Stomach cancer prevention - Goodnews: essential natural health news; increase intake of polyphenols - Brief Article

Better Nutrition, Dec, 2003

Scientists have concluded that an increased intake of polyphenols--through consumption of fruits and vegetables rich in these compounds or via the use of supplements--could be effective in helping prevent intestinal cancer.

Polyphenols are chemical compounds found in plant foods--such as carrots, onions and apricots--and especially in tea and wine. Researchers at the UK Institute of Food Research investigated the effects of a complex wine/polyphenols mixture on pre-cancerous lesions and tumors. In cases where modest tumors were induced by chemicals, the polyphenols suppressed the start of cancer; but the compounds did not protect against cancer where a large number of tumors had been induced.

The study--part of the ongoing European Polybind project--looked only at the effect in rats and not in humans. But until further work is done, eat your fruits and veggies, or raise a glass of wine to this news.