The 8 foods that contain ‘miraculous’ ingredient that could prevent bowel cancer being trialled by the NHS
A MAJOR NHS trial is putting a “miraculous” ingredient to the test, in the hopes it could hold the key to preventing bowel cancer.
Research suggests that the powerful chemical compound – called resveratrol – could prevent the appearance of growths in the bowel that eventually turn into cancer, and starve cancerous cells of energy.
Resveratrol supplements are already sold online and in pharmacies.
Now, the NHS experts want to see if a concentrated version of the compound could be dished out in pill form to reduce people’s risk of disease.
The trial, which was announced last month, will recruit 1,300 people aged 50 to 73 who screening shows have bowel polyps, raising their risk of cancer.
Prof David Sinclair of Harvard Medical school has described resveratrol “as close to a miraculous molecule as you can find”.
Touted for its protective effects against type 2 diabetes and ageing as well as bowel cancer, the compound is actually present in everyday foods, like chocolate, nuts, berries and a particular variety of wine.
But that’s not to saw that you should stock up on this ingredients in order to prevent disease.
According to researchers, it would be physically impossible – not to mention unhealthy – to consume enough of these foods and drinks in order to reap their cancer-prevention benefits.
Prof Karen Brown, a researcher at the University of Leicester who has studied the compound, told The Telegraph that a dose resveratrol between 5 milligrams and 1 gram may have an effect on bowel cancer.
But it certainly can’t hurt to up your intake of polyphenols.
These are natural compounds found in many plants, of which resveratrol is one.
Research shows that regularly eating foods rich in polyphenols can boost your health, due to the compounds’ antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
According to studies, a polyphenol-rich diet may reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease while slowing signs of ageing and boosting memory.
From grapes to peanuts and blueberries, here are eight foods rich in resveratrol.
1. Red grapes
Red grapes and their skins are one of the richest sources of resveratrol.
This includes products made from grapes, such as red wine and grape juice.
But to derive just 5mg of resvetarol from grapes, you’d need to eat up to seven and a half punnets every day, according to Prof Brown.
So getting a gram of resveratrol through your diet “is not achievable”, she told The Telegraph.
2. Red wine
Red wine contains particularly high levels of resveratrol, more so than white wine or rosé.
But once again, guzzling vino to up your intake of the compound is not recommended.
In fact, drinking the amount of red wine needed to do that would render you an alcoholic – and could up your cancer risk.
Prof Brown said: “You could potentially consume 5mg of resveratrol a day if you had several large glasses of certain types of red wine after your evening meal, but we know that alcohol consumption is linked to cancer and the advice for people at risk of bowel cancer in particular is that they avoid it entirely if they can.”
Long-term effects of alcohol misuse
Drinking large amounts of alcohol for many years will take its toll on many of the body’s organs and may cause organ damage.
Some of these include:
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Pancreatitis
- Liver disease
- Liver cancer
- Mouth cancer
- Head and neck cancer
- Breast cancer
- Bowel cancer
- Depression
- Dementia
- Sexual problems, such as impotence or premature ejaculation infertility
- Damage to the brain, which can lead to problems with thinking and memory
Source: NHS
3. Blueberries
Though tiny, the plump purple berries contain a contain moderate amounts of resveratrol.
They’re are also rich in other antioxidants and vitamins.
Previous research has linked consumption of blueberries to improved heart health and enhanced brain function.
A 2018 study found that eating blueberries might prevent the buildup of plaques in the arteries.
Meanwhile, a 2022 study found that patients aged 50 to 65 with memory problems who took a blueberry powder supplement for 12 weeks performed better in mental tests.
4. Cranberries
Sharp sour cranberries aren’t just useful for making cranberry sauce and preventing UTIs.
Like blueberries, they’re rich in antioxidant compounds and provide a good source of resveratrol.
5. Peanuts
The health boosting compound can also be found in nuts too.
Peanuts and peanut butter contain resveratrol, although the levels are lower than in grapes or berries.
6. Dark chocolate
Chocolate fans rejoice!
Dark chocolate and cocoa both contain a dose resveratrol, along with other antioxidants. The concentration will vary depending on the cocoa content.
It’s not the first time the sweet treat has been linked to better health, as recent research found that people who ate three squares of a bar five times per week were 21 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
7. Mulberries
Less commonly eaten that blueberries and cranberries, mulberries are yet another fruit that contains resveratrol.
They can be enjoyed fresh, dried, or in juice form, and are rich in vitamin C and iron.
8. Pistachios
We’re back to the nut family with pistachios.
These tasty green kernels contain small amounts of resveratrol and are also a good source of protein and healthy fats.
Other potential benefits of resveratrol
According to Prof Brown, many studies have looked into the effect of resveratrol on diabetes and heart disease.
A 2022 study found that supplements containing the compound could improve glycaemic control in people with diabetes.
Prof Brown said: “There have also been some promising findings about resveratrol preventing the early biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease, and recently there have been some good studies about resveratrol improving cognitive function and preventing osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.”
As for its abilities to slow ageing, “a lot of consternation was caused by some papers a few years ago that showed how resveratrol could lengthen the lifespan of worms in a lab setting,” Prof Brown added.
“That’s a big leap to anti-ageing in humans, but we can say with relative certainty that resveratrol does seem to protect against some of the effects of a diet high in saturated fat, which is a common cause of early mortality.”