Berries serve as an excellent prevention of oncology
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Berries are rich in anthocyanins - components that can be used as a therapeutic and preventive agent, to prevent the development of cancer tumors and slow the aging processes.
Such conclusions were recently arrived by American and Finnish pharmacists. Pigmented substances - anthocyanins - are found in many berries, for example, in blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries. Such substances belong to the category of flavonoids and have a powerful antioxidant effect. Specialists say that anthocyanins can protect people from many dangerous diseases, including atherosclerosis, heart failure, heart attack, cerebral circulation, diabetes mellitus. It turns out that we are talking about quite promising drugs, which, unfortunately, have not been sufficiently studied so far.
For several years, oncologists carefully studied the effect of berries on the prevention of cancer. As a rule, tests of new drugs on rodents gave hope, but long tests on a man did not meet expectations. And only very recently the scientists approached the truth.
Specialists have studied the effect of anthocyanins on enzymes that affect the aging of cells and their malting - among such enzymes, Sirtuin 6, which regulates gene activity and prevents malignant cell transformation, is particularly relevant.
With age-related changes, Sirtuin 6 loses its functionality, which makes it possible for the disease to develop.
So far, this enzyme has been studied less than others. It was believed that it is of great importance in carbohydrate metabolism and the prevention of diabetes.
The group of experts, led by Mina Ranasto-Rilla, was confronted with the curious abilities of cyanidine. It is about anthocyanin, which is present in berries such as raspberries, blueberries and cranberries. It was experimentally found out that cyanidine increased the indices of cell production of Sirtuin 6 by 55 times. Similarly, anthocyanin inhibited the activity of oncogenes, potentiating the antitumor gene. If to say more simply, the berry component is able to become a killer in relation to malignant cellular structures.
So far, scientists can not say for sure whether cyanidine can overcome the acidic environment of the stomach and fulfill the important function entrusted to it. Of course, it would be very good if the diet on berries could become a full-fledged prevention of cancer. If it turns out that anthocyanins are damaged in the acidic environment of the stomach, pharmacologists will have a new task: to improve and improve their assimilation by the human body.
So far, one thing is certain: a careful study of the ability of cancer cells to survive sooner or later will lead scientists to solve the problem with deadly diseases. Sirtuin 6 and drugs-regulators of activity of oncogenes will be a new stage on the way to victory over oncopathologies.
Details of the research are described on the pages of Scientific Reports.
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