Scientists speaking at the American Institute for Cancer Research say such realizations will come as more and more studies verify the beneficial effects from natural substances within plants. Dr. Richard Rivlin, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, says, "We need to avoid an extreme viewpoint. We ought not embrace it too fast or uncritically. We ought not reject it out of hand."
He says alternative or complementary theories need to be put to the same rigorous testing as more conventional approaches to cancer prevention. The scientific community has been studying how substances within fruits, vegetables, grains and beans -- called phytochemicals -- work to protect against diseases like cancer. Testing is underway on the potential cancer-fighting activity of natural substances in soy, tea, garlic, grapes, and the trace mineral selenium.
Dr. Michael Wargovich of the South Carolina Cancer Center says about half the drugs now widely used in cancer treatment are derived from plants. He says researchers are discovering the cellular mechanism involved and learning how to use foods to target the pathways that lead to cancer development --- the same approach behind herbal remedies that have been used for thousands of years.
