The oft-maligned broad bean could be a life saver. Scientists say research indicates the vegetable that many of us unhesitatingly push to the side of the plate has definite health-enhancing properties.
Researchers at London's Hammersmith Hospital and the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine say substances called lectins found in broad beans can lead to actual changes in the makeup of cancer cells. According to the medical journal Gut, lectins help malignant cells act more like normal cells.
"It is well known that diets high in fruits and vegetables protect against many types of cancer, including bowel cancer," says Prof. John Calam, who headed the research team. "The lectin effect may be one of the reasons why."
The broad bean would thus join a growing list of foodstuffs thought to have cancer-preventative qualities, including tomatoes and raspberries. The London scientists specifically tested the effects of dietary lectins from the beans on the behavior of colonic cancer cells.
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