Avocados and Oral Cancer

Adapted from material provided by Ohio State University.

Researchers at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center believe that nutrients found in avocados have the ability to destroy oral cancer cells and can prevent other pre-cancerous cells from developing into cancer of the mouth. The effect is accredited to the high levels of phyto chemicals and phyto nutrients found in the dense, dark colored fruit. They believe that these compounds have the ability to target signals that your body sends to certain cells, which increases the amount of reactive oxygen with in the cells leading to cell death, while having no effect on normal healthy cells. The researchers say that they have only tested avocados in reaction to oral cancer but that it may react to other cancers in a similar way, but more research is needed. What we do know is, this is just one more reason to include avocados in your daily diet.