Results of a recent study suggest that antioxidant compounds present in red wine, tea, and some fruit and vegetables could help to prevent prostate cancer. Spanish researchers found that five polyphenol compounds called gallic acid, tannic acid, morin, quercetin and rutin, stopped prostate cancer cells from proliferating and encouraged them to commit suicide – a cellular process called apoptosis. The researchers believe that their findings could explain why prostate cancer rates are significantly lower in Mediterranean countries than in the US and non-Mediterranean Europe. The authors concluded: “The Mediterranean diet is considered to be protective against the endocrine cancers (including prostate cancer), and features a low animal-fat and meat content, with a high intake of fresh fruit, vegetables, pasta and wine.”
SOURCE/REFERENCE: BJU International 2002; 89:950-954
