Power of Fruits and Vegetables – Pectin

October 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Mom always said that you should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and it seems that science is backing her up. To protect against cancer, health professionals have always recommended eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Now scientists report on a possible explanation for this protection:

(Scientist) have have shown that a fragment released from pectin, found in all fruits and vegetables, binds to and is believed to inhibit galectin 3 (Gal3), a protein that plays a role in all stages of cancer progression.

“Most claims for the anticancer effects of foods are based on population studies,” says Professor Vic Morris from the Institute of Food Research. “For this research we tested a molecular mechanism and showed that it is viable.”

Population studies such as EPIC, the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer, identified a strong link between eating lots of fiber and a lower risk of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. But exactly how fiber exerts a protective effect is unknown.

Pectin is better known for its jam-setting qualities and as being a component of dietary fiber. The present study supports a more exciting and subtle role.

Interaction between dietary carbohydrates and mammalian proteins, of which this research is an example, may provide an explanation. Other food carbohydrates such as beta glucans are considered to be bioactive and their anti-cancer action can be attributed to different types of carbohydrate – mammalian protein interactions.

“For a whole combination of different effects it is best to consistently eat a range of fruits, vegetables and high-fiber foods,” says Professor Morris. “You don’t necessarily have to eat a superfood.”

The next stage of Prof Morris’ research is to identify how pectin can be taken up by the body and released so it can exert its effect on cancer cells. The research could result in functional foods with added bioactive pectin as well as providing more conclusive evidence for the importance of a eating at least your ‘5-a-day’.

So it looks like mom was right again – hopefully she won’t rub it in. In any case, I guess I should go eat an apple.