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Apples, cherries, grapes, celery, parsley, artichokes, leeks, onions...these are among the top sources of apigenin, a plant compound which is under study to possibly support cancer treatments. Fruits and vegetables have long been recognized as key components of a cancer-prevention diet, but they may also help enhance the effectiveness of cancer-fighting drugs, according to a new study at the University of California, Riverside.
Chemotherapy uses toxic chemicals to kill cancer cells, but unfortunately, when tumors survive this assault, patient health suffers. While doctors regularly employ drugs to increase chemotherapeutic effects, this new research identifies apigenin as a naturally occurring compound that might activate tumor-suppressing proteins, causing 53% of the cancer cells to die off when used in conjunction with chemotherapy, in lab research. In fact, the apigenin-chemo combo combated cancer just over two and half times more effectively than chemo on its own.
Fruit and vegetables play other important roles in sustaining cancer patients, maintaining blood nutrient levels, enhancing enzyme activity in the liver and nourishing the body as it battles disease. They also help with weight maintenance, which lowers the risk of developing cancer in the first place, as well as improving the chance of surviving it after diagnosis.
BONUS: Apigenin offers protection against cancers of the prostate, breast, colon and skin, in lab studies.
