Posts tagged Naturals

Only a few days back, the USFDA sent letters to several companies asking them to explain their claims about the efficacy some alternative medicines made by them in fighting cancer.

Though there might still not exist any panacea for treating the disease, a couple of promising reports recently published have certainly raised the hopes vis-a-vis the power of naturals in arresting the disease.

A toast of prevention

It’s wine, or rather a constituent of the red wine called “resveratrol” that’s caught the limelight and could aid in cancer prevention. The ingredient is actually a part of red grapes from which the red wine is manufactured.

The researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center have found that it works by inhibiting abnormal cell growth, characteristic of many forms of breast cancer. Consequently, it’s powers could be harnessed to possibly prevent breast cancers.

In fact “resveratrol” is also sold as a dietary supplement, but it’s effects on suppressing abnormal cell growth have come to light only recently.

A natural substance to the rescue

Cancers can sometimes be quite problematic to treat, as they can at times stop being affected by cancer drugs, or even become resistant to them. But a natural substance “argyrin” has been found to destroy the unwanted tumor cells. The findings have been published in the journal “Cancer Cell,” and the study was conducted at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research.

While, research on naturals has shown promise, another advance has been registered in conventional medicine’s search for better treatments. For instance a “STF-62247” discovered by the Stanford University researchers has been found to selectively damage cancer cells, rather than target healthy cells too. Since cancer drugs can sometimes harm healthy cell too, this research published in the journal “Cancer Cell,” perhaps is just the beginning for effective cancer therapy with minimal side effects.

So while the science of cancer drugs with less side effects is perfected, the promise of naturals in treating cancer is welcome news for sure.