Article: Pectin research targets cancer.

Scientists at the United Kingdom's Institute of Food Research (IFR) have found a possible explanation for why people who eat more fruit and vegetables may gain protection against the spread of cancers. They have shown that a fragment released from pectin, found in all fruits and vegetables, binds to and is believed to inhibit galectin 3, a protein that plays a role in all stages of cancer progression. This first step opens the way to a new area of research in bioactive carbohydrates.

"Most claims for the anticancer effects of foods are based on population studies," says Professor Vic Morris. "For this research we tested a molecular mechanism and showed that it is ...

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