(3/10/99)

With the growing trend toward natural products and alternative medicine, it's no wonder that many people are looking more closely at food and what role it might play in fighting cancer. Turns out that there are a lot of cancer researchers who are doing the same thing. NBC's Dr. Max Gomez explains.

Try not to think of these as simply fruits and vegetables. Some scientists say they contain powerful medicine. That's why food is at the center of cutting edge cancer research.

Dr. Moshe Shike, Memorial Sloan Kettering, says, "In about 35 percent of cancers diet may play a role."

Remarkable discoveries are being made in this lab at Weill Med College of Cornell University. Scientists are pinpointing certain foods that can deactivate a cancer promoting gene known as cox2.

Dr. Andrew Dannenberg says, "There are many natural substances which we all eat which turn off this gene and protect against cancer. And we now have the tools to understand why that's happening."

At the Strang Cancer Prevention Center Dr. Mitchell Gaynor says some foods contain important natural chemicals called phytonutrients.

"Phytonutrients means plant based nutrients, the key thing is these are our major protectors against the development of canceer over the long term," he says.

Tops on his list - green tea.

"The antioxidant in it is 20 times more potent than vitamin E, 500 times more potent than vitamin C."

Then there are the cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbage. They have natural enzymes that help the body remove carcinogens from the body.

There's the chemical that makes tomatoes red, lycopene. It helps protect cells from damage, the first step in the cancer process. Studies show cooked tomatoes seem to give the most benefit.

Dr. Gaynor says, "If you're a man for instance, 10 or more tomatoes a week can lower the risk of prostate."

Strawberries and raspberries have also been found to contain potent antioxidants. And red grapes are the focus of some new research.

Dr. Dannenberg says, "For example in the lab we've shown that resveratrol, a substance in grapes and wine turns off the cox 2 gene."

Most researchers agree that there is one more major food factor in fighting cancer. It's something you should not eat and that is too much fat.