Many mainstream media outlets have claimed that foods are not capable of possessing anti-cancer effects, and have even been so bold as to imply that the protective benefits of antioxidants and other phytonutrients are nothing more than “myths.” The New York Times has even claimed that the influence of specific foods is “so weak” that any benefits they may provide are easily drowned out by “noise.”

For the fast-food nation, the news propagated by the corporate media seems great: Eat whatever you want, it doesn’t matter anyways. But it would be foolish to believe that what you put into your body has such a minuscule effect on health. You wouldn’t put gasoline into a diesel engine and expect to go very far, now would you? Despite how enticing it is to believe that nutrition isn’t important, the truth is that plant foods afford us a number of benefits that simply cannot be obtained from other sources. Phytonutrients, or plant nutrients, such as antioxidants, are unique in that capacity. Consuming these nutrients via an array of plant foods has many documented health benefits, despite what corporate sell-outs would like for you to believe.

Science Daily, a mainstream science website, recently published research that sought to better understand how these valuable plant nutrients exact their effects. A team of scientists from Oregon State University analyzed a compound known as sulforaphane that is found in broccoli. Their findings were published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.

Sulforaphane is known to help prevent prostate cancer and this recent study has found that it may exact its anti-cancer effects via its influence on long, non-coding RNA (lncRNA). LncRNA was once considered to be inconsequential “junk DNA” that had little to no value and no particular function. However, research has revealed that lncRNA may actually play a substantial role in triggering cells into becoming malignant and proliferating.

There are thousands of lncRNAs, and current evidence suggests that they may control what genes get turned on or are “expressed” to carry out a genetic function. Scientists have posited that the dysregulation of lncRNAs may contribute to the onset of a number of diseases, including cancer.

Emily Ho, the endowed director of the Moore Family Center for Whole Grain Foods, Nutrition and Preventive Health at OSU, a professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences and principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute, says that the study’s findings indicate that the broccoli compound, sulforaphane, may have a positive impact on lncRNA.

“It’s obviously of interest that this dietary compound, found at some of its highest levels in broccoli, can affect lncRNAs,” Ho commented.

A particular type of lncRNA, called LINC01116 is known for being up-regulated in human cell lines of prostate cancer. The research led by OSU scientists shows that this lncRNA can also actually be down-regulated via treatment with sulforaphane.

Their findings “reinforce the idea that lncRNAs are an exciting new avenue for chemoprevention research, and chemicals derived from diet can alter their expression,” as stated by the scientists in their study. In other words, the chemicals and nutrients from the foods we consume do offer protection against disease development — even diseases like cancer.

According to the team, the effects of diet on lncRNA were relatively unknown prior to their examination. Their data showed a 4-fold reduction in the ability of prostate cancer cells to build colonies when LINC01116 was deregulated.

The over-expression of  LINC01116 lncRNA has also been documented in other types of cancer, including cancers of the brain, lung and colon. High levels of LINC01116 have also been seen in breast, stomach, and lung cancers, as well as chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

The study’s lead author, Laura Beaver, a research associate in the Linus Pauling Institute and College of Public Health and Human Sciences, stated,”We showed that treatment with sulforaphane could normalize the levels of this lncRNA.” Beaver believes the finding could be more significant than just contributing to cancer prevention, and may help scientists develop new treatment methods to significantly slow down the progression of cancer and prevent it from becoming more invasive.

Source:
courtesy of NATURALNEWS

by Vicki Batts

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