Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Surprise finding points to cancer risk from fruit

HEALTH

Jeremy Laurance
Friday 12 September 1997 23:02 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Eating fruit and vegetables which is thought to help prevent cancer may make the disease worse once it has struck, scientists suggest.

High doses of antioxidants such as vitamin C are believed to prevent cancer by mopping up free radicals which can damage DNA. However, a study by Dutch researchers has shown that free radicals can also kill cancer cells. If so, antioxidants may be bad for cancer sufferers because they remove free radicals.

The study, by scientists at Nijmegen University in the Netherlands, involved creating a cancerous cell line by damaging the P53 suppressor gene which makes a protein triggering programmed cell death ("apoptosis") in tumour cells. With the gene damaged, tumour cells are able to survive and spread.

The researchers then raised the level of antioxidants in the cancer cells so that the free radical levels fell. This reduced the death rate of the cancer cells, they say. The results, reported in New Scientist are to be published in an academic scientific journal later. The researchers say an anti-cancer drug capable of generating free radicals may be effective against cancer but is still a long way off.

Jeremy Laurance

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in