Two Substances That May Reduce the Risk Of Cancer
Food helps us by supplying many vital micronutrients such as
vitamins and minerals. Your genetic composition can make you
susceptible to some types of cancer. Your way of eating plays a
major role in increasing or reducing the risk of cancer.
Phytochemicals are non-nutritive substances found in plants.
They protect us against diseases when they are in our body.
Isoflavones and Lycopene are phytochemicals. Isoflavones
decrease the risk of breast cancer for premenopausal women,
while Lycopene decreases the prostate cancer risk in middle aged
men.
Soya is a great source of Isoflavones like genisteinm and
daidzein. Although isoflavones are weak estrogens, the
established hypothesis has been that isoflavones exert
antiestrogenic effects when placed in a high-estrogen
environment (pre-menopausal women) and estrogenic effects when
in a low-estrogen environment, (post-menopausal women).
Daidzein was found to inhibit the growth of cancer cells in many
studies. Genistein: - Reduces the protective mechanisms of
cancer cells. - Acts as an antioxidant. - Inhibits several
enzymes in cellular signaling pathways. - Increases levels of
transforming growth factor-beta' that inhibits the growth of
tumor cells. - Inhibits the growth of wide range of both
hormone-dependent and hormone-independent cancer cells.
Decreased rates of breast, uterus and prostate cancers are
associated with Soya consumption because of its antiestrogenic
action.
Lycopenes: Tomatoes, watermelon and other orange-to-red colored
vegetables and fruits like paprika, rose-hips etc. contain
abundant lycopenes. A better level of Lycopene is produced from
tomatoes when they cooked with olive or canola oil.
Lycopenes are natural carotenoids that act as antioxidants. They
also block the conversion of food mutagens found in fried,
cooked meats and fish in the form of heterocyclic amines.
Lycopenes are good inhibitors of cell proliferation and lower
the oxidation of LDL-cholesterol thus minimizing the heart
disease risk.
Lycopenes reduce the risk for stomach, breast, colon, lung and
prostate cancer. Both raw and cooked tomatoes have same amount
of cancer fighting power. Lycopenes stimulate the enzymes that
block the carcinogenic damage to the cell.