Compounds In Food That Repair And Protect DNA
Indole-3-carinol (I3C)
Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and genistein in soy. Cruciferous vegetables contain a compound named indole-3-carinol (I3C) that increases the
levels of BRCA1 and BRCA2 proteins in our bodies. These proteins play an important role in repairing damaged DNA. Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 are strongly linked to breast cancer and also ovarium cancer.
Vitamin B9, Folate (or Folic acid in the synthetic form)
Romaine lettuce, spinach, asparagus, turnip greens, mustard greens parsley, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, and lentils.
Essential for cell reproduction and therefore critical during pregnancy when a baby’s cells are multiplying at an incredible rate. There are numerous articles regarding this online, even your health insurance site Aviva (www.aviva.co.uk) or whoever it may be, has information on the vitamin. Studies involving folic acid in epigenetics also showed how this compound flood the body with tiny four-atom configurations named methyl groups switching a flawed gene off during fetal development.
Antioxidants (Glutathione, Amino acids (vitamin c), Lipoic acid, Uric acid, Carotenes, a-Tocopherol (vitamin E), Ubiquinol (coenzyme Q)).
Fruits & vegetables, antioxidants can cancel out the cell-damaging effects of free radicals. Associated with a lower risk of heart disease and some neurological diseases and protection against a number of cancers.
Pectin
Studies showed that a fragment released from pectin, binds to and is believed to inhibit galectin 3 (Gal3), a protein that plays a role in all stages of cancer progression. Pectin is found in all fruits and vegetables Professor Morris who conducted the study says “For a whole combination of different effects it is best to consistently eat a range of fruits, vegetables and high-fibre foods,” “You don’t necessarily have to eat a superfood.”(1)
Wholegrains
Whole grains are rich in compounds that function as antioxidants. Whole grains are also good for hormones, they stabilize blood sugar and thereby regulate insulin levels and also contain
phytoestrogens that helps lower oestrogen levels in the body.
Hormones transport signals from one cell to another.
These messages can cause many effects, including stimulation or inhibition of growth,
- In puberty hormones can affect mood and mind
- induction or suppression of apoptosis (programmed cell death)
- activation or inhibition of the immune system
- regulating metabolism
- preparation for a new activity (e.g., fighting, fleeing, mating)
- preparation for a new phase of life (e.g., puberty, caring for offspring, menopause)
- controlling the reproductive cycle(2)
Omega3
Fish (Salmon, Tuna, Sardines or Mackerel ) & nuts (Walnuts, Hazelnut and Pecans). Lack of omega 3 has been linked to a huge range of illnesses and is now even considered as
treatment for mental illness such as depression, Adhd, alzheimers to heart disease, asthma and many more. Stored in the cell membrane it is thought to play a role in allowing substances to pass through
the cell and is also converted to prostaglandin. Prostaglandins reduce inflammation and inhibit blood clotting and also maintain other regulating roles in the body. Vital for a healthy mind and good brain structure, critical for a baby’s developing brain.
1. Reference: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081013084334.htm
2. Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormone
Hi Jeanette.
I eat a bunch of the foods described here. I cook cabbage by itself once in a while, or have broccoli as part of a soup. I cooked some beets a week or two ago, and those were great.
It is interesting how eating broccoli or cauliflower can directly lead to better DNA repair, reducing chances of mutation of genes like that BRCA1 gene.
I get some of that pectin from fruits I eat, or from fruit preserves I eat in sandwiches.
As far as those omega-3’s, I eat loads of nuts like pecans, walnuts, and almonds. They are so good. I actually have to limit the amount of nuts I eat regularly.
It is cool to see the detailed advantages of each of these sets of foods here.
Hi Armen,
Thanks for your comment, I find it very interesting how food affects us. I may mention, since you eat plenty of nuts and also recently wrote a very interesting post on learning and building knowledge, that a while ago I stumbled across a study on oleic acid in nuts, finding that eating them helps with memory retention.
free radicals are the number stuff that causes aging and kills our body slowly but surely,;~
free radicals can really damage your cells, that is why i always take antioxidants ;*;
This is a good post. However, I do not eat vegetables, too bad for me. Still, I will share this to my family members.
Its a shame more people aren’t informed of the dangers that our modern diet poses. The more natural foods we can consume, the healthier, and happier we will be. Thank you for your inspiring and informational post!
Hi, this is a very interesting and informative website, I browsed around the internet for some time until I found a site like this, the present article contains very important information especially for the eldelry. I would like to see more articles like this with information about our digestive system and other topics about foods ingestion, like the role of probiotics, fiber, food ph, the importance of consuming uncooked vegetables, healthy ways to ingest proteins (avoiding polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons),food sinergy etc.
Thanks.