Researchers from the University of North Carolina and Texas A&M University have found that eating dried plums positively affects bacteria in the gut, which helps lower risks of colon cancer.
The American Cancer Society estimates that colon cancer is the third-leading cause of death related to the disease in the United States, when men and women are assessed separately. When genders are not factored in, colon cancer jumps to second-leading cause for deaths related to cancer, projected to claim the lives of around 49,700 people across the country in 2015. With research showing the diet can change the body's metabolism and alter gut flora, what one eats then has major implications for preventing and treating the disease.
According to Nancy Turner, one of the researchers, there are trillions of bacteria thriving in the intestinal tract, with so far over 400 individual species identified. Earlier studies have shown that disrupting gut flora leads to intestinal inflammation and, when inflammation recurs, it helps colon cancer to develop.
Dried plums have phenolic compounds that offer several health benefits, including antioxidant properties that neutralize the effects of DNA-damaging free radicals.
"Our research explored the potential cancer-protective properties of dried plums using a well-established rat model of colon cancer," said Turner.
The researchers followed the hypothesis that consuming dried plums will aid in retaining good bacteria in the gut and promote microbial metabolism patterns in the colon. If dried plums can do the two, then it is highly likely to be able to reduce colon cancer risks as well.
For the study, the rats were given a diet containing dried plums or a control diet, both of which match in terms of total macronutrient composition and calories so any effect related to diet can be attributed to compounds found uniquely in dried plums.
The researchers examined tissues and contents from different portions of the colon and found that samples from rats given the dried plum diet had higher levels of Bacteroidetes and lower levels of Firmicutes within the distal colon but not in the proximal colon. Those assigned to the control diet showed opposite results, with levels of Bacteroidetes lower and Firmicutes higher.
Another observation the researchers reported was that rats given dried plums showed dramatically lower numbers of high-multiplicity aberrant crypt foci, aberrant crypt foci and aberrant crypts compared to rats in the control group. Aberrant crypt foci are one of the earliest precancerous lesions observable and are commonly considered to be strong indicators of cancer developing.
Supported by the California Dried Plum Board, the research will be presented at the 2015 Experimental Biology Conference to be held in Boston.
Photo: David Pacey | Flickr
