Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts

Do Bananas Fight Cancer? - A Must To Know.

When bananas over-ripen, they develop dark brown spots on their yellow skin, become soft and mushy inside and emit a pretty strong ripe banana scent. At this stage, you probably think it’s time to toss them in the trash. But stop! Did you know that over-ripe bananas with brown spots on them actually help fight cancer?

Japanese Study:
A study was carried out in Tokyo University, Japan by Professor Senji, where lab mice were injected with extracts from a variety of fruits, including bananas. In this controlled experiment, it was found that out of all the fruit injected into the mice, banana marked the most improvements in the overall health of the mice. Bananas not only boosted the white blood cell count in the blood, but also inhibited the growth of cancer cells through inducing their bodies to produce a powerful substance called TNF.

When consumed, over-ripe bananas enable the body to produce a potent substance that is known to prevent and fight cancer. This natural miracle substance is known as the Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF).

Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF):
Scientifically speaking, TNF is a cytokine consisting of small signalling molecules, which have a complex system to communicate with and influence fundamental cell activities and movements.

Simply put, TNF is a protein with the ability to correspond with cells and regulate their cellular activities and coordinate their movement. This is why TNF actually inhibits the development of abnormal cells, i.e. cancerous cells.

As minuscule as the small TNF molecule may seem, it has powerful functions that serve the body. Most importantly, TNF is useful in preventing cancer because it has the ability to destroy certain groups of tumour causing cells, by pumping excess water into the harmful cells and causing them to burst from the pressure.

Anti-oxidants in Bananas:
Bananas contain a few antioxidants which destroy free radicals. Free radicals are those molecules that ravage through the blood stream causing the formation of cancerous cells. By destroying free radicals, the antioxidants in bananas are able to minimise free radical damage in the body and fight cancer in its early stages.

Immunity &Cancer:

The Japanese professor deduced that over-ripe bananas with brown spots on them have up to 8 times more white blood cell boosting abilities than under-ripe bananas.

The stronger your white blood cells, the stronger your immune system.

By eating 1 to 2 bananas a day, you can boost your immunity and strengthen your resistance against the common cold and throat infections
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5 Foods In Your Kitchen That Helps Prevent Cancer

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, an antioxidant carotenoid that gives them their red color. Lycopene is a powerhouse antioxidant that has been found to protect cells and DNA from damage, while also suppressing tumor growth. One of the reasons for abnormal growth of cells, which can lead to cancerous tumors, is poor communication between cells; it's thought that lycopene may stimulate cell-to-cell communication and thereby suppress tumor growth.

Both animal and human studies have found lycopene from tomatoes may help prevent colorectal, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, cervical, stomach and pancreatic cancers.

A few tips: Cooked tomatoes, such as those in pasta sauce, tomato juice, ketchup, etc., contain higher concentrations of lycopene than raw tomatoes, so you may get more of this beneficial compound by eating your tomatoes cooked. You'll also want to eat your tomatoes with some olive oil or other fat, as lycopene is a fat-soluble nutrient that requires fat in order to be properly absorbed by your body.

Raspberries

Raspberries are an excellent source of ellagic acid, a phytochemical that has shown potent anti-cancer effects. To date, research has shown ellagic acid may help fight cancer by:
  • Acting as an antioxidant
  • Causing cell death to cancer cells
  • Reducing the effect of estrogen in promoting growth of breast cancer cells
  • Helping your liver to break down and remove cancer-causing substances from your body
  • Inhibiting the growth of tumors
Along with raspberries, ellagic acid can also be found in strawberries, cranberries, walnuts, pecans and pomegranates.

Broccoli Sprouts

You may have heard that cruciferous vegetables like broccoli are great for helping to fight cancer. This is true, but you can take it one step further by eating broccoli in its immature, or sprout, form.

Broccoli sprouts contain glucoraphanin, a precursor to sulforaphane -- a compound known to help your body eliminate cancer-causing compounds and fight free radicals, which can damage DNA, kill cells and potentially lead to cancer.

Sprouts are a particularly concentrated source of nutrients, and gram for gram they contain more potentially cancer-fighting compounds than mature broccoli. One study even found that eating slightly more than 100 grams of broccoli, radish, alfalfa and clover sprouts a day for 14 days was enough to provide a protective effect.

If you're new to sprouts, try adding them to salads and sandwiches for a tasty and ultra-healthy treat.

Cruciferous Veggies

As mentioned above, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, and bok choy are also widely known for their cancer-fighting capabilities. Studies have linked the consumption of cruciferous veggies with a reduced risk of colon, lung, bladder, breast, prostate and other cancers.

The beneficial effects come, in part, from indole-3-carbinol and isothiocyanates. These glucosinolates are formed when the vegetables are chopped or chewed, and studies show they offer a protective effect against cancer.

Indole-3-carbinol may help deactivate an estrogen metabolite that promotes tumor growth, especially in breast cells, while increasing the level of a form of estrogen that may protect against cancer. This compound may also help stop the movement of cancer cells to other parts of your body.

Further, a study funded by the National Cancer Institute found that eating 1 to 2 cups of cruciferous vegetables a day resulted in a 22 percent drop in oxidative stress, which has been linked to a range of diseases including cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Garlic

The sulfur-containing compounds that give garlic its pungent odor are also responsible for its role as a cancer-fighting food. The National Cancer Institute "recognizes garlic as one of several vegetables with potential anticancer properties," noting that garlic may help support good health by:
  • Blocking the formation of cancer-causing substances
  • Halting the activation of cancer-causing substances
  • Enhancing DNA repair
  • Reducing cell proliferation
  • Inducing cell death
  • Providing antibacterial properties
Population studies have shown that increased intake of garlic may help reduce the risk of several types of cancer, including stomach, colon, esophagus, pancreas, and breast.
Rex J Camposagrado
Source: EzineArticles
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