Apple pectin and polyphenol-rich apple juice can help ward off colon cancer, by encouraging the production of suspected chemopreventative metabolite butyrate, say researchers.
Butyrate is a short chain fatty acid (SCFA) that has been linked to a healthy colon.
The study in the April issue of Nutrition looked at human faecal matter fermented with apple constituents, and found a significantly higher amount of SCFA.
“Butyrate not only serves as a major nutrient for the colon epithelia, but is also thought to play an important role in the protective effect of natural fibre against colorectal cancer,” said Dieter Schrenk, who led the German research team.
A recent study in California found that low doses of freeze-dried grape powder could also help prevent the development of colorectal cancer.
