Fwd: [SoFlaVegans] Kiwifruit seen as way to avert cancer-causing cell damage

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Note: forwarded message attached.Ronald A. Fells

N3VPU

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Kiwifruit seen as way to avert cancer-causing cell

damage

28 July 2006

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3745626a7144,00.html

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/print/0,1478,3745626a7144,00.html

 

New research shows kiwifruit could potentially be sold

with specific health claims, such as helping to keep

some cancers at bay by repairing damaged human DNA.

 

A pilot study carried out at the AUT University in

Auckland has reported that a daily " prescription " of

kiwifruit, in addition to dietary advice and improved

physical activity, led to a significant increase in

repair of damaged DNA.

 

Kiwifruit are the first specific food which has been

found to not only limit the amount of oxidative damage

done to the DNA, but to also stimulate cellular repair

of damage.

 

" Prescription of daily kiwifruit may provide a

sustainable population intervention that could reduce

some of the risk factors associated with cancer, " the

researchers reported on the Nutrition Research

journal.

 

In a report titled Kiwifruit Consumption reduces DNA

Fragility, the university's professor of nutrition,

Elaine Rush, said regular kiwifruit consumption led to

a significant increase in the ability of leukocytes –

white blood cells that make up the immune system – to

repair DNA breakage by oxygen-free radicals, charged

particles produced by processes in the body.

 

" Population advice to ensure that people eat kiwifruit

on a regular basis may provide a sustainable

population intervention, " said Prof Rush.

 

" We have provided the evidence that would endorse the

provision of free or easily accessible fruit and

vegetables to populations at risk because of poor diet

– children, for example – should be beneficial in the

long-term prevention of cancer and other `lifestyle'

diseases " .

 

The research followed up on work by Dr Andrew Collins

of the Rowett Research Institute in Scotland, who

investigated the ability of kiwifruit to prevent

damage to DNA, and published his work in another

journal, Carcinogenesis, in 2003.

 

The Auckland study used a dozen healthy volunteers,

half of them consuming kiwifruit for six weeks.

 

Earlier work from AUT which showed that kiwifruit have

laxative effects and could help combat serious cases

of constipation, have been taken up by New Zealand's

largest kiwifruit supply company, Seeka. It is working

on producing a kiwifruit dietary supplement to be used

as a laxative.

 

A Norwegian university is working on a blood-thinning

effect of kiwifruit which can reduce blood clotting,

and potentially offer protection from strokes and deep

vein thrombosis.

 

Prof Rush said no significant changes were observed in

the pilot study participants' weight, blood pressure,

blood cholesterol. Unexpectedly, they also did not

experience a drop in harmful blood fats called

triglycerides, which raise the risk of heart problems

and diabetes.

 

But when cells from the volunteers were damaged with

peroxide, the cells from people who had been eating

several kiwifruit a day showed an improved ability for

the DNA to repair itself. The protective effect

continued for up to 24 hours.

 

Prof Rush's team did not say how the DNA was

protected, but other research has shown that

antioxidants in fruit can protect against the damage

done by free radicals, which in theory may reduce

potential subsequent cancer formation.

 

She said the main antioxidant in kiwifruit was vitamin

C – about 100mg per fruit for the green cultivars and

up to 50 per cent more in the gold fruit. But the

antioxidant effect was likely to be bigger and better

when the whole fruit was eaten – rather than just an

isolated " ingredient " .

 

Healthy-diet recommendations for a servings of three

different fruit each day would improve health, said

Prof Rush.

 

" Kiwifruit as one of the fruits will be beneficial

and. . . given that we are dealing with a whole food

the likelihood of doing any harm is minmal, " she said

 

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[Guest guest]

Thanks Ron! I just read last night that kiwi has about 6 times the

vit c of an orange. This article is very informative. Looks like

I'm going to have to incorporate kiwi into my diet.

 

Thanks again,

 

S~~