Naturally-occurring apple compounds reduce risk of pancreatic cancer

	Tweet

Eating flavonol-rich foods like apples may help reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer, says a team of international researchers. Quercetin, which is found naturally in apples and onions, has been identified as one of the most beneficial flavonols in preventing and reducing the risk of pancreatic cancer. Although the overall risk was reduced among the study participants, smokers who consumed foods rich in flavonols had a significantly greater risk reduction.

This study, published in the October 15 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology, is the first of its kind to evaluate the effect of flavonols – compounds found specifically in plants – on developing pancreatic cancer. According to the research paper, “only a few prospective studies have investigated flavonols as risk factors for cancer, none of which has included pancreatic cancer. “

Researchers from Germany, the Univ. of Hawaii and Univ. of Southern California tracked food intake and health outcomes of 183,518 participants in the Multiethnic Cohort Study for eight years. The study evaluated the participants’ food consumption and calculated the intake of the three flavonols quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin. The analyses determined that flavonol intake does have an impact on the risk for developing pancreatic cancer.

The most significant finding was among smokers. Smokers with the lowest intake of flavonols presented with the most pancreatic cancer. Smoking is an established risk factor for the often fatal pancreatic cancer, notes the research.

Among the other findings were that women had the highest intake of total flavonols and seventy percent of the flavonol intake came from quercetin, linked to apple and onion consumption.

It is believed that these compounds may have anticancer effects due to their ability to reduce oxidative stress and alter other cellular functions related to cancer development.

“Unlike many of the dietary components, flavonols are concentrated in specific foods rather than in broader food groups, for example, in apples rather than in all fruit,” notes the research study. Previously, the most consistent inverse association was found between flavonols, especially quercetin in apples and lung cancer, as pointed out in this study. No other epidemiological flavonol studies have included evaluation of pancreatic cancer.

While found in many plants, flavonols are found in high concentrations in apples, onions, tea, berries, kale, and broccoli. Quercetin is most plentiful in apples and onions.

Contact: Stacie Haaga

703-442-8850
U.S. Apple Association

RELATED STORIES:
Pancreatic cancer: Researchers find drug that reverses resistance to chemotherapy   Response to preoperative therapy may predict survival in pancreatic cancer patients   New drug achieves pancreatic cancer tumor remission and prevents recurrence   Johns Hopkins Scientists Crack Genetic Code for Form of Pancreatic Cancer   Different types of islet cell tumors have different signs and symptoms   Some support for pancreatic cancer screening   Shining light on pancreatic cancer   Tests may detect mesothelioma, pancreatic cancer   DNA Repair Patterns May Predict Risk of Pancreatic Cancer   November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month   A promising approach in the prevention and treatment of pancreatic cancer   Surgery and Adjuvant Therapy Can Work for Pancreatic Cancer   New research improves early detection and survival for pancreatic cancer   Researchers Find Gene Therapy that Kills Pancreatic Cancer Cells   Alcohol Consumption May Increase Pancreatic Cancer Risk   Gene Discovered by Researchers Tied to Pancreatic Cancer   Popular herbal supplement hinders the growth of pancreatic cancer cells   Herbal remedy shown to have anti-cancer effect   Pancreatic cancer risk decreased by one anti-diabetic therapy, increased by others   Pancreatic cancer vaccine may improve survival   Everolimus Improves Progression-Free Survival for Patients with Rare Pancreatic Cancer   Pancreas cancer surgery outcome worse with obesity

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]