812-Lancasttr Fanning, Saturday, July 29, 2000
Foods That Reduce Cancer Risk
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
SPRINGFIELD (Delaware
Co.) Cancer is a dreaded word
among all age groups. The older
a person becomes, the more can
cer is feared. The longer one
lives, the greater the chance of
contracting some form of cancer.
Although no guaranteed pro
tection against cancer exists, re
search shows a solid link between
cancer and the foods we eat or
don’t eat.
In fact, experts believe that 40
percent of cancers in men and 60
percent of cancers in women are
partly due to what we eat.
Because the influence of diet is
so substantial, the National Can
cer Institute (NCI) urges people
to choose “5 a Day for Better
Health.” That means eating five
fruits and vegetables every day to
lower your risk of contracting
certain types of cancer.
NCI scientists found that eat
ing fruits and vegetables protect
ed against cancer in 82 percent
of the 156 different studies con
ducted. People who ate a lot of
fruits and vegetables (five serv
ings a day) had one-half the risk
of cancer as people who ate few
fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are
found to have a protective effect
against cancers such as lung,
breast, mouth, throat, stomach,
colon, rectal, cervical, and ovari
an.
In a recent workshop at the
Delaware County Extension,
Fran Alloway, registered dieti
tian, explained the scientific find
ings behind research in laymen
terms, and prepared some reci
pes for taste-testing to encourage
participants to include more
fruits and vegetables in their
diets.
When examining the reason
why fruits and vegetables are
good for us, words such as phyto
chemicals, oxidation, and flavo
noids pop up. Here is a short def
inition for these words:
• Phytochemicals plant
chemicals. An amazing 4,000
phytochemicals have been identi
fied so far, and many more re
main to be discovered.
• Flavonols give plants taste,
smell, and color.
• Carotenoids add pigment,
which also give color to plants.
• Antioxidants dispose of
cell damaging free radicals.
• Carcinogens potentially
cancer-causing substances.
Plants contain natural chemi
cals called phytochemicals,
which are benefical for health.
Some of these chemicals block
the steps that lead to cancer and
destroy chemicals that help can
cer cells grow. But no one knows
how many phytochemicals we
need.
Oxidation is a chemical react
ion that causes damage in our
bodies and appears to play a role
in promoting cancer. Some anti
oxidants in fruits and vegetables
destroy chemicals that help can
cer cells grow.
Alloway answered questions
that participants had about some
foods thought to be particularly
beneficial. Some tidbits of in
formation were that garlic in its
raw form is best because it loses
some of its chemical properties
when cooked. Chewing on coffee
beans is said to counteract the
bad breath that garlic induces.
Although low-fat diets are
beneficial in counteracting heart
diseases and other health-related
problems, Alloway pointed out
that some vitamins require fat in
order for their properties to be
released.
Some foods considered benefi
cial to women include flax and
soy products. Flax contains lig-
;y, . tgistenm
shows that 60 percent of cancers in women and 40 per
cent in men are partly due to what we eat.
nans that are converted to a form
of estrogen in the body and are
thought to have some protective
effect against cancer. Alloway
recommends grinding flax seed
and sprinkling on food. “Lignans
are not found in flaxseed oil,”
she said.
Soy plant products such as
tofu, soy milk, and soybeans are
believed to be beneficial in pre
venting female cancers. Alloway
reminded workshop participants
that soy-plant protein is incom
plete in vegetarian diets and
needs to be fortified with 812 vi
tamins.
A wide variety of fruits and
vegetables should be included in
diets because different vegetables
offer different phytochemicals,
but scientists are uncertain exact
ly what kind and how many of
each is needed.
Supplements are not recom
mended in place of eating fruits
and vegetables.
“To get the phytochemicals
you need, base your diet on a
minimum of five servings a day
on a variety of fruits and vege
tables and 6-10 servings of whole
grains,” Alloway said.
Research is on the cutting
edge, and scientists have un
tested theories about how plant
chemicals work in our bodies.
For example, a study shows
that a link between a high intake
of tomato consumption reduces
prostrate cancer. Lycopene, plen
tiful in tomatoes, may be the pro
tective element, but it is not
proven.
Although research may
change its findings, it is believed
that tea, particularly green tea,
may reduce the risk of cancers
and protect arteries from plaque
buildup.
Contact your county Penn
State Extension for more inform
ation and fact sheets on benefits
of eating fruits and vegetables.
GARDENER’S SPECIAL
PLATTER
1 pound fresh broccoli, chop
ped
'/’ small head cauliflower, bro
ken into pieces
1 medium zucchini, sliced
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Vi teaspoon garlic salt
'A teaspoon salt
'A teaspoon dried thyme
2 medium tomatoes, cut into
wedges
'A cup parmesan cheese
On 12-inch glass microwave
safe-serving plate, arrange cauli
flower and broccoli pieces
around edge of plate, placing
broccoli with stems toward the
edge and alternating with cauli
flower. Pile zucchini in center of
plate. Cover vegetables with
plastic wrap. Microwave on high
9-11 minutes until vegetables are
tender. Combine butter, garlic
salt, salt, and thyme, and pour
over cooked vegetables. Arrange
tomato wedges over vegetables.
Sprinkle with cheese; microwave
uncovered 2 minutes to warm to
matoes.
TRIPLE-PEPPERED
SAUSAGE
1 pound fully-cooked smoked
turkey sausage (kielbasa)
1 medium green pepper, cut
into strips
1 medipm red bell pepper, cut
into strips
1 banana pepper, seeded, slic
ed crosswise
1 medium onion, thinly sliced,
separated into rings
'A cup water
1 tablespoon prepared mus
tard
Cut sausage into 2-inch pieces;
slash each piece vertically with a
sharp knife to cut through skin
and about '/4-inch meat. Place
the sausage in a 10x6x2-inch
dish. Arrange all peppers and
onion rings around and over sau
sage pieces. Shake together water
and mustard and pour over sau
sage mixture. Cover with plastic
wrap and microwave on high
9-11 minutes until sausage is hot
and vegetables are tender. Serve
as a main course or stuff into
sandwich rolls or pita bread.
Serves 4-6.
BLUEBERRY COBBLER
2 pints fresh blueberries
I'A cups sugar
'A cup corn starch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups package biscuit mix
2 A cup milk
3 tablespoons crushed granola
(optional)
Cinnamon and sugar
Place blueberries in 2-3-quart
glass casserole dish. Stir together
corn starch, sugar, and 1 tea
spoon cinnamon; mix well. Stir
into blueberries. Microwave on
high 4-6 minutes, stirring after 2
minutes and every minute after
wards until blueberries bubble
and corn starch mixture becomes
translucent.
Combine biscuit mix and milk.
Dollop six mounds of mixture
over hot fruit. Sprinkle with cin
namon and sugar. Microwave,
uncovered, medium-high 4-7
minutes until biscuits are set, ro
tating dish halfway through
cooking. Top with granola if de
sired. Serve warm with ice
cream. Serves 6.
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