"Eating Green to Prevent Cancer"
Why do people who eat more plants get less cancer?
We’ve talked about some phytonutrients
that can act as antioxidants to douse free radicals,
how some can boost our liver’s own detoxifying enzymes,
and some that even boost our DNA repair enzymes,
to patch up any damage done.
But 22 years ago, the interceptor molecule hypothesis was postulated.
Serving as a first line of defense,
interceptors bind to mutagens and carcinogens,
and thereby block them from coming in contact
with our DNA in the first place.
See, many carcinogens,
shown here in blue,
have a flat ring system narrow enough
to slip into the spine of our DNA,
causing mutations.
But if some interceptor were able to glom onto the carcinogen first,
it may no longer fit into our DNA.
So the search was on,
combing for the existence of carcinogen-binding molecules,
and in 2007 we discovered one such amazing molecule was
chlorophyll!
The most ubiquitous plant pigment in the world,
that which makes dark green leafy vegetables dark green.
In subsequent years,
the ability of chlorophyll to “totally abolish” DNA damage
of human cells exposed to carcinogens
was documented in a petri dish.
But what we really need to see is does it work in people.
But you can’t just give people carcinogens—
unless, you pay them enough.
“Effects of Chlorophyll on Low-Dose Aflatoxin in Human Volunteers.”
They had people drink a solution of radioactive aflatoxin,
the carcinogen that used to be a problem in peanut butter—
with or without spinach chlorophyll.
Here’s the big spike in their bloodstream of aflatoxin
without spinach in their stomach,
and this is with.
Apparently, the chlorophyll bound to the aflatoxin
and prevented its absorption into the bloodstream.
“In sum, these studies provide substantial evidence
that chlorophylls can strongly inhibit uptake of aflatoxins in the whole animal”—
which, in this case, was us.