Wine, produce, tea prevent cancer tumors

ANGERS, France, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- French researchers found very high doses of antioxidant polyphenols in red wine, fruits, vegetables and green tea prevent cancerous tumors.

Senior author Daniel Henrion, of the Universite d’Angers in Angers, France, said the polyphenols shut down and prevent cancerous tumors by cutting off the formation of new blood vessels needed for tumor growth.

The study, published in the November issue of the journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, also found that at relatively low doses of the same polyphenols play a beneficial role for those with diseased hearts and circulatory systems by facilitating blood vessel growth.

The amount of polyphenols necessary for the heart effect was found to be the equivalent of one glass of red wine per day or sticking to a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables containing polyphenols -- otherwise known as the Mediterranean Diet.

"When it comes to finding treatments for complex diseases, the answers are sometimes right there waiting to be discovered in unexpected places like the produce aisles and wine racks of the nearest store," Dr. Gerald Weissmann, editor in-chief of The FASEB Journal state in a statement. "But it takes modern science to isolate the pure compound, test it in the lab, and to go on from there to find new agents to fight disease."