By
Julie Rausch
Since
1999 John Carter has been studying the health benefits of wheat.
Later this year he will begin testing how much of a certain Kansas
wheat strain would need to be consumed to help lower the risk for
colon cancer. Colon cancer is the second highest cause of cancer
deaths in the United States, Carter says.
During
earlier phases of this study, WSU and Kansas State University researchers
initially evaluated 70 strains of wheat from many states. In 2001,
they selected five strains from four states to test which strain
would best suppress the number and growth of intestinal tumors in
laboratory mice.
Photo
by Inside WSU
This summer, John Carter
from the College of Health Professions will study strains
of Kansas hard red winter wheat to determine how much wheat
would need to be consumed to lower the risk of colon cancer.
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This
summer, the next phase will start in a WSU laboratory, using mice
that spontaneously develop intestinal tumors. A Kansas-grown, hard
red winter wheat will be fed to the mice in five different concentrations
for about 10 weeks. Carter, associate professor of physical therapy,
will remove their intestines and determine tumor number and size.
The
eventual outcome is to breed modified wheat strains that have the
best protective qualities, Carter says.
The
Kansas wheat variety being tested has high levels of antioxidants.
Antioxidants combat free radicals — charged particles produced
by the body — which can damage cells. Antioxidants in whole
grains are associated with reducing risks of coronary heart disease
and several forms of cancer, as well as improving regulation of
blood glucose levels, Carter says.
In
about a year, the researchers hope to interest a major food corporation
to support clinical trials on humans, which would take three to
four years, Carter says. The purpose of the clinical trial is to
determine the optimum amount of wheat that humans should consume
to significantly reduce their risk for colon cancer.
Cancer
researchers estimate that 90 percent of all stomach and colon cancers
can be prevented by consistently following dietary recommendations
set by the American Cancer Society and the American Institute for
Nutrition, Carter says.
"We
have the opportunity to bring about tremendous health benefits if
we can get consumers to eat these wheat products as part of their
regular diet," Carter says.
Nearly
one-fifth of all wheat produced in the United States is grown in
Kansas, according to the Kansas Wheat Commission.
The
research is funded by the Kansas Wheat Commission and the Flossie
West Memorial Trust Foundation, a group in Augusta that funds cancer
research in Kansas.
