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| Scavenging oxygen radicals |
| Preventing the formation of carcinogens |
| Increasing the detoxification of carcinogens |
| Inactivating mutagens and carcinogens |
| Reducing damage to DNA and cellular membranes |
| Slowing down the proliferation and promotion of the cancer process |
| Table 3.2 lists some of these phytochemicals, the foods in which they are naturally found, and the action they produce in the body. Many of these terms might be unfamiliar, but take the time to study the table. It's important to grasp the breadth of chemical protection offered to us by simple foods. |
| In order for phytochemicals to do their job, however, we need to eat enough plant foods, and far too few of us do. One review of over 200 studies that examined the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and cancers of the lung, colon, breast, cervix, esophagus, oral cavity, stomach, bladder, pancreas, and ovary, showed a statistically significant protective effect of fruit and vegetable intake in 128 of 156 dietary studies. For most cancer sites, low fruit and vegetable intake produced about twice the risk of cancer. The review suggests that major public health benefits could be achieved by substantially increased consumption of these foods. 4 According to guidelines recommended by the National Cancer Institute, one must eat at least five half-cup servings of fruits and vegetables daily to lower cancer risk. |
| A 1991 study published in the International Journal of Cancer evaluated the relationship between cancer risk and the frequency of consumption of green vegetables and fruits in a series of case-controlled studies in northern Italy between 1983 and 1990. Though there were some uncertainties in biological interpretation, the data were consistent and strong for a pattern of reduced risk of seven common epithelial cancers with increased green vegetable intake; fruit intake was shown to be protective against cancers of the upper digestive tract and possibly the urinary tract.5 |
| The Magic of Soy Foods |
| Soy foods are rich in isoflavones, phytochemicals that can cause cancer cells to differentiate and become more primitive, less specialized, and less deadly. The |
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