Human clinical trials have started at Ohio State University this week to establish whether eating berries can help prevent cancer.
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Scientists have long thought that there are additional health benefits to eating strawberries, raspberries and black raspberries, on top of their high vitamin C and fibre content. So far however, the only results have been gathered from experiments on rats.
In rats, researchers have discovered that eating berries can inhibit the metabolism of some carcinogens and slow down the growth rate of pre-cancerous cells. This means that there are fewer “mutational” events that can cause cancer. As such, the trials will focus on Barrett’s Oesophagus and Familial Adenomateous Polyposis (FAP), two pre-cancerous conditions.
It is thought that berries may contain as yet unidentified phyto-nutrients that play an important role in cancer prevention. In a bid to develop understanding about these compounds, the US Department of Agriculture, with the Produce for Better Health Foundation, is to create a database of phyto-nutrients found in fruits and vegetables.
Whatever the outcome of the trials, scientists recommend eating berries because they contain many polyphenolic compounds, such as ellagic acid, which possess anti-mutagenic and antioxidant properties.
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