10th June 2009
WA researchers have made a major breakthrough into preventing a common cancer, finding that leafy green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli can slash the risk of bowel cancer in many people.
Scientists from the University of WA and the WA Institute of Medical Research found that a common version of the gene MTHFR - already linked to an increased risk of migraines and stroke - was carried by about half the population and increased their risk of cancer.
But lead researcher Professor Barry Iacopetta, from UWA's school of surgery, said the gene variation increased the risk of cancer only in the right side of the large bowel, suggesting that tumours that developed in different parts of the bowel had different risk factors.
This led them to look at different factors, including folate, which might reduce those risks, and their findings have been reported in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fellow researcher Lyn Fritschi from WAIMR said the study found that the risk of cancer in the right side of the bowel jumped to 70 per cent if a person did not eat enough folate - a vitamin found in a range of foods, particularly green leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and brussel sprouts.
"But in a fascinating discovery we've also found that by boosting their folate intake, people with the high-risk version of the MTHFR gene might be able to lower that 70 per cent risk down to an average risk," Professor Fritschi said."
"Folate is found in many everyday foods, including spinach, brussel sprouts, lentils and peanuts, and eating the right daily amount is as simple as eating an orange, a cup of cooked broccoli and a cup of baked beans. "
"And because alcohol tends to block the absorption of folate, it is also recommended that people drink it in moderation if they want to boost their levels of the vitamin."
The researchers said it was not necessary for people to find out if they had the gene version that increased the risk of bowel cancer but instead everyone should boost their folate intake, preferably through their diet rather than by supplements.
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