Pectin appears to cut cancer risk

British scientists say they may have discovered why people who eat more fruits and vegetables have less risk of cancer -- pectin.

Pectin is better known for its jam-setting qualities and as being a component of dietary fiber, but the current finding supports a cancer-fighting role as well.

Vic Morris of the Institute of Food Research in Norwich, England, said the researchers determined that a fragment released from pectin -- found in all fruits and vegetables -- binds to and is believed to inhibit galectin 3, a protein that plays a role in all stages of cancer progression.

Most claims for the anticancer effects of foods are based on population studies, Morris said in a statement. For this research we tested a molecular mechanism and showed that it is viable.

The next stage of the research is to identify how pectin can be taken up by the body and released so it can exert its effect on cancer cells.

For a whole combination of different effects it is best to consistently eat a range of fruits, vegetables and high-fiber foods, Morris added. You don't necessarily have to eat a superfood.

The research is published in The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal.