Raspberries fight cancer? OSU researchers think so

Roman Bystrianyk · medicine forum Guru Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 454

"Raspberries fight cancer? OSU researchers think so", Cincinnati Post,
May 24, 2006,
Link:
http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060524/LIFE/605240387/1005

Researchers at Ohio State University are so enthusiastic about the
anticancer potential of black raspberries and other dark-colored fruits
that they say it may be time to add a new word to our vocabulary:
"Fruitraceuticals."

"A lot of people are already familiar with the terms 'nutraceutical'
and 'functional foods' - both terms that refer to foods that offer
proven health or medical benefits when consumed," says Christine Sardo,
a research dietitian in the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer
Center, "but we are so impressed with the health benefits of black
raspberries that we think they - and other fruits high in anthocyanins
- may deserve their own category."

Anthocyanins are chemicals that give some fruits their deep, purple
color and are believed to be one of the active ingredients that can
help prevent or slow the growth of some forms of cancer.

Anthocyanins are found in a host of fruits - blackberries, blueberries,
elderberries, Concord grapes, raisins and plums, but are most abundant
in black raspberries. Sardo says anthocyanins pack their biggest health
punch when the fruit is at its ripest.

Laboratory studies have shown that some fruits are better than others
in fighting the oxidative stress and DNA damage we all experience by
simply being around carcinogens in our environment, says Sardo, adding
that black raspberries may be among the most potent.

Scientists at Ohio State have been studying berries' chemopreventive
punch for nearly two decades under the direction of Gary Stoner, a
professor in the OSU College of Medicine and the School of Public
Health.

Using raspberries grown in Clinton County in the late 1980s, Stoner
identified ellagic acid in fruits as an important anticancer compound.
But since then, he and his colleagues have discovered a host of other
bioactive ingredients that may play critical roles.

Sardo, a registered dietitian, says fighting cancer with proper diet
and nutrition is a very complex business. In other words, there isn't a
single compound that can do the whole job. "Instead, it's probably a
mix of effects and synergy among multiple components, including
phenolic acids, flavonoids, complex polyphenols and vitamins and
minerals."

Over the years, Stoner's research team found that a diet rich in
freeze-dried black raspberries can inhibit the growth of cancer in
rats, mice and hamsters with esophageal, colon and oral cancers. The
results were so striking that they are now conducting similar trials in
humans.

Early results show that people can consume fairly significant amounts
of freeze-dried berries daily for up to six months without any
significant problems.

Peter Moran · medicine forum Guru Wannabe Joined: 29 Apr 2005 Posts: 109

"Roman Bystrianyk" <rbystrianyk@gmail.com> wrote in message
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madiba · medicine forum Guru Wannabe Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 203

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