Julia Bradbury promotes specific fruit to ‘reduce cancer risk’ – what does evidence say?
Back in October, Julia shared a picture of herself in hospital, just after she had come out of surgery. The 51-year-old tweeted the pic alongside the caption saying that she had “overwhelming” anxiety before the operation, and she was sad to say that such a “brutal procedure” was necessary. Since being diagnosed with breast cancer in her left breast, the television star has encouraged others to check themselves, in case they find anything suspicious.
“By the way, I asked Rupert, an amazing reflexologist, to concentrate on my sleep (lots of big toe work!) – and voila.”
Continuing to raise awareness of cancer, while also documenting her personal experience, the Greek presenter shared another useful tip to her 155,000 Twitter followers.
In a post yesterday she wrote: “Karpouzi! As we call them in Greece. Watermelons contain antioxidants that help to neutralise free radicals: once neutralised they’re broken down.
“This prevents DNA damage & can help reduce cancer risk. Info @urbankitchen. Wish I was back in Greece eating them now.”
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According to LiveScience, a watermelon is packed full of antioxidants and vitamins such as vitamin A, B6 and C. However, it is the lycopene within watermelon that is the main antioxidant that can help protect cells from damage.
WebMD explains that lycopene is used for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer and various other conditions.
Victoria Jarzabkowski, a nutritionist with the Fitness Institute of Texas at The University of Texas said: “The lycopene in watermelon makes it an anti-inflammatory fruit.
“When you’re sick, you have cellular damage, which can be caused by a variety of factors including stress, smoking, pollution, disease, and your body becomes inflamed.
“This is called ‘systemic inflammation.’ In this way, anti-inflammatory foods can help with overall immunity and general health. “
The U.S. The Department of Agriculture explains that a cup and a half of watermelon contains about nine to 13 milligrams of lycopene — 40 percent more lycopene than raw tomatoes.
The National Cancer Institute also explains that lycopene has been linked in particular to reducing prostate cancer cell proliferation.
Although more scientific research is needed to discover watermelon’s true effect on cancer, as the fruit is 92 percent water, they help with overall hydration.
For Julia, eating healthily is only a small part of her cancer journey. After surgery, the star continues to recover.
“She is also very committed to raising awareness. And she has been pleasantly surprised by the response — she has received hundreds of messages of support since her diagnosis,” a source close to her said.
According to the NHS, most people recover well from a mastectomy. Wounds usually take around two to three weeks to heal, but it may be several months before the chest and arm area are fully recovered.
Before leaving hospital, your doctor or nurse will talk to you about what to do when you get home. You’ll probably feel more tired than usual for several weeks and will need a lot of rest, so try not to do too much. Arm exercises are recommended to encourage the full range of movement back to your arm and shoulder.
Source: | This article first appeared on Express.co.uk