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Waterkers tegen kanker*
Uit een Engelse studie onder gezonde vrouwen die behandeld waren geweest voor borstkanker blijkt dat waterkers hetzelfde of zelfs beter werkt als veel gebruikte medicatie tegen kanker. Kankercellen die willen groeien gebruiken een groeifactor (HIF1) die moet zorgen voor een goede bloedvoorziening. Nutriënten in waterkers hebben de mogelijkheid om HIF1 uit te schakelen in kankercellen waardoor deze niet kunnen groeien. Het eten van 100 gram waterkers zorgt binnen 8 uur dat dit gebeurt. Eerdere studies hebben al laten zien dat waterkers vrije radicalen schade aan kan pakken. Waterkers is een groente uit de familie van kruisbloemigen.
Watercress prevents cancer
New research out of the Cancer Research Centre at Southampton General Hospital's School of Medicine in the U.K. has found that watercress, a superfood vegetable, works to reduce levels of the key growth factor that causes tumor growth. According to researchers, regular consumption of watercress works the same as -- if not better than -- conventional anti-cancer drug treatments, except without all the harmful side effects.
"Watercress has the ability to turn off HIF1, a signal sent out by cells calling for blood supply," explains Dr. Nicholas Perricone, an anti-aging specialist, concerning the study. "Scientists have been looking for anti-angiogenesis agents for years because if we can turn off the blood supply, we can kill the cancer. And it looks like watercress can do that."
According to Perricone, when HIF1 levels become irregular and out of sync, precancerous cells that are otherwise harmless begin to get the blood supply they need to thrive and grow. But anti-cancer agents naturally present in watercress protect the body from these malignant cells and ensure that blood only goes to healthy cells.
A previous study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007 found that regular consumption of watercress helps to significantly reduce free radical damage to white blood cell DNA as well, effectively improving the body's ability to guard against disease and maintain good health.
Watercress has been used for centuries to treat other ailments like migraine headaches, eczema, anemia, tuberculosis and kidney and liver disease. It contains a wide variety of healing nutrients and, since it is a food and not a drug, it can be safely consumed in large quantities to obtain therapeutic benefit.
Watercress can be added to salads, soups, sandwiches, stir-frys, stews and many other things. It can also be juiced along with other fruits and vegetables in daily juice beverages.
The results of a recent study, which was published in the British Journal of Nutrition, indicated that the consumption of watercress could significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer. The researchers who conducted this study into the anti-cancer properties of watercress, which has been known and used for its medicinal properties for centuries, found that the presence of a key tumor growth factor was significantly reduced just eight hours after eating a 3-ounce portion of watercress.
The study was conducted on healthy participants, who had previously been treated for breast cancer, by researchers at the Cancer Research Centre of the Southampton General Hospital, a teaching hospital associated with the University of Southampton, in the United Kingdom.
Dr. Nicholas Perricone, a renowned anti-aging specialist, also touched upon the anti-cancer properties of watercress in his latest book, Forever Young. “Watercress has the ability to turn off HIF1, a signal sent out by cells calling for blood supply. When HIF1 becomes incorrectly regulated, otherwise harmless precancerous clusters of cells have the opportunity to grow to form invasive tumors,” commented Perricone, who added, “Scientists have been looking for anti-angiogenesis agents for years because if we can turn off the blood supply, we can kill the cancer. And it looks like watercress can do that.” (Oktober 2010)