Issue date:
May 22-24, 1998

Eat vegetables now to avoid cancer later

In this story:
Tactic to lower blood pressure: Try magnesium
This week's recipe: Picnic Rice Salad

This week's recipe: Picnic Rice Salad

o thwart cancer, eat your vegetables early in life.

Cancers take 20, 40 or more years to appear. But the first signs appear as damage to the genetic material (DNA) of cells. This primes the cells for cancer growth years later.

Now, German researchers have shown that antioxidants in carrots, tomatoes and spinach can curtail cancer-inciting breakage in DNA.

When healthy men, ages 27-40, ate those three vegetables -- which are rich in anti-cancer lycopene, beta and alpha carotene, and lutein -- the DNA damage in blood cells was reduced. Carrot juice was especially potent, researchers noted.

It's the first real evidence that eating high-antioxidant foods can intervene in the cancer process at the earliest stages, they said.

Tactic to lower blood pressure: Try magnesium
If you have borderline high blood pressure, taking magnesium supplements may help, Japanese researchers report. Blood pressure fell significantly in subjects who got 400-500 milligrams of magnesium a day for four weeks, but not in those getting a placebo (sugar pill). Further, magnesium-takers had lower total cholesterol and higher good HDL cholesterol.

Previous research confirms that people with high blood pressure may lack magnesium. About 3 in 4 older Americans do not eat enough magnesium, a recent survey showed. Good food sources include brown rice, avocados, spinach, sunflower seeds and oatmeal. A daily dosage of 400-500mg magnesium is safe, experts say, but may have a slight laxative effect.

A movable feast of antioxidants

Picnic Rice Salad

4 cups cooked brown rice
1 2.5-ounce can sliced black olives, drained
6 scallions sliced thin, including 3 inches green
1 cup cooked green peas
2 large tomatoes, or 8 cherry tomatoes, chopped but not peeled
1/4 cup shredded basil leaves
1/3 cup salted, shelled sunflower seeds
4 Tbs. olive oil
1.5 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine rice, olives, vegetables, basil, sunflower seeds. Whisk together oil, vinegar, salt, pepper. Add to rice mixture and toss. Serves 6.

Per serving: 293 calories, 35g carbohydrates, 6.3g protein, 15g fat (2g saturated), 5g fiber, 170mg sodium.

Eating vegetables early/cancer
Pool-Zobel B. Carcinogene 18(9): 1847-1850, 1997

Magnesium vs. blood pressure
Itoh, Kazue, et al. British Journal of Nutrition , 1997; 78:737-750)

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