Keeping Fit

  • Lung Cancer Screening: 'Lungcheck'

Apples, Pears May Help Protect Lungs: Researchers

July 26, 2001

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Apples, pears and other fruits rich in certain plant compounds may help protect the lungs from chronic disease, researchers in the Netherlands have found. They suspect the benefit might come from catechins, one of a large group of plant compounds called flavonoids that has already been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

Various flavonoids have been found to act as cell-protecting antioxidants, and some research suggests antioxidants may guard against lung disease.

In addition, one study has suggested that ``solid fruits,'' including apples and pears, help protect the lungs due to their high flavonoid content, according to investigators led by Cora Tabak of the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven.

To further study the possibility, Tabak's team analyzed data on nearly 14,000 adults in a study on risk factors for chronic disease. They looked at the relationship between intake of different flavonoids and symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), such as chronic coughing and breathlessness. COPD includes two serious lung diseases--chronic bronchitis and emphysema--for which cigarette smoking is the biggest risk factor.

The investigators found that people with higher catechin intakes had a lower risk of chronic cough and breathlessness, even after smoking, age, body mass and other factors were considered. Two other groups of flavonoids--flavonols and flavones--were associated with a lower risk of chronic cough only.

Smoking was a strong risk factor for COPD symptoms, independent of any dietary effects, the authors note in the July issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The main catechin sources for the study participants were tea and apples. Tea was also the biggest source of the other flavonoids studied. Yet when the researchers looked at tea alone, they found no relationship between higher consumption and lower lung disease risk.

On the other hand, greater intake of solid fruits, such as apples and pears, was linked to healthier lung function.

''This first study on intake of catechins, flavonols, and flavones in relation to COPD suggests a beneficial effect of a high intake of catechins,'' Tabak and colleagues conclude.

However, the authors note, the lack of a relationship between lung disease and intake of tea and flavonoids other than catechins is puzzling. This suggests that catechins may not on their own lead to better lung function, the investigators acknowledge. They call for further research to confirm their findings and to delve deeper into the biological workings of various flavonoids.

In the study, participants gave dietary information for the previous year, answered questions on chronic respiratory symptoms, and had their lung function tested. They were split into five groups based on their various flavonoid intakes. In the group with the highest catechin intake, half of the participants consumed more than 20 milligrams of the substance each day. According to the researchers, there are about 15 milligrams of catechins in two apples.

** POSTED JULY 26, 2001 **

Keeping Fit: Health Watch

Cancer Prevention

  1. Quit Smoking
    * 30% of all cancers have been linked in part to tobacco use.
    * over 100,000 people die of lung cancer each year.

  2. Eat a healthy Diet
    * 35% of all cancers can be linked in part to poor diets
    * Avoid fatty foods, nitrates, and low fiber foods (such as bacon).
    * Eat dark green and yellow vegetables, whole grain cereals and fresh fruit
    * Limit your alcohol intake
    * Take Anti-Cancer 7 Anti-oxidant Vitamins:
    Vitamin A (10,000 IU daily)
    Vitamin C (2-5 grams per day)
    Vitamin E (200-600 IU daily)
    Minerals (selenium, calcium, zinc)

  3. Limit Unprotected Exposure to the Sun
    * Apply sunscreen (SPF 15 or above), especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
    * Wear a hat and dark sunglasses (UV-B and UV-A rated)

  4. Avoid Jobsite and Household Carcinogens, e.g.:
    ASBESTOS: vinyl chloride, beryllium, ortho-toluidine, acrylonitrile, carbon tetrachloride
    BENZENE: arsenic, nickel, cadmium, PCBs
    CHROMIUM: 2-napthylamine, diethyl sulphate, formaldehyde, ethylene oxide, methylene chloride

  5. Exercise/Stay Active
    * Take a short walk every day.
    * Bicycle, swim, weightlift, dance

  6. Practice Mental Fitness
    * Maintain an Active, Fighting Spirit
    * Reduce avoidable stress and tension
    * Meditate

Excerpted from Your Defense Against Cancer, The Complete Guide to Cancer Prevention, by Henry Dreher, Harper Paperbacks, 1994

You are advised to consult with a medical doctor before starting an exercise program, taking vitamins, or radically changing your diet.