Citrus Compounds May Reduce Cancer Risk

 


Important New Research On How Antioxidants, Carotenoids, Flavonoids & Phytonutrients From Citrus Fruit Sources Are Beneficial For Cancer Risk Reduction

Daily consumption of citrus may reduce the risk of a range of cancers, especially pancreatic and prostate cancer, suggests a new study from Japan. Eating citrus daily was associated with a 11 and 14 percent reduction in the incidence of all types of cancer for men and women, respectively, according to a study with 42,270 people living in North Eastern Japan.

Findings published in the International Journal of Cancer also indicate that co-consumption with one cup of green tea a day produced an enhanced protective effect.

"Because of the popularity of citrus and green tea among the Japanese people, these findings suggest that a possible joint effect between them may have implications for public health," wrote the researcher scientists from Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine.

A daily serving of citrus may reduce the risk of cancer "However, we have no information on the difference between a second cup made from the same or another set of leaves, the same as most epidemiological surveys in Japan. In any
event, the mechanism responsible for this joint effect needs to be clarified further."

Global Crisis

"Cancer represents a crisis for public health, with a global estimated 12.4 million incident cases and 7.6 million deaths from cancer overall in 2008," state the Japanese researchers. Some "basic studies" have indicated the potential for citrus to reduce the risk of cancer, linked to the compounds in the fruit exhibiting antioxidant potential.

Despite such links, actual studies of citrus intakes and the incidence of cancer are not abundant.

The Japanese scientists analysed data from 42,470 people in the Ohsaki National Health Insurance Cohort and correlated the effect of citrus and green tea on the overall incidence of cancer. The average age of participants was 59.

After nine years of follow-up, the researchers documented 3,398 cases of cancer. Citrus consumption was divided into five groups: "Never" "Occasionally" "1 to 2 times per week"  "3 to 4 times per week" and "Daily".

The results showed that daily consumption was correlated with significant reductions in the risk of all cancer, and  especially for prostate and pancreatic cancer. In these cases, the risk reduction was calculated to be 37 and 38 percent, respectively, for daily citrus intakes.

Furthermore, people who drank one cup of green tea a day the reduction in the risk of overall cancer was 17 percent, said the researchers.

"These findings suggest that citrus consumption is associated with reduced all-cancer incidence, especially for subjects having simultaneously high green tea consumption," wrote the scientists. "Further work on the specific citrus constituents is warranted, and clinical trials are ultimately necessary to confirm the protective effect."

Commenting on the biological plausibility of the links, the researchers note that data from lab studies have indicated that compounds within citrus fruit, including: lycopene, lutein, hesperidin, nobiletin, auraptene, and lime flavonoids and
limonoids have shown potential to protect against both prostate and pancreatic cancer.

"Further work on the contributing constituents of citrus is warranted, and clinical trials are ultimately necessary to confirm the protective effect of citrus consumption against cancer," concluded the researchers.

Source: International Journal of Cancer Volume 127, Pages 1913-1922 "Citrus consumption and cancer incidence: the Ohsaki cohort study"


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Evidence That Vinegar May Be An Effective Natural Fat-fighter

Image
Researchers in Japan are reporting new evidence that the ordinary vinegar, a staple in oil-and-vinegar salad dressings, pickles, and other foods, may live up to its age-old reputation in folk medicine as a health promoter. They are reporting new evidence that vinegar can help prevent accumulation of body fat and weight gain. Vinegar has also been used as a folk medicine since ancient times. People have used it for a range of ills. Modern scientific research now suggests that ACETIC ACID, the main component of vinegar, may help control blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and fat accumulation. Their new study showed that laboratory mice fed a high-fat diet and given Acetic Acid developed significantly less body fat (up to 10 percent less) than other mice. Most significantly, the new research adds evidence to the belief that Acetic Acid fights fat by turning on genes for fatty acid oxidation enzymes. The genes produce specific proteins involved in breaking down fats, thus suppressing body
Read more

Insomnia Symptoms Linked With Medical Complaints in Young School-Aged Children

Image
A study in the December 15th issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine indicates that significant associations exist between parent-reported insomnia symptoms and medical complaints of gastrointestinal distress (regurgitation) and headaches in young school-aged children Results of the study show that parent-reported insomnia was 3.3 times more likely in children with gastrointestinal regurgitation and 2.3 times more likely in children with headaches. Nineteen percent of children met the criteria for insomnia, which was defined as often having trouble falling asleep and/or waking up often in the night. Gastrointestinal problems were reported in 7.5 percent of children with insomnia and two percent of children who did not have sleep disturbances. Headaches were reported in 24.4 percent of children with insomnia and 13.2 percent of children without disturbed sleep. The research team from the department of Psychiatry at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pa., reported that ch
Read more

Curcumin Could Reduce Breast Cancer Risk In Women Exposed To Hormone Replacement Therapy

Image
Previous studies have found that postmenopausal women who have taken a combined estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy have increased their risk of developing progestin-accelerated breast tumors. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found that curcumin, a popular Indian spice derived from the turmeric root, could reduce the cancer risk for women after exposure to hormone replacement therapy. Approximately 6 million women in the United States use hormone replacement therapy to treat the symptoms of menopause; This exposure to progestin will predispose a large number of post-menopausal women to future development of breast cancer. The results of a new study show that women could potentially take curcumin to protect themselves from developing progestin-accelerated tumors. In the study, researchers found that curcumin delayed the first appearance, decreased incidence and reduced multiplicity of progestin-accelerated tumors in an animal model. Curcumin also prevented the
Read more