Anticarcinogenicity

The property of interfering with cancer development — preventing, slowing or reversing carcinogenesis. Candidate foods and compounds are screened with the Ames test, cell-culture assays and animal models, while epidemiology links diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains with lower cancer risk. Proposed mechanisms include boosting carcinogen-detoxifying enzymes, shielding DNA with antioxidants, suppressing tumour promotion and triggering the death of damaged cells. The concept drives much functional-food research, but scientists stress the gap between promising laboratory results and proven protection in people — a gap only long-term human studies can close.