Laurence Dollimore
GAZPACHO helps prevent cancer.
That’s the findings of a new Spanish study which found the typically Andalucian dish helps disrupt the growth of colon cancer cells.
Researchers in Almeria and Granada put the cold soup through an artificial digestive system before introducing the resulting substance to cultured tumours.
Researchers kept to the traditional recipe, made up of tomato (385 grams), cucumber (58 grams), pepper (3 grams), garlic (2 grams), extra virgin olive oil (3.3%, v / v), water ( 3.3%) and vinegar (0.16%).
All ingredients were fresh.
The results showed that gazpacho not only stopped cell growth, but that it could induce so-called programmed cell death.
“Upon contact with this type of food, a series of genes are activated that cause inhibition in development of tumours and cause them to actively ‘commit suicide’ – known as apoptosis,” explained lead researcher Pablo Campra, from the University of Almeria.
“Why and how they do it is something we are working on now.”
The data also showed that ingredients like garlic or olive oil have an antitumor effect on their own, although they would require very high doses to reach gazpacho’s cancer-busting levels.
“We have seen how the union as a gazpacho enhances all these properties, making its consumption more effective at significantly lower amounts,” concluded Campra.
The study was published by the Food Research International magazine.
