Chemicals in Foods that Fight Cancer

Recent studies show that a class of chemicals--called salvestrols--are depleted in commercially grown crops. This term, coined to describe a group of compounds that interact selectively with tumor-specific enzymes, is derived from the Latin word salve, meaning to save. This group is non-toxic dietary phytochemical, which will be selectively activated by tumor-specific enzymes such as the P450 grouping. Resveratrol is a species of this genus of chemicals. Unfortunately, they are hardly found in non-organic cultivations but are present in organic crops. This fact has led to speculation that incidence of cancer parallels mechanization of farming processes because of a lack of naturally occurring phytochemicals that selectively fight cancer. It seems that plants develop these chemicals as a strategy of survival and don't  make them when their enemies are eliminated by pesticides, etc. Further, food processors are now using sophisticated methods to remove bitter substances from foods, in an effort to meet federal guidelines to avoid adding sugar sweeteners to products. One makes them sweeter by removing bitters and it seems that salvestrols are bitter too. Thus we have a secondary way in which modern food cultivation and processing are detrimental to health. 

Source: Aug/Sept 2007 Townsend Letter, "Can Food Really be Your Medicine?," Hoon Tan, PhD.