Melbourne: It’s a known fact that vegetarian diet helps fight cancer, but a new research suggests that plants may protect us from cancer in a far more novel way – they may block a cancer`s ability to grow.
Populations that consume less animal food and more plant food have a lower risk of cancer and the risk of cancer in vegetarians is about 50 per cent lower than among people who eat meat on a regular basis.
Plant foods are high in antioxidants, and antioxidants can protect DNA from damage that can lead to malignant transformation.
As per the new study, vegetarian food can block cancer’s ability to grow via a process called angiogenesis, a tissue`s ability to grow new blood vessels, reports the Age.
If the process of angiogenesis goes awry, new blood vessels don’t form when they are needed, or blood vessel formation continues out of control.
Researchers have developed some drugs that can help to shrink tumour growth or even reduce the spread of cancer by inhibiting angiogenesis.
Scientists like William Li, a researcher who heads the Angiogenesis Foundation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, are looking at the power of certain foods to block angiogenesis.
The plant chemicals in the foods like apples, oranges, blackberries, vegetables like tomato pumpkins etc. seem to be able to inhibit angiogenesis so that a single cancer cell or cluster of cancer cells is never able to grow enough to cause any mischief. Some plants also contain tumour-suppressor proteins, which help to curb the growth of cancer cells.
Studies in the past have shown that men who eat cooked tomato products two to three times a week reduce their prostate cancer risk by about 50 per cent.
Up to 35 per cent of cancers may be caused by poor diet, and cancer risk is also much higher among people who are obese.
ANI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.