Scientists have revealed a new secret weapon in the battle against liver cancer: spinach. Munching on Popeye’s favorite snack can s...
Scientists have revealed a new secret weapon in the battle against liver cancer: spinach.
Munching on Popeye’s favorite snack can slash the likelihood of developing the disease, which is the third most common cause of cancer deaths in the world.
Boffins claim high levels of Vitamin E in the leafy green vegetable help stave off the illness, along with other foods including nuts, sunflower seeds, avocados and dried apricots.
Munching on Popeye’s favorite snack can slash the likelihood of developing the disease, which is the third most common cause of cancer deaths in the world.
Boffins claim high levels of Vitamin E in the leafy green vegetable help stave off the illness, along with other foods including nuts, sunflower seeds, avocados and dried apricots.
Eat greens: Popeye's favorite food can protect your liver from cancer
Wei Zhang of the Shanghai Cancer Institute worked with colleagues to analyze results of the dietary habits of 132,837 people in Shanghai.
Taking vitamin E in supplements and also dietary form were both associated with a lower risk of the cancer - and was consistent in those who had a family history of liver cancer.
The vitamin has long been associated with a reduced risk of cancer although results from studies have proved inconsistent.
Now new research published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute claims a high consumption of Vitamin E through diet or supplements DOES affect risk levels.
They found that those who had a high intake of the vitamin had a lower risk of developing the disease when compared to those who had a low intake.
'In summary, in these two population-based cohort studies of 132,837 women and men, we found that high intake of vitamin E either from diet or supplements was related to lower risk of liver cancer in middle-aged or older people from China,' the authors of the study wrote.
'If confirmed, these findings could open a new venue for prevention of liver cancer, the third most common cause of death worldwide.'
In the study, researchers analyzed data from 132,837 people in China who were enrolled in the Shanghai Women’s Health Study and the Shanghai Men’s Health Study.
The participants had enrolled in their programs - jointly conducted by the Shanghai Cancer Institute and Vanderbilt University - between 1997 and 2006.
They completed questionnaires and underwent in-person interviews so researchers could meticulously detail their dietary habits.
Researchers compared the liver cancer risk of participants who had a high intake of Vitamin E with those who did not.
Of the patients, 118 woman and 149 men were diagnosed with liver cancer between two and 11 years after starting the study.
