It's common knowledge among doctors that people eating many fruits and vegetables are at a much lower risk of developing cancer than those who don't. But the reason why this happens remained a mystery until recently, when researchers at the Institute for Food Research came up with an answer. The team of scientists, led by professor Vic Morris, uncovered a pectin fragment that is believed to bound to and inhibit the actions of galectin 3 (Gal3), a protein that is very important for cancerous cells during all stages in the development of the disease.
 

Pectin is found in most fruits or vegetables and it breaks up when inside the body, to form connections with various proteins. But a small fragment of it binds with Gal3, to generate the results shown by statistics, that people eating healthy food are several times less likely to display signs of cancer. Population studies such as European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC) were unable to determine exactly how pectin exerts its protective barrier against cancerous cells when ingested.
 

Morris says that food selection is the most important step in gastrointestinal cancer prevention and while there are no "super foods" available as of yet, a balanced diet can improve one's chances of avoiding the disease. When considering that millions of people worldwide develop some form of cancer during their lifetime, the prospect of eating fruits, vegetables and other high-fiber foods may seem more attractive to people currently avoiding this type of nourishment.
 

The next stage of Morris' research is to determine how exactly pectin is broken down inside the body and how it binds with Gal3. Further discoveries in this area could open the way to new, bio-active pectin enhanced foods, which could supply people with a basic defense line against mutations causing gastrointestinal cancer. "This first step opens the way to a new and exciting area of research in bioactive carbohydrates," Morris concluded.