Abstract

Nutritional supplementation is now a multibillion-dollar industry, and about half of all US adults take supplements. Supplement use is fueled in part by the belief that nutritional supplements can ward off chronic disease, including cancer, although several expert committees and organizations have concluded that there is little to no scientific evidence that supplements reduce cancer risk. To the contrary, there is now evidence that high doses of some supplements increase cancer risk. Despite this evidence, marketing claims by the supplement industry continue to imply anticancer benefits. Insufficient government regulation of the marketing of dietary supplement products may continue to result in unsound advice to consumers. Both the scientific community and government regulators need to provide clear guidance to the public about the use of dietary supplements to lower cancer risk.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120515151034.htm

http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/104/10/732

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