Posted on 09/23/2021 12:05:01 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
A new study from Texas A&M Health suggests eating spinach could prevent colon cancer. And now, building on previous work, researchers are closer to understanding exactly how it works.
In the United States, colon cancer is the fourth-most common cancer and second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Previous studies have shown that eating green vegetables and fiber reduces risk of colon cancer by as much as half. This new study, recently published in the journal Gut Microbes, explores the relationship between spinach, gut health, genes and colon cancer outcomes.
After feeding freeze-dried spinach to an animal model of familial adenomatous polyposis for 26 weeks, the researchers observed significant antitumor activity in the colon and small intestine. Using an unbiased approach called multi-omics, the researchers found that the tumor suppression by spinach involved increased diversity in the gut microbiome (helpful microbes) and changes in gene expression to help prevent cancer. They also found that fatty acids associated with regulation of inflammation, called linoleate metabolites, were brought to up to a beneficial level after a spinach diet.
"We believe eating spinach can also be protective for people who do not have familial adenomatous polyposis," said principal investigator Roderick Dashwood.
Dashwood's lab previously noticed the benefits of spinach in a carcinogen-induced model of colorectal cancer that mimics sporadic cases. In that model, spinach was very effective in preventing polyps, which spurred the team to see how spinach might work in colon cancer driven by genetics.
"My bias was to focus on the chlorophyll story because of my long history examining anti-cancer effects of chlorophyll," Dashwood said. "But it turned out the multi-omics approach prompted other ideas. When we looked at the metabolomic data, there was no chlorophyll. It was actually fatty acids and linoleic acid derivatives that were causing the beneficial effects."
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
That sounds good. My potassium love is bananas. My husband, who has eaten spinach salad every day for years, suddenly became sick with high potassium because of meds and potassium. Heart related. Long story. All straightened out with PM.
He was the one I was thinking about when I brought up the medicines taken with foods containing potassium. Too much for him at that time.
There are many foods with potassium. Surprised us that it happened.
I was about to post that! It is my go-to green. Super easy to grow as well
Just getting cool enough to plant here...I have my planting beds ready so prob next week or so...
“Strong to da finish ‘cuz I eats me spinach!’’
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