February 4, 2000 – A large study comparing the diet of 1,933 people, aged 30 to 79, recently diagnosed with colon cancer, and that of a control group of 2,410 people, has highlighted the role of two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, in the prevention of colon cancer.
It has long been known that carotenoids have anti-oxidant properties and that they have effects on cell growth, the expression of certain genes and, possibly, on the immune response. The research referred to here wanted to study the role of certain carotenoids in particular types of colon cancer at various stages of development.
Of all the carotenoids tested (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin), only lutein and zeaxanthin, showed a protective effect against colon cancer, and that is lutein. which has the most pronounced effect. Both substances, in addition to their action as anti-oxidants, also have a particular effect on the cell membranes of the colon.
The researchers demonstrated, in all the subjects studied, an inverse relationship between the dose of lutein consumed and colon cancer. And the younger the subjects were at the time of their colon cancer diagnosis, the more marked this relationship.
Lutein is especially abundant in spinach, broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, oranges, celery, green vegetables, and eggs.
Naturopaths and certain cancer specialists have already recommended consuming fruits and vegetables to protect against cancer, and more especially colon cancer, for a long time, without knowing the exact reason for this protective effect. The study shows that this effect is partly due to carotenoids.
HealthPassport.net
Slattery ML, Benson J, Curtin K, Ma KN, Schaeffer D, Potter JD. Carotenoids and colon cancer (1). Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Feb; 71 (2): 575-582.
