How chlorophyll inhibits cancer

The link between chlorophyll and cancer has been studied in the scientific community since the early 1900s, and studies consitently show that it has powerful anti-cancer properties.

Most recently, the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at Oregon State University found that chlorophyll provided significant protection against a very potent carcinogen called DBP (found in nail polish) in pregnant mice. Chlorphyll also reduced lung cancer multiplicity by 50% (Source).

Another recent study from the same university found that chlorophyll greatly reduced the expression of human colon cancer cells (Source).

One of the easiest ways to obtain natural chlorophyll is to consume fresh, organic dark leafy greens in liquid form.

Although greens can have a bitter taste, there are many ways to prepare them raw in a way that’s palatable. If you’ve never done this before, a great starting point is Nutritionist Meghan Telpner CNP’s Green Smoothie Cleanse. It’s packed with 100 pages of tremendously valuable information, and definitely provided me with a boost of health inspiration when I read it. Meghan is also running a group cleanse starting on August 6th where her and her staff will provide support along the way.

Fresh or Frozen?

Photo credit: Kelly West Mars

Fresh. Definitely Fresh.

Ask any food scientist – all food manufacturers must blanch produce before freezing them.

We recently sat down with Food Scientist Jinny Lok, B.Sc., MBA. She explains, “vegetables contain enzymes. If enzymes are not deactivated through blanching prior to freezing, they can cause vegetables to rot, lose colour and flavour even after the vegetables are frozen.”

“Blanching vegetables means submitting them briefly to boiling water or steam. The heat treatment destroys the enzymes, changes the texture and sets the color.  For extended storage, this improves the keeping quality of the vegetables.”

In addition to the loss of nutrients due to blanching, the freezing process also degrades certain vitamins. An Italian university published a finding in the Journal of Food Science that freezing broccoli caused a decrease of 39% of vitamin C and a 29% decrease of sulforaphane (an anti-cancer compound).

The argument against eating fresh produce stems from a concern that produce loses nutrients when it travels for a week across a continent, as well as the fact that unripe fruits are more acidic than ripe ones.

If you’re able to buy locally grown produce, and eat it fresh, you are able to save a large amount of nutrition versus eating frozen vegetables.

Here are some links to farmer’s markets in Canada and the U.S. to find a market near your home:

• Farmers Markets in Canada
• Farmers Markets in Ontario
• Farmers Markets in the USA

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