Voeding rijk aan foliumzuur tegen
kanker.*
Uit een Canadese studie met muizen lijkt het dat voeding met weinig foliumzuur de kans op darmkanker flink doet toenemen. Muizen die voeding kregen rijk aan foliumzuur ontwikkelden geen darmkanker bij de andere muizen kreeg 1 op de 4 wel darmkanker. Bij nader onderzoek bleek dat een dieet met weinig foliumzuur meer DNA schade veroorzaakte, een van de oorzaken van het ontstaan van de kankers.
Increased
Risk Of Colorectal Cancer With Low Folate Diets
A
new study by scientists at the MUHC has revealed that a diet low in folate may
increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Published in the scientific
journal Cancer Research -Nov-2006, the study not only illustrates a way
to prevent the disease but also provides further insight into the mechanisms of
the disease, which could lead to novel therapies. Using animal models, the MUHC
study is the first to demonstrate directly that diets low in folate cause
colorectal cancer, and follows on the heels of earlier research by the same team
that revealed how high folate diets can protect against heart disease.
"This research, which is consistent with previous epidemiological studies
in humans, demonstrates a clear link between low dietary folate and the
initiation of colorectal cancer in animal models," says Dr. Rima Rozen,
Scientific Director of the Montreal Children's Hospital, Deputy Scientific
Director of the MUHC, and lead investigator in the study. "None of the mice
fed a control diet developed tumours whereas 1 in 4 mice on the folate-deficient
diet developed at least one tumour."
Possible mechanisms of the disease were also investigated using molecular
biological techniques. "The study shows that a low level of dietary folate
may cause an increase in DNA damage, which plays a role in the development of
tumours," noted Dr. Rozen. The study also reveals that folate deficiency
causes genes which usually respond to DNA damage to behave abnormally, also
contributing to the development of tumours. The results suggest that a diet
containing sufficient folate may reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer.
"It is estimated that 20,000 men and women will be diagnosed with
colorectal cancer this year, and an estimated 8,500 will die from the disease.
The result of this study highlights how simply adding a supplement to your daily
diet could have tremendous long-term benefits to the individual and the health
care system," said Dr. Philip Branton, Scientific Director of the CIHR
Institute of Cancer Research. "While these results are encouraging, much
more research will be needed before we will know for certain if folate has any
protective effect for colorectal cancer in men," added Dr. Branton.
The intake of an adequate amount of dietary folate has also been shown to
prevent a number of other diseases. "For example, birth defects such as
Spina Bifida, can result in offspring of mothers with inadequate folate in their
diet," says Dr. Rozen. In March of this year, the same team revealed how
diets with the recommended levels of folate can protect against heart disease.
"Obviously, this is not a reason to consume excessive amounts of folate,
but rather to ensure that the recommended daily amount is taken through a
healthy diet or a vitamin supplement," noted Dr. Rozen. The benefits of a
high folate diet have been known for many years. Both the US and Canada have
regulations requiring the addition of folic acid (the synthetic form of folate)
to breads, cereals, flours, corn meals, pastas and rice to increase its intake
in the general population.
Colorectal cancer affects approximately 5% of the population. The majority of
cases are sporadic and due mainly to environmental factors. Hereditary forms can
account for up to 15% of all colorectal cancers.
###
Funding for this study was provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health
Research (CIHR).
The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) is a
world-renowned biomedical and health-care hospital research centre. Located in
Montreal, Quebec, the institute is the research arm of the MUHC, a university
health center affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University. The
institute supports over 500 researchers, nearly 1000 graduate and post-doctoral
students and operates more than 300 laboratories devoted to a broad spectrum of
fundamental and clinical research. The Research Institute operates at the
forefront of knowledge, innovation and technology and is inextricably linked to
the clinical programs of the MUHC, ensuring that patients benefit directly from
the latest research-based knowledge.
The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is a comprehensive academic health
institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical
programs, research and teaching. The MUHC is a merger of five teaching hospitals
affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University--the Montreal
Children's, Montreal General, Royal Victoria, and Montreal Neurological
Hospitals, as well as the Montreal Chest Institute. Building on the tradition of
medical leadership of the founding hospitals, the goal of the MUHC is to provide
patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the health care field, and
to contribute to the development of new knowledge. (Nov.
2006) (Opm. Voeding rijk aan de B
vitamine foliumzuur is o.a. groene bladgroenten, bonen, kolen, noten, zaden,
volkoren granen, lever, gevogelte en citrusfruit. Voor meer informatie kijk bij het ABC.)