But research also shows this heart helper can also stop cancer from forming—and even KILL a variety of existing cancer cells. Exciting new research indicates all of us should be taking it — read on for details.
According to the National Cancer Institute, resveratrol belongs to a group of plant compounds called polyphenols. You'll find high concentrations of resveratrol in red wine, grapes, raspberries, peanuts, and other plants.
In fact, these and other plants produce resveratrol to protect themselves from fungus, infection and disease. And this same compound can help prevent cell damage and protect YOU from diseases too!
Scientists have discovered that resveratrol has some unique antioxidant properties that help protect your cells from damaging free radicals.
Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that steal parts from other cells to become more stable. Cells with stolen parts become damaged and unstable—which can make you vulnerable to diseases such as cancer.
But research shows resveratrol has the power to stop cell damage, and thereby help prevent the formation of cancer cells.
Here's what the science says so far…
According to a study published in the July 1st, 2008 issue of Cancer Prevention Research1 , Doctors Ercole Cavalieri and Eleanor Rogen of the University of Nebraska Medical Center wanted to determine how resveratrol might affect the formation of cancer cells.The researchers tested a blend of resveratrol, the amino acid n-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), lipoic acid, and melatonin. They found that adding resveratrol greatly enhanced the body's natural protective mechanisms.
What's more—the scientists said adding resveratrol to the formula greatly reduced the formation of breast cancer cells.
And more studies are underway to see how resveratrol affects the initiation, promotion, and progression of cancer. In addition to killing breast cancer cells, studies have shown so far that resveratrol could be an effective way to:
- Blast neuroblastomaNeuroblastoma is a disease of the nervous system — basically, the brain and spinal cord. It's the most common cancer among infants and toddlers. The standard treatments of radiation and chemotherapy are often ineffective and have serious side effects. According to study results published in Clinical Cancer Research2, researchers tested resveratrol on mouse models of human neuroblastoma and in lab cultures using human cells. They found that resveratrol inhibited the outgrowth of tumors by as much as 80%!
- Eliminate eye cancerOne animal study3 showed resveratrol administered by mouth and by injection caused eye cancer cells (uveal melanoma) to shrivel and die!
- Pulverize prostate cancer cellsSeveral studies have demonstrated that resveratrol might prevent or diminish prostate cancer severity. In one study that examined different types of prostate cancer cells4, resveratrol was the most potent of all polyphenols tested against advanced prostate cancer cells.
- Save skin from melanoma cancerIn a 2005 study5, researchers at the University of Wisconsin Department of Dermatology applied resveratrol to the skin of hairless mice prior to sun exposure. The mice treated with resveratrol experienced fewer skin tumors than mice that did not receive the treatment. Researchers also found that applying resveratrol to skin after exposure to ultraviolet rays also helped prevent skin tumors. (Hairless mice are a special species that's useful in certain kinds of studies.)
Noted medical author Dr. Stephen Barrett, M.D. points out that the bulk of resveratrol research focuses on short-term effects. Plus, he notes that most studies are performed in labs on non-human models.
Barrett expresses concern about the lack of information on how your body absorbs and processes resveratrol—or even about ways in which it may affect your liver.
Plus, he said it's important to remember that the main dietary source of resveratrol is red wine. Because concentrations of the compound in wine vary widely—increasing red wine consumption to boost resveratrol intake could eventually cause liver damage and addiction.
Because resveratrol supplements could also vary in quality, Barrett suggests occasional use of red wine—along with a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and veggies—could be a safe way to enjoy some of resveratrol's health benefits.
My recommendation would be to take a good resveratrol supplement rather than drink the huge amounts of red wine needed to achieve a therapeutic effect.
In our last issue we wrote about a simple new test for colon cancer (NOT a colonoscopy!) But most doctors don't know about it. If you missed this important news, you can scroll down and catch it now.
Is Your Doctor Keeping This
Life-Saving DNA Test From You?Scientists have said for years that DNA tests will change the face of medicine. And these days, genetic testing is cheaper and more common than ever. But doctor ignorance and the profit motive continue to rank higher than patient health — even though genetic tests could save you and your family members from cancer.
That's why I'm writing you today. I want to make sure you know about the DNA screening that provides early detection of colon cancer. Sadly, you can't count on your doctor to tell you about it.
Ever heard of Lynch syndrome?
Right behind lung cancer, colon cancer is the second most deadly cancer in the U.S. But here's something you may not know: your genes can predispose you to get colon cancer.Geneticists call the disorder "Lynch syndrome," after Henry T. Lynch. It was fifty years ago when Lynch, then a young medical resident, started tracking families with a high colon cancer incidence.
During the mid-1990's, geneticists confirmed Lynch's initial findings. Research showed as many as three percent of all colon cancer cases are the result of genetics. Alaska Natives in particular are twice as likely to die from colon cancer as most other people, and Lynch syndrome is at the heart of it.
Lynch syndrome speeds up tumor growth. It's seen in families with a high incidence of colon cancer, ovarian cancer, and endometrial cancer. So if one family member is diagnosed with one of those cancers, it could be a lifesaving measure for that person to be screened for Lynch syndrome.
Once a patient tests positive for Lynch syndrome, it's a clue to other family members to either get screened or take preventive measures. A hysterectomy is one way to prevent tumor growth for those at risk. So, once they've had children, women prone to Lynch syndrome may choose to have their ovaries and uterus removed in order to prevent endometrial or ovarian cancer. Lynch syndrome patients are also instructed to have annual colonoscopies, since polyps in the colon are more likely to turn deadly for them, and quickly.
Credit for developing the DNA screening test goes to the Mayo Clinic's Dr. Ahlquist. The test is extremely accurate, finding at least 85 percent of colon cancers and over 50 percent of pre-cancerous polyps. It measures changes in DNA that are shed from the surface of a cancerous or pre-cancerous tumor into the stool. Those changes act like a cancer signature.
Colon cancer revolution
Plenty of folks think genetic testing will bring us a new era of cancer treatment. It's certainly becoming more common, and cheaper.The test for Lynch syndrome can cost as little as $300. But of the 800,000 people likely to be afflicted, only 50,000 have been diagnosed. As Dr. Lynch puts it (at 84, he now directs the Hereditary Cancer Center at the Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha), "There are people dying needlessly."
According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer killed 50,000 people last year. And this is a cancer with no symptoms in the early stages.
In 2009, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a recommendation that anyone diagnosed with colon cancer get tested for Lynch syndrome. They also recommended testing for relatives of those patients as a preventive measure.
Despite that, less than half of all hospitals with cancer programs offer routine screening for the condition. A study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology showed only 5 percent of patients diagnosed with colon cancer were also given genetic tests for Lynch syndrome.
Dr. Ahlquist, original developer of the Lynch syndrome test, is now working with both the Mayo Clinic and a company called Exact Science to develop a commercial test. Ahlquist predicts a revolution in colon cancer screening, much like the effect the Pap smear had for cervical cancer fifty years ago.
Importantly, both the Mayo Clinic and Exact Sciences are likely to profit from development of this commercial test … which means they'll have a motive to get the word out to doctors who could make a difference.
The doctor-education problem
So why haven't doctors been taking advantage of this powerful test? Too often, the problem lies with overworked primary care docs who have little background in genetics. They don't recognize the warning signs across family health histories. Many doctors don't even know about Lynch syndrome. So they don't send their at-risk patients to a genetics counselor.Even if they did know about it, busy physicians don't have a lot of time to invest in what it takes to get a genetic test recommended. Part of the work involves figuring out whether other family members had related cancers, collecting tissue samples, and setting up the genetic test.
The doctors who treat colon tumors and related cancers tend to focus on treatment first, not family history or genetics.
Then there's the profit problem. Tests for the BRCA breast cancer genes bring in a lot of money. Tests for colon cancer? Not so much. Maybe that's why doctors refer twice as many patients for inherited breast cancer genes as they do for hereditary colon cancer, despite the fact both diseases are equally common. Colon cancer just lacks the awareness that breast cancer has, thanks in part to well-known charities like Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
It's also an establishment problem. The medical system just doesn't know how to efficiently use genetic knowledge as preventative treatment.
Not a cure, but still pretty good
Knowledge about Lynch syndrome gives doctors and hospitals a terrific opportunity to educate patients and prevent many cases of colon cancer. But patients continue to slip through the cracks. Sometimes multiple family members are diagnosed with colon cancer or related cancers, yet nobody links the disease to Lynch syndrome.Like too many of the things we write about here, it all comes back to money. No single company has rights to gene testing for Lynch syndrome, so few bother to market it. Several companies offer the test, but because none of them command enough market share to invest in both doctor and patient education, nobody does it.
Also, remember — we're talking about DNA here. There's still a lot of apprehension associated with DNA tests, and people from families known to carry Lynch syndrome sometimes skip the test because they're afraid of the stigma, or even possible discrimination from insurers and employers (yes, in spite of the law).
For now, we have to wait for FDA approval of the Mayo Clinic/Exact Sciences test, which probably won't happen till early next year. DNA tests are also in the works right now for several other cancers, including brain cancer, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Experts say these tests have the potential to transform the way we diagnose and treat cancer.
So it's not a cure, but at least DNA screening means early detection, and early detection means a much better survival rate.
Kindest regards,
Lee Euler, PublisherFootnotes from 1st article:1Lu,F., Zahid, M. et al. 2008. Resveratrol Prevents Estrogen-DNA Adduct Formation and Neoplastic Transformation in MCF-10F Cells.Retrieved 1/28/11 fromhttp://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/content/1/2/135.abstract 2van Ginkel, P.R., Sareen, D.et al. Resveratrol inhibits tumor growth of human neuroblastoma and mediates apoptosis by directly targeting mitochondria.Clin Cancer Res 2007;13:5162-5169.
3vanGinkel, P.R., Darjatmoko, S.R., et al. Resveratrol inhibits uveal melanoma tumor growth via early mitochondrial dysfunction. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Apr;49(4):1299-306. Retrieved 1/28/11 fromhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18385041 4Kampa M, Hatzoglou A, Notas G, et al. Wine antioxidant polyphenols inhibit the proliferation of human prostate cancer cell lines. Nutr Cancer. 2000;37(2):223-33.
5Aziz, M.H., Afaq, F. and Ahmad N. Photochem Photobiol. 2005 Jan-Feb;81(1):25-31. Retrieved 1/28/11 fromhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15469386Additional resources from 1st article: Barrett, S. 2009. Resveratrol: Don't Buy the Hype. Retrieved 1/31/11 fromhttp://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/resveratrol.html National Cancer Institute. 2002. Red Wine and Cancer Prevention: Fact Sheet. Retrieved 1/28/2011 fromhttp://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/red-wine-and-cancer-preventionReferences from 2nd article: New DNA Test Could Represent a 'Revolution' for Colon Cancer By Annie Feidt, APRN — Anchorage, June 5, 2012.http://www.alaskapublic.org/2012/06/05/new-dna-test-could-represent-a-%E2%80%98revolution%E2%80% 99-for-colon-cancer/
"Life-Saving DNA Test Languishes as Ignorance Boosts Cancer Risk." By Robert Langreth and John Lauerman. Bloomberg News, San Francisco Chronicle. Oct 24, 2012.http://www.sfgate.com/business/bloomberg/article/Life-Saving-DNA-Test-Languishes-as-Ignorance-3977018.php
3vanGinkel, P.R., Darjatmoko, S.R., et al. Resveratrol inhibits uveal melanoma tumor growth via early mitochondrial dysfunction. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Apr;49(4):1299-306. Retrieved 1/28/11 fromhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18385041 4Kampa M, Hatzoglou A, Notas G, et al. Wine antioxidant polyphenols inhibit the proliferation of human prostate cancer cell lines. Nutr Cancer. 2000;37(2):223-33.
5Aziz, M.H., Afaq, F. and Ahmad N. Photochem Photobiol. 2005 Jan-Feb;81(1):25-31. Retrieved 1/28/11 fromhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15469386Additional resources from 1st article: Barrett, S. 2009. Resveratrol: Don't Buy the Hype. Retrieved 1/31/11 fromhttp://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/resveratrol.html National Cancer Institute. 2002. Red Wine and Cancer Prevention: Fact Sheet. Retrieved 1/28/2011 fromhttp://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/red-wine-and-cancer-preventionReferences from 2nd article: New DNA Test Could Represent a 'Revolution' for Colon Cancer By Annie Feidt, APRN — Anchorage, June 5, 2012.http://www.alaskapublic.org/2012/06/05/new-dna-test-could-represent-a-%E2%80%98revolution%E2%80% 99-for-colon-cancer/
"Life-Saving DNA Test Languishes as Ignorance Boosts Cancer Risk." By Robert Langreth and John Lauerman. Bloomberg News, San Francisco Chronicle. Oct 24, 2012.http://www.sfgate.com/business/bloomberg/article/Life-Saving-DNA-Test-Languishes-as-Ignorance-3977018.php
