The substance that gives ginger its flavour appears to inhibit the
growth of human colorectal cancer cells, according to research
presented yesterday at a major meeting of cancer experts in the US.
The tomato-derived antioxidant lycopene could help promote the
recovery of patients undergoing standard surgical treatment for
advanced prostate cancer, say researchers reporting on a small
trial.
Food is a major and underused anticancer weapon, according to a
group of British politicians, who are calling for the Government to
focus on diet to reduce cancer incidence in the UK.
A meta-analysis of trials on the use of mistletoe extract to treat
cancer failed to show efficacy, report UK researchers in the
International Journal of Cancer.
The Chinese herbal aristolochic acid, banned in several countries
for causing kidney failure and cancer, is readily available from
websites, according to a US researcher, revealing the growing
threat to the supplement industry from...
Women need to take urgent action to reduce their risk of heart
disease, said the World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday, as it
revealed study results to show that heart disease is a bigger
killer of women than cancer.
Folic acid food fortification has more than halved the incidence in
Canada of the deadly childhood cancer neuroblastoma, report
researchers from The Hospital for Sick Children and the University
of Toronto. They plan to investigate...
Dietary patterns are not consistent predictors of cancer, reports a
major European research project, but while foods cannot take the
blame for development of the disease, diet could alter the effect
of contributing factors.
A plant extract has been found to inhibit tumour growth in
laboratory tests. It could be used to target some of the cancers
that are currently most difficult to treat, suggests the research.
Probiotics leader Yakult is hosting an international symposium in
Germany next month, to explore recent research on probiotics and
its role in immunology and cancer.
A large population trial appears to confirm that a higher intake of
dietary fibre, particularly water-soluble fibre, can reduce the
risk of coronary heart disease.
The benefits of a Mediterranean diet are extolled once more as
Harvard researchers report that compounds found in red wine and
certain vegetables may be the key to a longer, healthier life.
A drug designed to mimic the effects of vitamin D hormone may be
able to boost the effectiveness of radiation treatment for prostate
cancer, report researchers in the British Journal of Cancer.
The active ingredient in green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate
(EGCG), has been found to block the growth of bladder tumours in
rats, suggesting the chemical could be used to prevent bladder
cancer.
Sales of supplements for menopause symptoms are likely to surge in
coming months, after a major UK study finds that combination
hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could double the risk of breast
cancer.
Increasing intake of polyphenols, by eating more fruits and
vegetables such as apricots or onions, or taking supplements, may
help to prevent intestinal cancer, reports a European research
group.
Green tea's ability to fight cancer is even more potent and varied
than scientists suspected, say researchers who have discovered that
chemicals in green tea shut down one of the key molecules targeted
by tobacco to cause cancer.
A review of black cohosh, said to be the most comprehensive to
date, finds it to be safe, just days after another study suggested
that the herb, taken as an alternative to HRT, could trigger the
spread of breast cancer.
A new study on mice suggests that the herb black cohosh, used by
women as an alternative to HRT to treat menopause symptoms, may
speed up the spread of tumors in women with breast cancer.
The amino acid cysteine may be able to reduce the risk of breast
cancer, according to a study presented last weekend, which found a
link between lower risk of the disease and those women with higher
levels of the antioxidant.
Men who take large doses of zinc in supplements could be at
increased risk of prostate cancer, finds a study by researchers at
the US National Cancer Institute. The risk was only seen however at
levels far above those set by most...
Exposure to cigarette smoke may sap blood levels of folate, the
vitamin thought to protect against birth defects and reduce risk of
some cancers, reported researchers.
Consuming high levels of isoflavones, in the form of foods such as
miso soup, may reduce the risk of breast cancer, especially in
postmenopausal women, suggests new Japanese research, which
counters previous studies showing no such...
The trace element selenium may prove to be an important nutritional
supplement for preventing breast cancer if a person is genetically
predisposed to the disease, suggest researchers in the US.
Scientists in the US have developed a form of vitamin D that
greatly enhances radiation treatment for breast cancer tumours, and
does not result in the side effects seen with high doses of the
natural vitamin form.
Taking supplements of the vitamin A precursor beta-carotene may
increase the risk of colorectal cancer in smokers and drinkers,
according to new research published this week. The study, from four
research centres in the US, comes...
Selenium may inhibit progression toward oesophageal cancer among
people with the precancerous condition Barrett's oesophagus,
according to a new study from the US.
Researchers are to evaluate whether the positive effects of tomato
lycopene in reducing oxidative stress, previously seen in
non-smokers, is also produced in smokers, a high-risk group for
lung cancer.
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, claim they
have found that a chemical produced when digesting green vegetables
like broccoli and kale can stifle the growth of human prostate
cancer cells, acting as the first...
A high calorie diet seems to increase the chances of surviving
bowel cancer for longer, although it may also be the cause of it in
the first place, suggests research in Gut.
Increasing levels of selenium in the diet could protect the skin
against damage caused by ultraviolet rays from the sun, suggests
new research from Edinburgh University.
A dietary supplement containing soy extract genistein reduced
prostate-specific antigen levels by as much as 61 per cent in a
group of prostate cancer patients undergoing 'watchful waiting' for
their disease, report US researchers.
Body weight is directly associated with mortality from cancer, US
researchers report, suggesting that overweight and obesity could
account for up to 20 per cent of all deaths from cancer in American
women.
With cancer rates expected to rise 50 per cent to 15 million by
2020, a WHO report suggests that if governments act now, there are
several ways to reduce these rates - especially through diet.
Eating broccoli along with chicken gives us double protection
against cancer, say researchers at the UK's Institute of Food
Research. Combining sulforaphane, found in many dark green
vegetables, and selenium-rich foods could...
Confirming findings of a recent study by Japanese researchers, the
WHO's cancer research agency also reported recently on the strong
evidence that eating fruits and vegetables could lower the risk of
cancer, particularly cancers...
Research supporting the potent effects of curcumin, the substance
which gives curry a yellow colour, continues to mount up, with a
new study showing that it may also be able to prevent the onset of
alcoholic liver disease.
Curcumin, found in the Indian spice turmeric, may be able to slow
down and stop the blood cancer multiple myeloma, suggest
researchers, confirming previous health effects linked to the
spice.
A new study suggests that white and green tea can provide as much
protection against colon tumours as the widely used prescription
drug sulindac. A combination of the two could be even more
effective, say the researchers.
A European study aims to understand the impact of heterocyclic
amines - developed in some heated foods - on the development of
cancers. Preliminary findings suggest that plant foods could
provide protection.
A new report launched today by the British Heart Foundation warns
that the majority of women in the UK are dangerously unaware of the
deadly threat of coronary heart disease. It calls for immediate
action to tackle the number one...
US scientists claim that 11 days of daily exercise and a special
diet, low in fat and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains,
induce prostate cancer cells to die.
The chemical cousin of vitamin A is thought to restore production
of a key protein, which has been damaged by cigarettes in the lungs
of former smokers, and protects the cells against lung cancer,
according to new findings published...
A study carried out on elderly male dogs found that those with
diets high in selenium had less DNA damage in their prostates
compared with dogs on a normal diet, enhancing the view that the
mineral has a protective effect against...
Researchers at the UK-based John Innes Centre have developed a
broccoli variety which contains up to 80 times the amount of
glucosinolates, a cancer-fighting compound, than standard broccoli.
A plant which could be grown for commercial...
Extracts from white tea may be able to protect the skin from
cancer, report researchers in the US, who believe that the tea's
antioxidant properties may boost the immune function of skin cells,
protecting against the oxidation...
