|
Did You Know That Most Cancers Can Be Linked To Nutrition Deficiency?
Click Here For The Latest In Proven Cancer Nutrition And Supplements!
To help prevent cervical cancer, antioxidants are a must
Better Nutrition, June, 1996 by Victoria Dolby
The link between diet and cancer is clear, However, researchers
are still sorting out the individual relationships between
specific nutrients and cancers of various organs. Currently,
the most promising research direction is the study of antioxidants
in the prevention of cancer.
Much of the evidence equating antioxidants with "anti-cancer"
relies on studies showing that people eating diets high
in antioxidant-rich foods are less likely to develop cancer.
For example, the Iowa Women's Health Study found that women
dishing up plenty of fruits and veggies (prime sources of
antioxidant nutrients) have about half the risk of lung
cancer.
Cervical cancer is among the most common cancers afflicting
women, and it appears to be on the rise. The basis of the
increasing incidence of this cancer has been a matter of
debate. Many scientists believe that diligent use of annual
Pap smears tends to identify a greater number of women with
the precancerous condition called cervical dysplasia, a
state in which abnormal cells start growing in the cervix.
The good news? The early identification of women at risk
for cervical cancer results in earlier treatment and a reduction
in the number of women facing more serious and deadly forms
of cervical cancer.
The role of nutrition in cancer of the cervix and cervical
dysplasia has been investigated for quite some time. For
more than a decade, scientists have consistently demonstrated
that a low intake of the B vitamin, folic acid, contributes
to precancerous cervical conditions. And skimping on vitamin
C, vitamin E, or beta-carotene may increase the risk tenfold
of developing cervical dysplasia.
Spurred by the body of evidence implicating antioxidants
in cervical cancer, Dr. Prabhudas R. Palan and his colleagues
at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York decided
to analyze the effects of vitamin A, three carotenoids --
betacarotene, lycopene, and canthaxanthin -- and two forms
of vitamin E -- alpha- and gamma-tocopherol -- in precancerous
and cancerous conditions of the cervix.
Blood levels of the vitamins were measured in 140 women
who received abnormal Pap smears suggestive of cervical
cancer and in 95 healthy women. A laboratory, unaware of
which samples came from a woman with cancer and which came
from a cancer-free woman, analyzed the blood samples.
According to the report of Dr. Palan's study in Clinical
Cancer Research, the women at high risk for developing cervical
cancer or diagnosed with cervical cancer had "...significantly
decreased levels of beta-carotene, lycopene, canthaxanthin,
and alpha-tocopherol compared to the controls."
Women who smoked were in the worst shape, having the lowest
levels of antioxidants. For instance, smokers with cancer
were found to have 66% lower beta-carotene levels compared
to nonsmokers with cervical cancer.
"The present findings support an association between
decreased antioxidant nutrient levels..." and cervical
cancer, stated Dr. Palan, who hypothesized that the free-radical-fighting
ability of these nutrients is responsible for their role
in cervical cancer.
In addition, Dr. Palan suggests that these antioxidants
prevent mutational changes to DNA, the basic building blocks
of life, that would predispose the body to cancer.
Two questions that remain regarding antioxidants and cancer
ask "Which comes first?": Does cervical cancer
alter the absorption and use of the antioxidant nutrients,
causing low blood levels? or Do low levels of antioxidants
lead to cervical cancer? The latter seems to be true.
"The present finding of decreased antioxidant nutrient
levels in asymptomatic women with [precancerous conditions
of the cervix] as well as patients with invasive cervical
cancer suggests that the reduction of antioxidant levels
precedes the development..." of cancer.
The conclusions drawn from this study can be added to a
long line of research demonstrating the importance of antioxidant
nutrients in health. It seems clear that a body starved
for antioxidants is vulnerable to cervical (and other forms
of) cancer. But, fortunately, it's a two-way street. A high
intake of antioxidant nutrients appears to be powerfully
protective against cancer.
REFERENCES
Palan, P., et al. "Plasma levels of beta-carotene,
lycopene, canthaxanthin, retinol, and alpha- and gamma-tocopherol
in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cancer,"
Clinical Cancer Research 2:181-185, 1996.
Steinmetz, K., et al. "Vegetables, fruit and lung cancer
in the Iowa Women's Health Study," Cancer Research
53:536-543, 1993.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/
articles/mi_m0FKA/is_n6_v58/ai_18356462
| 
High Grade Liquid
Discount Brand Name
Vitamins And
Cancer Nutrition Packages!
ORDER NOW!
LOWEST PRICES
ONLINE ON ALL LIQUID
SUPPLEMENTS GUARANTEED!Only at www.SharpWebLabs.com!
Put Some Nutrition
In Your Life Today!
Guaranteed Satisfaction! Thousands Of Customers! Cancer And Nutrition Go Hand In Hand!
|
