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Jam and jelly may help fight cancer
Researchers at the Institute of Food Research have found that an ingredient found in jelly and jam could help prevent the spread of cancer.
They found that pectin – a natural fibre found in fruit and vegetables and widely used in food processing – played a role in fighting the progress of the disease. Lab tests showed that pectin 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. For this research we tested a molecular mechanism and showed that it is viable, ” said Professor Vic Morris from the Institute of Food Research. Previous studies have identified a strong link between eating lots of fibre and a lower risk of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract but exactly how fibre exerts a protective effect is unknown.
Pectin is better known for its jam-setting qualities and as being a component of dietary fibre. 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-fibre foods. You don’t necessarily have to eat a superfood,” said Morris. Morris will now conduct a study 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. “This first step opens the way to a new and exciting area of research in bioactive carbohydrates,” said Morris.
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