: Oranges, bananas and turmeric prevent leukaemia

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http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996384

 

Oranges, bananas and turmeric prevent leukaemia

 

10:53 10 September 04

  zzz

NewScientist.com news service

 

 

Giving infants oranges and bananas regularly may halve their risk of

developing childhood leukaemia, suggest the results of a new study. And a

diet containing the curry spice turmeric may also be protective -

accounting for the differences in childhood leukaemia rates between east

and west - says a leading scientist.

 

Children who ate oranges, orange juice or bananas between four to six times

a week during their first two years of life had a significantly reduced

risk of developing the cancer, revealed the observational study by US

researchers.

 

Previous studies on childhood leukaemias have not examined the effects of

the overall diet in this way, focusing more on possible risk foods like

cured meats.

 

"Our study is unique, and we have elucidated a significant protective

association with the consumption of oranges, bananas and orange juice,"

says Marilyn Kwan, an epidemiologist at the University of California,

Berkeley.

 

However, she cautions that without carrying out a randomised controlled

trial, it is difficult to predict exactly how protective eating these

fruits may be, or to make firm public health recommendations. But she notes

that in her study "there was a 50 per cent reduction in risk".

 

The evidence for oranges and bananas, and turmeric in preventing leukaemia

was presented at Children with Leukaemia's international leukaemia

conference in London, UK, on Thursday.

 

 

Luncheon meats

 

Kwan and colleagues studied 328 children under 15 who had developed

leukaemia and matched controls. Questionnaires were given to each child's

mother on the child's eating habits between birth and age two. Nine food

groups were discussed, including: hotdogs, hamburgers, vegetables, apples

and grapes, oranges and bananas, and carbonated drinks.

 

Two previous studies have found that eating cured meats like hotdogs or

luncheon meats increased the risk of brain tumours and, to a lesser extent,

leukaemia in children. However, the new study did not confirm this link.

 

Kwan believes that diet between birth and two could be crucial. "We think

it might be a critical window of exposure," she told New Scientist. "There

are a lot of developmental processes occurring during that time."

 

Oranges and bananas may protect against childhood leukaemia because they

are a rich source of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. They could act by

reducing oxidative DNA damage, and so stop the initiation of cancerous

processes.

 

Bananas are also rich in potassium. Animal studies have indicated that

potassium stabilises DNA and can reduce rates of mutation.

 

 

Baby food

 

Turmeric may also protect against childhood leukaemia, suggests Moolky

Nagabhushan, a cancer research scientist at Loyola University Medical

Centre in Chicago, US. He and colleagues in India have shown protective

effects of the yellow spice's main active component - curcumin - in a

long-running series of studies. And curcumin is now undergoing initial

safety testing in humans.

 

More on this story

 

Subscribe to New Scientist for more news and features

 

 

Related Stories

 

Leukaemia risk for kids living near petrol stops

19 August 2004

 

Curry spice could alleviate cystic fibrosis

22 April 2004

 

Curry spice combats alcohol-related liver disease

19 March 2003

 

 

For more related stories

search the print edition Archive

 

 

 

Weblinks

 

International Scientific Conference on Childhood Leukaemia

 

Children with Leukaemia

 

Childhood leukaemia, MedlinePlus

 

 

 

Childhood leukaemia rates are much lower in Asia than in western countries

- and this could be due to differences in diet. The cancer is the most

common childhood cancer in the west, afflicting at least one child in every

100,000. But in India, if affects only 1 child in 1,000,000. The

consumption of turmeric is high in India - some estimates suggest each

adult eats an average of 3 to 5 grams a day.

 

Nagabhushan's work has shown that curcumin and other turmeric extracts can

block the mutagenic effects of cancer-causing agents called polycyclic

aromatic hydrocarbons from smoke emissions. In animal studies, it inhibited

the formation of stomach and skin tumours. And curcumin can also mop up

cellular molecules involved in tumour development.

 

Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant he says. "They put so many antioxidants

in food - but instead of artificial antioxidants, they could use this," he

told New Scientist. He suggests it could even be used in baby foods after

strict safety testing.

 

Kwan's work has been accepted for publication in the November issue of the

American Journal of Epidemiology.

 

 

Shaoni Bhattacharya

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996384

 

Oranges, bananas and turmeric prevent leukaemia

 

10:53 10 September 04

zzz

NewScientist.com news service

 

 

Giving infants oranges and bananas regularly may halve their risk of

developing childhood leukaemia, suggest the results of a new study. And a

diet containing the curry spice turmeric may also be protective -

accounting for the differences in childhood leukaemia rates between east

and west - says a leading scientist.

 

Children who ate oranges, orange juice or bananas between four to six times

a week during their first two years of life had a significantly reduced

risk of developing the cancer, revealed the observational study by US

researchers.

 

Previous studies on childhood leukaemias have not examined the effects of

the overall diet in this way, focusing more on possible risk foods like

cured meats.

 

" Our study is unique, and we have elucidated a significant protective

association with the consumption of oranges, bananas and orange juice, "

says Marilyn Kwan, an epidemiologist at the University of California,

Berkeley.

 

However, she cautions that without carrying out a randomised controlled

trial, it is difficult to predict exactly how protective eating these

fruits may be, or to make firm public health recommendations. But she notes

that in her study " there was a 50 per cent reduction in risk " .

 

The evidence for oranges and bananas, and turmeric in preventing leukaemia

was presented at Children with Leukaemia's international leukaemia

conference in London, UK, on Thursday.

 

 

Luncheon meats

 

Kwan and colleagues studied 328 children under 15 who had developed

leukaemia and matched controls. Questionnaires were given to each child's

mother on the child's eating habits between birth and age two. Nine food

groups were discussed, including: hotdogs, hamburgers, vegetables, apples

and grapes, oranges and bananas, and carbonated drinks.

 

Two previous studies have found that eating cured meats like hotdogs or

luncheon meats increased the risk of brain tumours and, to a lesser extent,

leukaemia in children. However, the new study did not confirm this link.

 

Kwan believes that diet between birth and two could be crucial. " We think

it might be a critical window of exposure, " she told New Scientist. " There

are a lot of developmental processes occurring during that time. "

 

Oranges and bananas may protect against childhood leukaemia because they

are a rich source of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. They could act by

reducing oxidative DNA damage, and so stop the initiation of cancerous

processes.

 

Bananas are also rich in potassium. Animal studies have indicated that

potassium stabilises DNA and can reduce rates of mutation.

 

 

Baby food

 

Turmeric may also protect against childhood leukaemia, suggests Moolky

Nagabhushan, a cancer research scientist at Loyola University Medical

Centre in Chicago, US. He and colleagues in India have shown protective

effects of the yellow spice's main active component - curcumin - in a

long-running series of studies. And curcumin is now undergoing initial

safety testing in humans.

 

More on this story

 

Subscribe to New Scientist for more news and features

 

 

Related Stories

 

Leukaemia risk for kids living near petrol stops

19 August 2004

 

Curry spice could alleviate cystic fibrosis

22 April 2004

 

Curry spice combats alcohol-related liver disease

19 March 2003

 

 

For more related stories

search the print edition Archive

 

 

 

Weblinks

 

International Scientific Conference on Childhood Leukaemia

 

Children with Leukaemia

 

Childhood leukaemia, MedlinePlus

 

 

 

Childhood leukaemia rates are much lower in Asia than in western countries

- and this could be due to differences in diet. The cancer is the most

common childhood cancer in the west, afflicting at least one child in every

100,000. But in India, if affects only 1 child in 1,000,000. The

consumption of turmeric is high in India - some estimates suggest each

adult eats an average of 3 to 5 grams a day.

 

Nagabhushan's work has shown that curcumin and other turmeric extracts can

block the mutagenic effects of cancer-causing agents called polycyclic

aromatic hydrocarbons from smoke emissions. In animal studies, it inhibited

the formation of stomach and skin tumours. And curcumin can also mop up

cellular molecules involved in tumour development.

 

Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant he says. " They put so many antioxidants

in food - but instead of artificial antioxidants, they could use this, " he

told New Scientist. He suggests it could even be used in baby foods after

strict safety testing.

 

Kwan's work has been accepted for publication in the November issue of the

American Journal of Epidemiology.

 

 

Shaoni Bhattacharya

 

 

 

 

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