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Walnuts ward off breast cancer in mice: Scientific American Blog

The mice, which are genetically engineered to develop cancer, normally get tumors within five months, Hardman says. But, she adds, “At 145 days, 100 percent of the mice on the normal diet had cancer, and 50 percent of the mice on the walnut diet had cancer.”

anti-cancer powers may stem from the activity of several nutrients within them: omega-3 fatty acids, … antioxidants …, and phytosterols, plant fats that have been shown to reduce levels of low density lipoproteins, or “bad cholesterol,” in the body. All of these nutrients have been shown to slow cancer growth in their own right, the researchers report in their study abstract.

We don’t know exactly what it is about walnuts that is cancer-protective… we have some theories but more data is needed. Walnuts also contain melatonin which some believe is cancer-protective. Here’s a summary of a study that that used omega 3 fatty acids alone to reduce cancer growth rates 22% in mice. It would be interesting to know which components in walnuts were most repsonsible for their cancer protective effects.

Source: scientificamerican.com