Bust Cancer, The Apple Way!

An apple a day may keep you far from more than just a doctor. Recent developments show that certain chemicals in apples are very effective in fighting cancerdefine growth.

Anti-oxidants in fruits and vegetables have been known to protect the body against free radical action and prevent many degenerative diseases. Eating a natural diet may reduce cancerdefine risk by up to 40%. A third of the cancers that we come across are related to the foods we eat. Thus by taking dietary care, there are a lot of cancers that we can prevent.

Recent researches have shown that eating apples are linked to reducing cancer risk in several studies. Some examples are:

• Quercetin, a flavonoid abundant in apples has been found to help prevent the growth of prostate cancerdefine cells.

• Phytonutrients in the skin of apples inhibited the growth of colondefine cancer cells by 43%.

• Food containing flavonoids like those in apples may reduce risk of lung cancer as much as 50%.

• Dietary phenolics such as flavonoids (found in apples) have inhibitory effects on the developments of carcinogenic substances in the bladderdefine, thereby reducing risk of bladder cancer, especially in smokers.
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• Cyanidin, present in apples, has a putative antioxidant and radical-scavenging effect which may protect cells from oxidative damage.

In an experiment with laboratory rats, the rats were exposed to colon cancer-causing substances and then fed a mixture of water and apple procyanidins. Rats getting "apple water" for six weeks had half the number of precancerous lesions in their colons, compared with rats eating the regular diet. The finding suggests that eating the whole apple, including the skin, might offer some [cancer prevention] benefits.

Moreover, eating apples could improve lung function and reduce the risk of respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonarydefine disease (COPD). In addition, studies have shown that a diet rich in apples could help to lower the blood cholesterol level. Pectin, a soluble fibre found in apples has been thought to play a significant role in this. In fact, apple juice has been found to inhibit the oxidation of a harmful form of cholesterol (LDL, or low-density lipoprotein).

Besides therapeutic benefits, apples are also found to play a role in inhibiting ageing-related problems, preventing wrinkles and promoting hair growth.

For those weight-watchers, this is good news too, as apples are a delicious source of dietary fibre and help aid digestion and promote weight loss.