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Sunday, July 26, 2015

Avocado: A superfood with cancer-fighting potential

Avocado: A superfood with cancer-fighting potential

Avocados have gotten massive amounts of attention in the press in recent years. In the news, on social media sites and health food blogs, people all over the country have been talking about how good avocados are for the body. For one thing, they are loaded with monounsaturated fats (also known as MUFAs) which improve heart health by lowering the blood pressure and by improving cholesterol levels, two major risk factors for cardiac disease. They are a great source of fiber, which can improve the function and overall health of the digestive system. But what many people don't know about avocados is that one of their biggest health benefits is their ability to ward off cancer or to help treat it once it has developed. Read on to find out more about the many ways in which avocados help to reduce cancer risk.

Kills off cancer stem cells

The fats in avocado contain a compound known as avocatin B. This compound has been studied for its anti-cancer benefits and researchers later published a paper in the journal Cancer Research which reported that, during their study, it was found that avocatin B was able to kill off leukemia stem cells that are the main cause of AML, a form of leukemia  which traditionally has a very poor prognosis. It was also found that this compound did not harm the healthy tissues around the cancer cells themselves. Read more

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