Can Cantaloupes Help Prevent Cancer?

Could cantaloupes help prevent cancer? Well a single cantaloupe would have its job cut out for it, but by eating cantaloupes and other vegetables and fruits in the cururbita vine growing family – such as pumpkin, squash, cucumber, zucchini, honeydew, and watermelon – research is now proving it could very well help prevent cancer.

Certainly most of us enjoy this amazingly sweet fruit on a hot summer day, but I bet you didn’t  know just how good it is for you!

Cantaloupes have one of the highest concentrations of vitamin A among all fruits! Around 3500 IU per ½ pound of an average sized cantaloupe. Vitamin A is already known for helping with night vision, and is now also making itself known as an anti-cancer vitamin.

“All-trans retinoic acid therapy (ATRA) is already used in another cancer – acute promyelomcytic leukaemia (APL) – and has been hugely successful in improving survival rates from 0% to 80%.”

Interestingly, vitamin A metabolites have already been used in cancer treatments, though sadly, combined with toxic chemotherapy:

“Retinoids are used to treat cancer, in part because of their ability to induce differentiation and arrest proliferation.”

Another powerful punch Cantaloupes offer is flavonoids. More and more research is finally being done regarding the role flavonoids play in cancer prevention. In 2011, the following was published in The Journal of Environmental Science and Health:

“Dietary flavonoids, combined with other components such as various vitamins, play an important role in cancer prevention… Overall, exciting data show that dietary flavonoids could be considered as a useful cancer preventive approach. “

Zeaxanthin, most known for its protection properties against Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), is now starting to get attention for its protection against age related diseases including cancer.  The Journal of the American College of Nutrition recently published the following conclusion regarding Zeaxanthin and disease prevention:

“A continuously growing body of evidence suggests that lutein and zeaxanthin may contribute to the protection against several age-related diseases, including cataract, AMD, heart disease, and some forms of cancer.”

And as if this  weren’t  enough, this mighty melon also contains some of the highest amounts of manganese – a co-factor for the powerful anti-oxidant enzyme, Superoxide Dismutase (SOD).

Research is now proving that SOD is an important player for killing cancer cells, per a study published in Nature, 2000:

“Our results indicate that targeting SOD may be a promising approach to the selective killing of cancer cells, and that mechanism-based combinations of SOD inhibitors with free-radical-producing agents may have clinical applications.”

Aside from cantaloupes being extremely delicious, considered one of the top favorite fruits in America, having an average Glycemic Index (GI) of only 65, and packed with potent nutrients… they are also proud cancer fighters, making them one of the healthiest fruits you can eat!

By Steve

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purpose and not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.