Month: December 2007

A compound called “lupeol” has been found to dissolve cancers better than chemotherapy in the head and neck!

Lupeol Compound in Fruits Found to Destroy Cancer Tumors in the Head and Neck Faster Than Chemotherapy Drugs

“A chemical that naturally occurs in certain fruits such as grapes, mangoes and strawberries may be able to suppress the growth and spread of head and neck cancers, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Hong Kong and published in the journal Cancer Research. Researchers induced head and neck cancer in mice and then gave the mice doses of the chemical lupeol, a triterpene compound found in many fruits. The lupeol appeared to block the function of a protein called NFkB, which assists both healthy and malignant cells in the process of growth and repair. In addition, the growth and spread of the cancer appeared to be slowed. ‘From the animal models, not only did [lupeol] suppress the spread, the tumor got smaller. Compared to conventional drugs, lupeol reduced the size of the tumor far faster,’ researcher Terence Lee said. In addition, lupeol did not appear to cause the wasting often associated with chemotherapy. Such thinning is thought to be correlated with lower cancer survival rates. ‘Conventional drugs made the mice a lot thinner, but lupeol mice retained their bulk,’ Lee said. Cancers of the head and neck include nose, oral, salivary gland, throat, thyroid and voice box cancers. Such cancers are more common among those of Asian than European descent. Risk factors in these cancers include smoking, drinking excessive alcohol, chewing betel nut and a diet high in preserved foods such as salted fish. Because the cancers are hard to diagnose in early stages and head or neck surgery is particularly difficult, mortality tends to be high. According to researcher Anthony Yuen, the phytonutrient lupeol may eventually provide a useful treatment for not just head and neck cancers, but also cancers of the liver, prostate or breast — all of which are known to activate the NFkB protein. Lupeol is also present in saw palmetto, olive seed and certain vegetables.”

An Essential Fatty Acid has been shown to halt the progression of Alzheimer’s! The amazing beneficial properties of EFAs have been shown, once again, to be amazing!

DHA fatty acid helps halt Alzheimer’s progression

“A type of omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may help prevent the abnormal clumping of certain proteins that leads to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience. The research was conducted by scientists from the University of California at Irvine and from Martek Biosciences, a corporation that makes commercially available DHA products. Alzheimer’s is a common neurodegenerative disease that occurs when lesions form in the brain due to the clumping of beta-amyloid and tau proteins. Two to 3 percent of people aged 65 exhibit signs of the disease; by age 85, the percentage rises to 25 to 50 percent. The researchers studied mice genetically predisposed to develop Alzheimer’s by feeding them one of four different diets. The mice in one group were fed a diet similar to the typical US diet, low in omega-3 fats and high in omega-6s. A second group was fed a diet rich in omega-3s and supplemented with DHAs, while the other two groups were fed food rich in omega-3s and supplemented with both DHA and omega-6s. After 9 months, the brains of the mice who had been fed the DHA supplement had lower levels of beta-amyloid and tau proteins. The researchers believe that DHA may interfere with the accumulation of these proteins by lowering levels of an enzyme needed to produce them.”