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Page 51
Phytochemical
Food in Which Naturally Found
Action in Body
Ferulic acid
Fruit
Binds to nitrates in stomach; prevents production of carcinogenic nitrosamines.
Phytic acid
Grains
Binds to iron and reduces flee radical effects of too much iron.
Indoles
Cruciferous vegetables
Help detoxify estrogen.
Isothiocyanates
Cruciferous vegetables
Enhance glutathione S-transferase, which helps in carcinogen excretion.
Chlorophyll
Green vegetables
Antigenotoxin that inhibits the mutagenic activity of certain chemicals.
The following four classes of phytochemicals have demonstrated anticancer activity:
1. Protease inhibitors
Soybeans, chickpeas, other legumes
Reduce certain enzymes in cancer cells.
2. Phytosterols
Soybeans
Slow down the reproduction of cells in the large intestine, which may reduce risk of colon cancer.
3. Glycosides, saponins, and isoflavonoids
Soybeans
Interfere with the process by which the DNA of cells reproduce, which can prevent cancer from proliferating.
4. Genistein and daidzin (isoflavones)
Soybeans
Block the entry of estrogen into the cell, thereby causing cancer cells to lose their ability to function. Possibly help convert cancer cells back to normal cells.
Quercetin
Onions, broccoli, eucalyptus, blue-green algae, propolis
Inhibits the tumor-promoting PGE-2 series by blocking proflammatory reactions in the body.

 
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