An aunt forwarded an e-mail to me yesterday. She wasn't the first relative to do so and she won't be the last. Anyway, the subject was a giveaway: "Fwd: Asparagus for cancer – Who Knew?" Since I'm interested in healthy eating, I didn't send it to the trash folder like I've done with similar messages in the past.
Do Your Research
The message cites an article in the Cancer News Journal from 1979, titled "Asparagus for Cancer". It only took me a few seconds to enter "cancer news journal 1979 asparagus for cancer" into a Google search box and hit enter.
The very first result of the search was Asparagus Versus Cancer at Snopes.com. While the authors can neither confirm or deny the anti-cancer benefits given in the e-mail message, it does point out that no single food alone can cure cancer and they can't find the so called "source" of the cited article. Neither could I after spending a few minutes doing random searches.
So, is Asparagus Good for You?
Most vegetables are good for you, even if one kind isn't as nutritious as the next. Most of the nutrients in Asparagus can be found in a combination of other vegetables. Personally, I never liked the taste of asparagus and that's why I won't eat it.
Asparagus is high in the antioxidant glutathione, which is supposed to help fight viruses, certain forms of cancer and boost the immune system. It's not an essential micro-nutrient because the human body, most notably the liver, can synthesize it from several amino acids.
Stop the E-Mail Forwards
I never forward e-mail I've identified as junk e-mail like this. It only took me about five minutes to read it, do the research and send it off to my trash folder. If my relatives (and other people who forward this junk to me) would take the time to do it themselves, I probably wouldn't ever receive any. Alas, people aren't too lazy to read the junk, but they're too lazy to do the research.
No wonder there's a huge market for spammers on the net. If people are gullible enough to believe junk e-mail, they're gullible enough to buy just about anything.
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This article is published as: Asparagus for Cancer? Junk E-Mail for People too Lazy to do their own Research
hey RT,
You neglected to mention in your post that asparagus makes a person's pee smell funny. That's probably the cancer-fighting-stuff in action!
As for me, I'll stick with broccoli and tomatoes. :) ~ Steve
PS. I wasn't sure whether to say "pee" or "urine", or neither. Hope this comment doesn't get sent to akismet hell.
.-= My last blog: Cheap Trade Show Displays Aren't Always Cheap =-.
I don't think pee matters. :-)
I have not receive that email yet. Yes, although I agree that asparagus (and other greens) are healthy and good for your health. Asparagus is not enough to "cure", probably it can somehow prevent but as a cure, unfortunately I think not.
Then again it only shows that the best cure is prevention and guess we just have to live our lives to the fullest and make the most out of it. In short do something good for the country, for your community, for God.
The spammers are getting more savvy every day. If you receive an email like this and you don't recognize the sender, don't open it! They know you opened it and will tag you as a target for more related spam.
.-= My last blog: Consumer's Inside Guide to Carpet Cleaning =-.
If asparagus is good and healthy for body I would love to eat it.
WOW! Thanks for the healthy information. Time to make special asparagus diet for myself.
.-= My last blog: Chicago Neurosurgeon is First Woman Elected to American Association of Neurological Surgeons Board(2) =-.
I have recently been diagnosed with cancer and received this article from a well-meaning relative. It was immediately suspect to me because how can a cooked and then pureed vegetable have much of any nutrient left in it? And then dilute a mear 2 spoonfulls in a glass of water? Second, the fact you can use "canned asparagus" I doubt there is very little if any nutrient left in commercially canned asparagus and a whole lot of sodium! Is aspargus good for you- YES. Eat it raw, slightly steamed, grilled or juice it!
I have several forms of BCC. I heard about the "asparagus treatment" a year ago. For 12 months I ate asparagus 2-3 times a day and mind you, the article said that the female whom had skin cancer was "healed" in just 3 months. I have had ZERO results. The only thing the asparagus did was to keep my bowels regular. I am now using the Curaderm topical cream on the lesions. It's sad but I could have "properly" treated my condition a year ago instead of falling for such a hoax and not wasted so much time. My advice to anyone who has cancer"do your research". I believe in eating "natural" foods and using herbal treatments. But use common sense.