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Regular consumption of raw carrots is associated with a significant, dose-dependent reduction in lung cancer incidence, suggesting a potential cancer-protective effect attributed to polyacetylenic compounds, particularly falcarinol and falcarindiol, present in raw carrots.
2023 Nutrients Carrot Intake and Risk of Developing Cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study Deding U, Baatrup G, Kaalby L, Kobaek-Larsen M
Cohort Study Adenocarcinoma Carrot Falcarindiol
This research involved a long-term study of 55,756 Danish citizens over a period of more than 25 years. The focus was on investigating the relationship between regular consumption of raw carrots and the development of various cancers, predominantly adenocarcinomas and leukemia. The study assessed whether the frequency of carrot consumption influenced the incidence of lung, pancreatic, breast, prostate cancer, and leukemia. Additionally, it compared the effects of eating raw versus processed carrots.
The study found that eating raw carrots regularly was associated with a reduced occurrence of lung cancer. This link was less clear for pancreatic cancer and non-existent for breast and prostate cancer. The research suggested that the cancer-preventive properties of raw carrots could be attributed to specific compounds, namely falcarinol and falcarindiol. These compounds are not present in cooked carrots. This significant finding points towards the potential of raw carrots in cancer prevention, particularly for lung cancer.
Eating apples and apple products can enhance health by protecting the cardiovascular system, combating cancer and cognitive impairment, and improving hair growth, among other beneficial effects.
2023 Food Science & Nutrition Does an apple a day keep away diseases? Evidence and mechanism of action Zhang Y, Zeng M, Zhang X, Yu Q, Zeng W, Yu B, et al.
Review Article Apple Cardiovascular Disease Hair Growth
The study took a comprehensive approach to evaluate the health benefits of apples and apple products by conducting a literature review of relevant clinical, epidemiological, in vitro, and in vivo studies. It involved an exhaustive search of the PubMed database for a ten-year period, sourcing studies that reported on the effects of different apple products: juices, purees, pomaces, dried apples, and extracts rich in apple bioactives.
The findings indicate that the consumption of apples and their derivations contributes to multiple aspects of human health. These products exhibited a range of protective effects against diseases such as cardiovascular conditions and cancer. Moreover, they were associated with enhanced cognitive function, facilitated hair growth, the healing of burn wounds, and improved oral health. The use of apples and apple-based products also helped to reduce UV-induced skin pigmentation, alleviated the symptoms of atopic dermatitis and cedar hay fever, and even prevented skin flushing caused by niacin. The beneficial impacts of apple consumption can be attributed to a variety of mechanisms including, but not limited to, vascular endothelial protection, blood lipid regulation, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, as well as anti-invasion and antimetastatic tendencies. These results provide a significant reference point for various fields, including medicine and nutrition, contributing to their development and application.
Consuming carrots can significantly decrease the risk of cancer.
2023 Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition Carrot intake is consistently negatively associated with cancer incidence: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective observational studies Ojobor CC, O’Brien GM, Siervo M, Ogbonnaya C, Brandt K
Meta-Analysis Carrot
The methodology used in this research involved examining the links between carrot intake and the incidence of cancer. The scope was broad, examining all studies published before June 2022 that offered risk estimates connecting cancer incidence with either carrot consumption, α-carotene intake, or α-carotene plasma levels. Possible sources of such studies included those found via digital searches, manually identified within other studies, or garnered from existing reviews. Analysis was carried out comparing the highest and lowest reported intakes from prospective studies, estimating summary relative risks using a random-effects model.
The study's results indicated a strong correlation between carrot consumption and a notable reduction in cancer risk. This conclusion was derived from the analysis of 198 observational studies, 50 of which were prospective studies involving a total of 52,000 cases that specifically recorded carrot intake. Comparatively, on the correlation between α-carotene plasma levels and cancer risk, analysis from 30 prospective studies with 9,331 cases indicated that a higher presence of α-carotene also resulted in decreased cancer risk. Despite a moderate variance between studies, these findings serve as significant evidence in support of the anticancer benefits of carrots.
Compounds found in green tea, especially EGCG, show significant anti-cancer activity and hold promise as potential anticancer drugs or adjuvants to standard chemotherapy.
2022 International Journal of Molecular Sciences Green Tea Catechins: Nature’s Way of Preventing and Treating Cancer Farhan M
Review Article Anticancer EGCG
The study used a combination of epidemiological and laboratory studies to examine the effects of catechins in green tea on combating cancer. The researchers focused their attention on the four main catechin derivatives found in green tea: epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin gallate—the latter found to be most potent. Attention was given to the quantity of hydroxyl groups and the presence of certain structural groups in these compounds, and how these factors affected antioxidant activity.
The study centered around the effects of catechins on tumor survival, proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. By doing this, the researchers could observe the influence of the identified compounds on the various processes that lead to the development and spread of cancer. The main point of observation was the capacity of catechins to neutralize reactive oxygen species, a key facet in their anti-cancer activity.
Consuming chocolate with higher cocoa content can improve the nutritional status and functionality of older cancer patients in palliative care.
2022 BMC Palliative Care Effect of chocolate on older patients with cancer in palliative care: a randomised controlled study Vettori JC, da-Silva LG, Pfrimer K, Jordão AA, Louzada-Junior P, Moriguti JC, et al.
Clinical Study Cancer Treatment Support Chocolate Palliative Care
In the conducted study, 46 older cancer patients under palliative care were divided into three groups. The control group did not have a change in their diet (CG, 15 patients). The other two groups were given intervention foods—55% cocoa chocolate (IG1, 16 patients) and white chocolate (IG2, 15 patients)—for a duration of four weeks. The primary outcome was assessed based on changes in the patients' nutritional status, as measured by the Mini Nutritional Assessment tool. Other factors examined included food consumption, body measurements, body composition, laboratory parameters, and quality of life, using the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer instrument.
Discussion of the results revealed that the group consuming 55% cocoa chocolate showed an improvement in nutritional scores and functionality, as evidenced by the Mini Nutritional Assessment and the quality of life scores respectively. On the other hand, the group consuming white chocolate displayed decreased oxidative stress levels. However, body composition and anthropometric measurements remained largely unchanged across all three groups.
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