When it comes to health stories, advances and discoveries in cancer research are all the rage – and with good reason. Claiming 553,768 American lives in 2001, cancer placed just below heart disease with 700,142 lives, according to a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
From elusive carcinogens to simple dietary preventatives, U.S. readers savor every ounce of news related to cancer in hopes of increasing chances of evading malignant nightmares. But are these breakthroughs worth their weight in print – and the seemingly endless battle against cancer?
A recent stream of articles have appeared in national news outlets regarding a chemical called xanthohumol – a tumor-inhibiting compound isolated from hops, otherwise known as Humulus lupus in the scientific world. Hops is one of the main ingredients in ales and other beers for flavoring and as a preservative.
Announced 10 years ago by Oregon State University researchers Fred Stevens and Max Deinzer, xanthohumol is a member of a class of compounds known as xanthones, which are generally grouped into a group known as antioxidant flavenoids. These beneficial chemicals can commonly be found in fruits, vegetables and some beverages, according to a Web page covering the work of Donald R. Buhler and Cristobal Miranda at the Linus Pauling Institute.
Antioxidant flavenoids are a double-edged sword against the two leading killers of the average American: Eating foods rich in these substances reduces the risk of heart disease while the antioxidant properties combat cancer. But don’t go out to the bars just yet to order a tall glass of ale and call it a tasty battle against cancer.
Drinking alcohol regularly, especially in combination with smoking, has been correlated with incidences of cancer in the mouth and throat, according to studies funded by the National Institutes of Health. Moreover, a sedentary lifestyle and an unbalanced diet low in fiber are also correlated with incidences of digestive tract cancers.
Because of its strong association with alcoholic beverages, will xanthohumol go to waste as a potential cancer drug? Undoubtedly, the answer is no. What is plausible for the future is that xanthohumol and its antioxidant buddies would be extracted from hops, concentrated and engineered as drugs in treating malignant tumor growth. Like other vegetable and fruit antioxidant supplements, consumers can expect to see hops added to their daily supplements soon. Indeed many studies have already shown that in combination with vitamin E, xanthohumol’s effectiveness as an antioxidant increases significantly.
Even after effective xanthohumol drugs are engineered, tested and placed on shelves for consumers, there are many activities that people can participate in to prevent cancer more effectively. As National Institutes of Health studies have found, daily exercise of at least 30 minutes, a balanced diet rich in fiber, low consumption of alcoholic beverages and quitting smoking are the best means of preventing cancer.
Dave Mosher is a senior in biology and journalism. Imbibing readers can send their comments to [email protected].
