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What Fruit Prevents Cancer?
An apple a day can help keep breast cancer away according to a study in rats by food scientists at Cornell University. "We found that tumor incidence was reduced by 17, 39 and 44 percent in rats fed the human equivalent of one, three or six apples a day, respectively, over 24 weeks," says Rui Hai Liu, Cornell Associate Professor of Food Science and lead author of the study. The researchers treated a group of rats with a chemical that causes breast cancer. One group got whole apple extracts; the other got a control substance. The phytochemical antioxidants in fresh apples have been shown to inhibit human liver and colon cancer cell growth. They protect normal cells by mopping up free radical damaging substances that injure cells. According to Dr. Liu: "Our findings suggest that consumers may gain more significant health benefits by eating more fruits and vegetables and whole grain foods than in consuming expensive dietary supplements, which do not contain the same array of balanced, complex components. The old adage just needs a little amending to: A couple apples a day keeps the doctor away."
The study, which was coauthored by Jiaren Liu, a postdoctoral associate at Cornell, and Bingqing Chen of Harbin Medical University, China, was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Federal Formula Funds, the U.S. Apple Association and the Apple Products Research and Education Council.
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