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Copper May Reduce the Risk of Colon Cancer
Reproduced with the permission of the USDA Agricultural Research
Service
February 2 -- Take some oysters, liver, nuts and seeds, wash them
down with a little cocoa, and top them off with a chocolate bar
for dessert. While this combination may not appeal to your taste
buds, including these foods in a well-balanced diet may reduce your
risk of colon cancer, according to recent animal studies by Agricultural
Research Service scientists.
These foods are all high in copper--an essential trace element that
is below the new recommended intake (0.9 milligram per day) in about
one-quarter of U.S. diets.
Studies of mice and rats--led by ARS nutritionist Cindy D. Davis
at the Grand Forks, N.D., Human Nutrition Research Center--add to
evidence that a low-copper diet significantly increases risk of
colon cancer. Copper joins selenium, calcium, carotenoids and fiber
as being important for a healthy colon.
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in
the United States and the fourth worldwide. Diet is thought to be
the single greatest contributor to colon cancer in humans, possibly
accounting for 35-45 percent of the disease risk.
Davis and colleagues found that rats raised on only one-fifth of
their copper requirement had significantly more precancerous lesions
in their colons than the animals that got adequate copper after
both groups were given a cancer-causing chemical. And copper-deficient
colon cells showed enzyme abnormalities that have been reported
in precancerous lesions in both humans and rats.
Davis also looked for a copper connection in mice with a genetic
predisposition to develop intestinal tumors. Since the mouse mutation
is similar to one found in some human families, these animals make
a good model for testing the effects of dietary changes. Not surprisingly,
the mice fed the copper-deficient diet had significantly more and
bigger tumors than the animals fed adequate copper.
Earlier this month, ARS honored Davis as the "outstanding early
career research scientist of 2000" (link to news release). ARS is
the U.S. Department of Agricultures chief scientific research agency.
Story by Judy McBride
USDA Agricultural Research Service
Contact: Michael Hennelly,
Tel: 212-251-7259,
E-mail: mhennelly@copper.org
260 Madison Avenue, 16th floor,
New York, NY 10016-2401.
Tel: (212) 251-7240
Fax: (212) 251-7245.
SCIENTIFIC CONTACT:
Cindy D. Davis
701-795-8380
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