Estrogenic vegetables?
This interesting study looked at cruciferous vegetables (specifically cabbage and Brussell sprouts) to see if they had any estrogenic activity. Basically they found that low doses of cruciferous vegetables can help block estrogen induced tumor activity, however, high doses actually induced tumor growth … so once again research agrees with the age old wisdom of […]
Herb may protect ovaries and help prevent ovarian cancer
If you were a female gymnast back in the day or a tabla player, chances are you have been well exposed to talc. Turns out talc can increase the risk of ovarian cancer … thats the bad news. The good news is that pycnogenol was recently shown to prevent chemical induced carcinogenesis of the ovaries. […]
Chinese herbal tea may help prevent tumors from spreading
A recent study identified a compound in chrysanthemum that seems to help block angiogenesis and therefore can help prevent tumors from spreading. The flower is commonly steeped and combined with lycium berries for a tasty tea that is also very good for your eyes. Phytother Res. 2007 Oct;21(10):954-9
Chocolate may help prevent angiogenesis in ovarian cancer
Believe it or not, a component of chocolate may inhibit angiogenesis (blood vessel formation) in human ovarian cancer cells. Cancers use this blood vessel formation so they can spread (metastasize). So chocolate may help prevent metastasis … the problem is the sugar in sweetened chocolate may feed some tumors … Oncol Rep. 2000 […]
Vitamin E powerful for preventing ovarian cancer
Researchers found that Vitamin E suppresses telomerase activity in ovarian cancer cells selectively. In other words, it did not suppress telomerase activity in normal ovarian cells. Thus, it shortens the lives of cancer cells without shortening the lives of normal cells. Cancer Detect Prev. 2007;31(2):119-28. Epub 2007 Feb
Vitamin E may help prevent prostate cancer
A recent meta-analysis on the use of vitamin E in cancer prevention found that: “Vitamin E … was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of prostate cancer. Vitamin E can be used in the prevention of prostate cancer in men who are at high risk…” Ann Saudi Med. 2007 Nov-Dec;27(6):409-14.
Marijuana may help prevent and treat prostate cancer
This study found that cannabinoid receptor agonists (such as marijuana) seem to be potent agents to help inhibit prostate cancer. According to the study “Our results suggest that treatment of androgen-responsive human prostate carcinoma LNCaP cells resulted in a decrease in intracellular and secreted levels of PSA, with concomitant inhibition of androgen receptor, […]
Marijuana may help prevent some cancers, but not so good for your ovaries
Marijuana has gained recent interest due to its antitumor potential. However, some studies have shown that it can reduce VEGF. VEGF is important for the growth of follicles. One study states “In vitro and in vivo experiments show that at least two mechanisms may be involved in this cannabinoid action: the direct inhibition […]
Believe it or not, marijuana may kill brain cancer
Ok, very cliche for an herbal blog, but this is science. Marijuana (aka pot) is an herb. It has been used by Chinese Herbalists thousands of years back. The oldest herbal medicine texts describe the properties of Marijuana. So now, we have a new study looking at the effects of marijuana on malignant brain tumors. […]
Legumes may help inhibit aggressive cervical cancer
Substances in legumes and soybeans (soyasaponins) were shown to induce cell death (apoptosis) in an aggressive Cervical Cancer cell line (Hela). Xiao JX, et al. Toxicol In Vitro. 2007 Aug;21(5):820-6. Epub 2007 Feb 9. Morphological study on apoptosis Hela cells induced by soyasaponins. Xiao JX, et al. Exp Toxicol Pathol. 2007 Sep;59(1):35-42. Epub 2007 […]