Foods containing pungent flavour are often rich in sulphur content. These foods not only are great mould deterrents, they also play vital roles in DNA repairs. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, garlic and onions are sulphur rich and powerful inducers of protective enzymes like superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. They are also high in indoles and can inhibit colorectal, bladder, lung, mouth, throat, stomach and breast cancers.

Cruciferous vegetable are particularly rich in isothiocynates.  Isothiocyanates have amazing anti-aging properties; this is because they are potent inhibitors of enzymes that promote glycation.  Glycation occurs when oxidation of sugars coating the surface of proteins like collagen result in the formation of Advanced Glycated Endproducts – AGEs. As the name implies, AGEs literally cause premature aging with the formation of saggy, wrinkly skin.  Note that any external signs of aging are accompanied by the aging of  internal organs as well.  The external and internal are never mutually exclusive. 

This aging process is even more pronounced in diabetics as AGEs form more quickly with elevated blood sugar levels.  It is not uncommon for a diabetic diagnosed at the age of 30 to have a physiological age of 75 by the time they reach the chronological age of 60.  It is a well-known fact that accelerated aging comes with poorly controlled blood sugar levels.  Hence, to reduce age-related cell damage, diabetics should tuck into large quantities of these vegetables to decelerate the glycation process and its accompanying premature aging.
In conclusion, these vegetables protect you from DNA damage, stimulate cancer cell death (cell apoptosis) and keep you looking and feeling young. Why would you not eat heaps more of them daily?

Let’s have a look at a list of common foods that make up the anti-cancer diet:

1. green tea – contains polyphenols called “catechins” or epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), EGCG blocks receptors on a cells surface that issue command for the creation of new blood vessels.
2. red wine – “resveratrol” (this is not an endorsement to drink, quantities of >100ml per day seem to lose their protective effect, Professor Riboli of the famous EPIC study thinks this study was poorly designed and conclusions dubious) 
3. garlic – “dialyl sulphide”
4. cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts – cruciferous vegetables contain “indol-3-carbinol”
5. rosemary – “carnosol”
6. raspberries, strawberries, walnuts, hazel nuts and pecans – contain polyphenol called “ellagic acid”. Ellagic acid has been demonstrated to act against 2 most common mechanisms of stimulation of blood vessels: VEGF and PDGF.
7. mushrooms – shiitake, maitake, kawaratake, enokitake contain “lentinan” and other polysaccharides
8. broccoli – “sulphoraphane”
9. turmeric – “curcumin”, a yellow powder used in Indian curries. Also, one of the most potent naturally occurring anti-inflammatory agents. In the laboratory it has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis and promote cancer cells death or cell “apoptosis”. Indians have less than 20% of colon, breast, lung and kidney cancers compared to Westerners of the same age.  This is true despite high exposure to environmental toxins on a worse scale than in the West.  Could their diet have something to do with the favourable statistics?
10. tomatoes – “lycopene”
11. soy beans – “genistein”, “daidzein” and “glyciteine”.  Researchers wrote that “soy and green tea may be used as potentially effective dietary regimen for inhibiting progression of oestrogen-dependent breast cancer”. Soy phyto-oestrogens act along similar lines as common breast cancer drug Tamoxifen.
12. ginger – “6 -gingerol”
13. cherries – “glucaric acid” which can facilitate elimination of xenoestrogens from environmental chemicals
14. blueberries, cranberries, cinnamon, dark chocolate – “anthocyanidins” and “proanthocyanidins”
15. parsley and celery – “apigenine”
16. rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and mint – essential oils of the terpene family
17. seaweed – “fucoidan” and “fucoxanthin”
18. salmon, tuna, trout, meckarel, cod, sardine – omega-3s
19. orange, mandarin, lemon, grapefruit – anti-inflammatory ‘flavinoids’
20. pomegranate – antioxidant
21. yoghurt – ‘probiotics’
22. vitamin D
23. selenium

In conclusion, we can make food our medicine and actively choose foods that defend our bodies against invasion of cancer by:

1. detoxifying carcinogens
2. boosting immune system and increasing natural killer (NK) cell production
3. blocking angiogenesis
4. blocking inflammation
5. promoting cancer cell “apoptosis” or cancer cell suicide

References

1. Y. Cao, R. Cao,’Angiogenesis inhibited by drinking tea’ Nature, 398 (6726), 1999; 381.
2. I. J. Fidler, ‘Angiogenic heterogeneity:regulation of neoplastic angiogenesis by the organ microenvironment’ Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 93(14), 2001; 1040-41.
3. S. Paget, ‘The distribution of secondary growths in cancer of the breast’ Lancet 1889; 1:571-3.
4. Y. J. Surh, ‘Cancer chemoprevention with dietary phytochemicals’ Nature Reviews Cancer, 3(10), 2003: 768-80.
5. J. Jankun, S. H. Selman, R. Swierz, E. Skrzypczak-Jankun, ‘Why drinking green tea could prevent cancer’ Nature, 387(6633), 1997: 561.
6. M. Demeule, B. Annabi, J. Michaud-Levesque, S. Lamy, R. Beliveau, ‘Dietary prevention of cancer: Anticancer and antiangiogenic properties of green tea polyphenols’ Medicinal Chemistry Reviews – Online 2, 2005: 49-58.
7. J. R. Zhou, L. Yu, Z. Mai, G. L. Blackburn, ‘Combined inhibition of estrogen-dependent human breast carcinoma by soy and tea bioactive components in mice’ International Journal of Cancer, 108(1), 2004; 8-14.
8. J. R. Zhou, L. Yu, Y. Zhong, G. L. Blackburn, ’Soy phytochemicals and tea bioactive components in mice’ Journal of Nutrition, 133(2), 2003: 516-21.
9. A. H. Wu, M. C. Pike, D, O. Stram, ‘Meta-analysis: Dietary fat intake, Serum Estrogen levels and the Risk of Breast Cancer’  Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 1999: 529-34.
10. K. Mehta, P. Pantazis, T. McQueen, B.B. Aggarwal, ‘Antiproliferative effect of curcumin (diferuloylmethane) against human breast tumour cell lines’ Anticancer Drugs, 8(5), 1977: 470-81.
11. S. Shishodia, B.B. Aggarwal, ‘Nuclear factor-kappa B activation: a question of life or death’ Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 35(1), 2002: 28-40.
12. B. B. Aggarwal, S. Shishodia, Y. Takada, et al. ‘Curcumin suppresses the paclitaxel-induced nuclear factor kappa B pathway in breast cancer cells and inhibits lung metestasis of human breast cancer in nude mice’ Clinical Cancer Research, 11(20), 2005: 7490-98.
13. P. M. Kidd, ‘The Use of Mushroom Glucans and Proteoglycans in Cancer Treatment’ Alternative Medicine Review, 5(1), 2000: 4-27.
14. H. Nakazato, A. Koike, S. Saji, N. Ogawa, J. Sakamoto, ‘Efficacy of immunochemotherapy as adjuvant treatment after curative resection of gastric cancer’ Lancet, 343, 1994: 1122-6.
15. M. Hara, T. Hanaoka, M. kobayashi, et al. ‘Cruciferous vegetables, mushrooms and gastrointestinal cancer risks in a multicentre, hospital-based case-control study in Japan’ Nutrition Cancer, 46(2), 2003: 138-47.
16. L. Labrecque, S. Lamy, A. Chapus, et al. ‘Combined inhibition of PDGF and VEGF receptors by ellagic acid, a dietary-derived phenolic compound’ Carcinogenesis, 26(4), 2005: 821-6.
17. N. Seeram, L. Adams, Y. Zhang, et al. ‘Blackberry, black raspberry, blueberry, cranberry, red raspberry and strawberry extracts inhibit growth and stimulate apoptosis of human cancer cells in vitro’ Journal of Agricultural Food Chemicals, 54, 2006L 9329-39.
18. R. Smith ‘Let food be thy medicine…’ British Medical Journal, 2004: 328.
19. H. Kikuzaki, N. Nakatani, ‘Antioxidant effects of some ginger constituents’ Journal of Food Science. 58(6), 1993, 1407-10.
20. C. M. Cover, S. J. Hsieh, E. J.Cram. et al. ‘Indole-3-carbinol and tamoxifen cooperate to arrest the cell cycle of MCF – 7 human breast cancer cells’ Cancer Research, 59(6), 1999: 1244-51.
21. L. Gamet-Payraste, P. Li, S. Lumeau, et al. ‘Sulforaphane, a Naturally Occuring Isothiocyanate, Induces cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in HT29 Human Colon Cancer Cells’ Cancer Research, 60(5), 2000: 1426-33.
22. P. Terry, A. Wolk, H. Vainio, E. Weiderpass, ‘Fatty fish consumption lowers the risk of endometrial cancerL a nationwide case-control study in Sweden’ Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 11(1),  2002; 143-5.
23. P. Terry, P. Lichtenstein, M. Feychting, A. Ahlbom, A. Wolk, ‘Fatty fish consumption and the risk of prostate cancer’ Lancet, 357(9270), 2001: 1765-6.
24. C. H. MacLean, S. J. Newberry, W. A. Mojica, et al. ‘Effects of omega-3 fatty acids on cancer risk: a systematic review’ JAMA, 295(4), 2006: 403-15.
25. M. P. Rayman, ‘The importance of selenium to human health’ Lancet, 356(9225), 2000: 233-41.
26. J. M. Lappe, K. Travers-Gustafson, K. M. Davies, R. R. Recker, R. P. Heaney, ‘Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk: results of a randomized trial’ American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85, 2007: 1586-91.
27. R. Beliveau, D. Gingras, ‘Green tea: prevention and treatment of cancer by nutraceuticals’ Lancet, 354(9439), 2004:1021-2.
28. D. P. Rose, J. M. Connolly, ‘Regulation of tumour angiogenesis by dietary fatty acids and eicosanoids’ Nutr Cancer, 37(2), 2000:119-27.
29. T. Norat, S. Bingham, P. Ferrari, et al. ‘Meat, fish and colorectal cancer risk: the European Prospective Investigation into cancer and nutrition’ Journal of National Cancer Institute, 97(12), 2005:906-16.
30. P. Terry, P. Lishtenstein, M. Feychting, A. Ahlbom, A. Wolk, ‘Fatty fish consumption and risk of prostate cancer’ Lancet, 357(9270), 2001: 1764-6.
31. L. T. Hooper, R. Thompson, R. Harrison, et al. ‘Risks and benefits of omega-3 fatty acidson cancer risk: a systematic review’ JAMA, 295(4), 2006: 403-15.
32. M. P. Rayman, ‘The importance of selenium to human health’ Lancet, 356(9225), 2000:233-41.
33. L. Kiremidjian-schumacher, M. Roy, H. I. Wishe, M. W. Cohen, G. Stotzky ‘Supplementation with selenium and human immune cell functios. II. Effect on cytotoxic lymphocytes and natural killer cells’ Biological Trace Element Research, 41(1-2), 1994: 115-27. 
34. J. M. Lappe, k. Travers-Gustafson, K. M. davies, R. R. Recker, R. P. Heaney, ‘Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk: results of a randomised trial’ American Journal Clinical Nutrition, 85, 2007: 1586-91.

Growing recognition of the important connection between diet, bacterial metabolism and colon health has lead to extensive research into the role of probiotics bacteria in gut health.   Now it is established that probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG,  Lacotobacillus delbrueskii, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum) and prebiotics (i.e. resistant starch) – food for sustenance of probiotics in the gut, play vital roles in sustaining a healthy gastro-intestinal tract.

In 2007, Italian researches published a study involing 571 young children, in the British Medical Journal that probiotics treatment  significantly improved acute diarrhoea.  Also in the same year, the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology published in an Indian trial involving 235 children confirming the same clinical outcome with probiotic Lactobacilluc rhamnosus strain GG. In 2008, a Finnish trial involving 86 adults with Irritable Bowel Syndrome showed a siginificant reduction in core symptoms with administration of probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosis strain GG, Lactobacilluc rhamnosus Lc705, Propionibacterium freudenreichii species, shermanii JS and Bifidobacterium animalis species lactis Bb12).

It is a well known fact that colorectal cancer is the most commonly occuring cancer in Australia.  In fact, it is the second most common cancer-related cause of death.  In 2001 there were 12,844 new cases of colorectal cancer.  This represents an increase of 43% from 1983.  This trend is unlikely to change in the near future.  So what can you do to take charge of your colon health? 

First and foremost, make sure you are regular!  That means have 5 serves of uncooked mixed vegetables a day, at least 2 serves of fruit.  Also get some grains, nuts and seeds in your diet and at least 2 serves of probiotic-rich foods and some resistance starch everyday. 

Simple but not easy.  Let me assure you, it will be well worth it! 

Where do you get these probiotic bacteria?

1. Yoghurt (best medium for carrying probiotics, make sure they are as fresh as possible, you could even make them yourself!)
2. Kefir (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir)
3. Kim Chee – Korean fermented vegetables (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimchi )http://www.amazon.com/Kimchee-Cookbook-Flavors-Cultural-National/dp/9625935061)
4. Fermented soy beans
5. Miso (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miso)
6. Sauerkraut (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauerkraut)
7. Tempeh (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempeh)
8. Yakult
9. Vitagen
10. Probiotic pills (efficacy questionable because dairy is still the best medium for probiotic bacteria survival)

References

1. Wollowski, G. Rechkemmer, B. L. Pool-Zobel, ‘Protective role of probiotics and prebiotics in colon cancer’ American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 73(2), 2001: 451S-5.
2. American Institute for Cancer Research and World Cancer Research Fund, “Food, nutrition and the prevention of cancer”. London:WCRF, 1997.
3. Cassidy et al. British Journal of Cancer 69:119-25, 1994.
4. “Dietary Fbre, Non-starch Polysaccharides and Resistant Starch – A Review”, CSIRO Div. Human Nut., Food Aust., 48(3), March 1996.
5. Kune et al. Nutrition and Cancer 1992;18:231-235.
6. Canani R. B. et al. ‘Probiotics for Treatment of acute diarrhea in children: randomised clinical trial of five different preparation’ British Medical Journal. 2007 Aug 18; 335(7615): 340.
7. Basu S. et al. ‘Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in persistent diarrhea in Indian children: a randomized controlled trial’ Journal of Clinical gastroenterology. 2007 Sep; 41(8): 756-60.
8. Kajander K. et al. ‘Clinical trial: multispecies probiotic supplementation alleviates the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and stabilizers intestinal microbiota’ Aliment Pharmacol Therapy. 2008 Jan 1;27(1): 48-57. 

The NHMRC (2006) recommendations for adequate intake of dietary fibre are 25g/day for women and 30g/day for men.  Most Australians consume only a third of the above recommendation. 

Native Africans have 10 times lower colon cancer rates than their white counterparts possibly because they regularly consume cold maize porridge as a dietary staple.  Maize porridge is rich in resistant starch which ferments to produce short chain fatty acids which lower the pH in intestinal lumen. This phenomenon plays an integral role in protecting against colorectal cancer.

So where can you get your resistant starch? 

1. Cooked cooled potatoes
2. Cooked cooled rice
3. Cooked cooled pasta
4. Cooked maize
5. Cooked beans / lentils (pulses)
6. Heinz baked beans
7. Wonder White bread
8. Uncle Toby’s fruit bars
9. Healthwise cereals
10. Sanitarium Up and Go drinks
11. Nabisco high fibre premium
12. Kellogg’s K-time bars
13. Vogels breakfast cereals
14. Lowan whole foods soy flakes
15. Heinz soft fruit bars
16. Aussie Bodies Protein FX Energy bars
17. Basco Gluten Free Wheat Free Pancake Mix

References

1. National Health and Medical Research Council (2006) ‘Nutrient reference values for Australia and New Zealand including Recommended Dietary Intakes’.
2. Topping D, Clifton P. ‘Short cain fatty acids and human colonic function – roles of resistant starch and non starch polysaccharides’ Physiol. Reviews 2001, 81: 1031-64.
3. Nugent A. P. ‘Health Properties of Resistant Starch’, British Nutrition Foundation, Nutrition Bulletin 2005, Vol 30 No.1 27-54.
4. Ramakrishna B. S. et al. ‘Amylase-Resistant Starch plus Oral Re-hydration Solution for Cholera’ New England Journal of Medicine 2000, Vol.342, No5, 308-313.  
5. Slavin J. L. ‘Dietary fibre and body weight’ Nutrition 2005, (3):411-8.