An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but according to German experts, drinking apple juice is also effective in preventing colon cancer. The substances contained in both the fruit and the juice support a biological mechanism that produces anti-cancer substances during fermentation in the intestines.
According to Dr. Dieter Schrenk from the University of Kaiserslautern, pectin plays a key role. Its presence in the intestines increases the content of butyrate in the digested mixture. And it is butyrate that has a chemopreventive effect against the development of colon cancer. Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid.
"Not only does butyrate serve as a major nutrient for the intestinal epithelium (lining), it also appears to play an important role in the effectiveness of natural fiber as a protector against colon cancer," says Dr. Schrenk.
His team in the laboratory also demonstrated that increased butyrate levels after the addition of apple pectin resulted in a decrease in the synthesis of histone deacetylase, which significantly promotes the growth of precancerous and tumor cells.
"Apples are a source of natural fiber and low-molecular-weight polyphenols in the Western diet. Apple pectin-rich products may, as expected, have anti-cancer effects in the intestines," said German experts.
The study was published in the journal Nutrition.
- Nutrition Volume 24, Issue 4, April 2008, Pages 366-374
