Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Where Your Contribution Counts!
    eNewsletter
    Support Us!
  • Record is Archived

    This article is now archived and is closed to further replies.

    Jefferson Adams
    Jefferson Adams

    Tiny Compound Reduces Colon Inflammation, Inhibits Cancer

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Celiac.com 02/17/2009 - Texas AgriLife Research scientist Dr. Nancy Turner has recently discovered that a microscopic compound commonly found in plant-based foods reduces inflammation and prevents the formation of cancerous lesions in the colon. The tiny molecule, called quercetin, is easily absorbed when people eat fruits and vegetables, and so requires no specialized supplements or drugs.

    Quercetin is a tiny, but powerful compound that is easily absorbed from onions, peppers, tomatoes and most other common produce. According to Turner, nearly all plant-based foods offer "some level of quercetin," including "fun things like wine."

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
    Previous laboratory research has shown quercetin to be effective in reducing rates of colon cancer, but Turner's study is the first to illuminate the mechanism by which quercetin works its magic.

    These results offer researchers another line of inquiry into other inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's and celiac disease, as it's quite likely that quercetin can offer some measure of protection against those conditions as well.

    According to Turner, the levels of quercetin used in the study are comparable to those "achieved in diets around the world such as...the Mediterranean-style diets." As such, reaching such levels in American diets is "not an unachievable goal," she said.

    In the study, Turner's research team observed the responses of rats to quercetin-supplemented diets. Some of the rats were in the early stages of colon cancer formation, while others were cancer-free. In people, as in animal models, early colonic lesions represent some of the very first pre-cancerous changes that can be seen visually. These so called  "aberrant crypts," are thought to mark or predict tumor formation.

    Earlier studies have shown quercetin to reduce the number of these crypts, but Turner "wanted to know how it might be protecting."

    Cancer is commonly understood as uncontrolled cell growth, but researchers are now realizing that the normal action of cell death, a process called "apoptosis," plays a crucial role in allowing cancer to develop. Healthy bodies generally maintain equilibrium between the generation of new cells and sloughing off cells that have completed their job. Quercetin seems to play a beneficial role in both cases. It decreases the number of cells being generated in the colon [and] increases the number of cells that were undergoing apoptosis. In all, quercetin helps to maintain a normal number of cells.

    The research team then turned its attention to the relatively new discovery that inflammation is one of the prime instigators of colon cancer. The team focused on two enzymes, called Cox-1 and Cox-2. Cox-1 is a standard protein that the body usually exhibits. But Cox-2 has a potential role in a number of diseases. Turner explains that Cox-2 is an "inducible protein that is expressed in the body when there is some kind of external stimulus to a cell." Scientists consider high levels of Cox-2 "as being a bad thing."

    Research shows that not only are elevated levels of Cox-2 present in colon cancer, but that the Cox-1 levels become elevated before Cox-2 levels rise. According to Turner, it seems that Cox-1 exerts some sort of influence over whether Cox-2 expression.

    Both the control groups and the carcinogen-injected groups that consumed dietary quercetin had lower levels of both Cox-1 and Cox-2, suggests that there may be chance for quercetin to prevent tumor growth.

    Clearly, further study is needed to better understand the links. But Turner encourages people to consume lots of fruits and vegetables. She points out that, in addition promising benefits for colon cancer, quercetin has demonstrated positive influence in fighting other chronic ailments such as cardiovascular disease.


    *Turner's research was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture . Source: Open Original Shared Link


    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    There are no comments to display.



    Guest
    This is now closed for further comments

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Help Celiac.com:
    Donate
  • About Me

    Jefferson Adams

    Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University. His articles, essays, poems, stories and book reviews have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and websites, including North American Project, Antioch Review, Caliban, Mississippi Review, Slate, and more. He is the author of more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His university coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously devised health and medical content for Colgate, Dove, Pfizer, Sharecare, Walgreens, and more. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of numerous books, including "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

    >VIEW ALL ARTICLES BY JEFFERSON ADAMS

     


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Related Articles

    Jefferson Adams
    Celiac.com 08/17/2008 - One of the important ways doctors distinguish between the two types of refractory celiac disease is by looking at differences in intra-epithelial T lymphocytes (IELs) in intestinal biopsies. People with refractory celiac disease who show normal IELs are said to have refractory celiac disease I, while those with abnormal IELs are said to have refractory celiac disease II.
    A team of doctors based in the Netherlands recently set out to assess the effectiveness of computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing refractory celiac disease, and enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL). EATL is a generally rare, but particularly aggressive form of bowel cancer that is the leading cause of death in adults with celiac disease.
    The study team was made up of doctors Maarten...


    Jefferson Adams
    Celiac.com 01/14/2009 - For decades now, doctors have known that people with celiac disease face a significantly greater risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), though that risk has steadily declined over the last 40 years.
    Recently though, a team of doctors at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., led by Ying Gao, M.D., has discovered that siblings of celiac patients also face an increased risk of developing NHL. Results of the study appeared in the January issue of Gastroenterology.
    The research team conducted a study using 37,869 patients with NHL, 8,323 with Hodgkin's lymphoma, and 13,842 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who were diagnosed between 1965 and 2004. The study included 236,408 matched controls and 613,961 first-degree relatives.
    The results...


    Jefferson Adams
    Celiac.com 05/13/2009 - People with silent celiac disease, those who test positive for celiac disease antibodies, yet show no clinical signs of the disease itself, do not face a higher risk for developing malignant cancers, according to results of a recent Finnish study.
    Previous studies done in the 1970s and 1980s indicated that patients with clinically recognized celiac disease face a higher risk for developing malignancies, Dr. Katri Kaukinen, of the University of Tampere, Finland, told reporters from Reuters Health. However, she explained, "it has not been known whether apparently clinically silent unrecognized cases also carry an increased risk of celiac disease-related complications, and thus whether the healthcare system should recognize and treat."
    In an effort to answer...


    Jefferson Adams
    Celiac.com 09/08/2014 - Currently, physicians trying to diagnose celiac disease in patients with lymphocytic enteritis look for subepithelial deposits of anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA. However, it is known that an increase in CD3+TCRγδ+ coupled with a decrease in CD3- intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) is a flow cytometric pattern clearly indicating celiac disease with atrophy.
    To determine which method yielded better diagnostic results, a research team set out to compare and contrast intestinal intraepithelial lymphocyte cytometric pattern with subepithelial deposits of anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA for diagnosing lymphocytic enteritis due to celiac disease.
    The researchers included F. Fernández-Bañares, A. Carrasco, R. García-Puig, M. Rosinach, C. González, M. Alsina, C. L...


  • Recent Activity

    1. - powerofpositivethinking posted a topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      0

      Oh the Anomalies! This Forum Helped My Dog and Me

    2. - SuzanneL replied to SuzanneL's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      Weak Positive Test

    3. - cristiana replied to Larzipan's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      16

      Has anyone had terrible TMJ/ Jaw Pain from undiagnosed Celiac?

    4. - Julie Riordan replied to Julie Riordan's topic in Traveling with Celiac Disease
      3

      Any ideas for travelling

    5. - Nedast replied to Larzipan's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      16

      Has anyone had terrible TMJ/ Jaw Pain from undiagnosed Celiac?


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      120,505
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Afton Horvath
    Newest Member
    Afton Horvath
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.2k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Popular Now

    • JustGemi
    • Linedancegal
    • Hannah24
      9
    • jessiemariecar
    • Rhonda H
  • Popular Articles

    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
  • Upcoming Events

×
×
  • Create New...