Jam, yoghurt help fight cancer (continuation)

continuation
A new weapon against cancer could be found in a jar of jam due to a basic ingredient it contains according to researchers in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology journal.
The research, led by Professor Vic Morris from the Institute of Food Research said, that under the right condition, jam releases a modified pectin fragment with anti-cancer properties. Pectin is a natural gelling agent made from the peel of citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons.
Professor Morris, however explained: “I expect you would get some protection from jam, but it’s packed full of sugar. It might be better to get the same protection from fruit and vegetables which would give you other anti-cancer magic bullets as well.”
Experts began to see pectin as a potential weapon in the fight against cancer last year when a study revealed that it might help slow the progress of prostate cancer.
That study, published by a team from the University of Georgia in the journal Glycobiology, found that exposing prostate cancer cells to pectin under laboratory conditions reduced the number of cells by up to 40 per cent. Cancer is a complex disease with many risk factors. There are a number of questions that remain unanswered about the effects of pectin. Firstly, whether or not pectin has any effect on cancer in humans and, secondly, what the best dietary sources of the right kinds of pectin are.
A team from the university’s cancer centre found that the cells literally “self-destructed” in a process known as apoptosis. Pectin even killed cells that were not sensitive to hormone therapy. Nutritionists already hail jam as an ideal snack to replace lost energy after a workout. The fast-releasing sugars help to get glycogen back into muscles quickly and efficiently.