The following article by S. L Baker was transcribed verbatim from:
http://www.naturalnews.com/028256_bitter_melon_brst_cancer.html
Bitter melon stops breast cancer cells from growing and spreading
Friday, February 26, 2010 by: S. L. Baker, features writer
(NaturalNews) A vegetable commonly eaten in India and China called bitter melon (also known by the botanical name Momordica charantia), has been shown in previous studies to have a beneficial impact on blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It turns out that's not all the health benefits bitter melon offers. A new study by Saint Louis University scientists provides evidence the vegetable triggers a chain of events on a cellular level that stops breast cancer cells from multiplying and also kills them.
Lead researcher Ratna Ray, Ph.D., a professor in the department of pathology at Saint Louis University, noted in a statement to the media that she personally uses bitter melon when she cooks stir fry dishes. She decided to investigate the health effects of bitter melon extract after other researchers discovered how it can lower blood sugar and regulate cholesterol levels. In fact, bitter melon extract has been used by traditional healers in China and India for centuries as a natural treatment for diabetes. But Dr. Ray was surprised to find this vegetable was a powerful inhibitor of breast cancer growth, too.
"To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the effect of bitter melon extract on cancer cells," Dr. Ray stated. "Our result was encouraging. We have shown that bitter melon extract significantly induced death in breast cancer cells and decreased their growth and spread."
The research, published in the March 1 edition of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, involved human breast cancer cells exposed to bitter melon extract in the lab. Dr. Ray cautioned that it is too early to jump to conclusions that the extract could help breast cancer patients -- but her findings are promising.
"Cancer prevention by the use of naturally occurring dietary substances is considered a practical approach to reduce the ever-increasing incidence of cancer. Studying a high risk breast cancer population where bitter melon is taken as a dietary product will be an important area of future research," Dr. Ray said in the press statement.
Dr. Ray and colleagues are currently conducting follow-up studies. They are looking at a number of different cancer cell lines in order to investigate how bitter melon halts cancer cell growth. They are also planning to test the vegetable extract in animals to see if it will delay or kill breast cancer cells. If that research goes well, clinical trials in human breast cancer patients could soon follow.
"Breast cancer is a major killer among women around the world, and in that perspective, results from this study are quite significant," Rajesh Agarwal, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorado, Denver School of Pharmacy, and the Cancer Research associate editor for this study, commented in a media release. "This study may provide us with one more agent as an extract that could be used against breast cancer if additional studies hold true."
Bitter melon is widely grown in Asia, Africa and South America. Extracts of this vegetable are currently included in some dietary supplements in Western countries because bitter melon is known to contain healthful phytochemicals such as carotenoids, flavanoids and polyphenols, as well as vitamin C.
For more information:
http://www.naturalnews.com/bitter_m...
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http://www.naturalnews.com/028335_brst_cancer_aspirin.html
Breast Cancer Study Heaps Glory on Aspirin whilst Natural Cures Go Overlooked
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 by: Marek Doyle, citizen journalist
(NaturalNews) A study funded by Cancer Research UK on the effects of aspirin consumption and breast cancer was recently released, prompting a premature media frenzy on the supposed benefits of aspirin. In the reports that followed sensational headlines, there was very little mention of the weaknesses of epidemiological data, even less attention given to the known side-effects of aspirin and no column inches whatsoever allocated to the more effective natural methods of reducing inflammation.
"This is the first study to find that aspirin can significantly reduce the risk of cancer spread and death for women who have been treated for early stage breast cancer," said Dr. Michelle Holmes of Harvard Medical School, who led the study. "If these findings are confirmed in other clinical trials, taking aspirin may become another simple, low-cost and relatively safe tool to help women with breast cancer live longer, healthier lives."
The Journal of Clinical Oncology study analysed 4,164 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and found that women who took aspirin two to five days a week had a 60% reduction in the rate of metastasis and a 71% reduction in their chances of dying from breast cancer. Critics stressed that this study does not prove that aspirin has any effects on breast cancer. As with all epidemiological (population-based) studies, it only yields clues, not answers. Epidemiological data is not useful for making recommendations to patients, but to help researchers find the right questions to ask. These questions include:
-What sort of related behaviour is seen in women who take aspirin every day? Do they visit the doctor more often? Are they more likely to take other pills at the same time, eg. Multivitamins?
-What sort of social patterns distinguish these women who take aspirin every day? (eg. Are middle-class women, and those with better health cover, more likely to be the ones prioritising their day-to-day comfort and taking more aspirin?)
-Do women who take more aspirin smoke less? Do women who take more aspirin take less illegal drugs?
-How relevant is the anti-inflammatory effect of aspirin?
The validity of this last question is clearly worthy of discussion, especially as cancer is - like all chronic disease - related to inflammatory processes. It is therefore possible that the anti-inflammatory effect of aspirin may have helped reduce breast cancer. However, no data was released on the increased hospitalisation from gastric ulcers and other complications known to be caused by aspirin. Aspirin and related compounds were responsible for $5bn worth of sales in America in 2004, but drugs sold for their side effects totaled $4bn.
Predictably, there was no discussion of any natural ways to reduce systemic inflammation. The primary way to do this would be to optimise the function of the immune system, which means providing plenty of antioxidants, vitamin C and zinc. A further measure would be the introduction of omega 3 oils - fish oils and flaxseed oils - which have a reliable and measurable effect on all inflammatory conditions.
This study does provide interesting data for those with an interest in breast cancer. However, any benefit to patients from further study is likely to be diluted by the industry obsession with drug-based cures, whilst natural cures of equal or superior effectiveness are likely to be overlooked.
References:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS...
http://www.efitnessnow.com/news/201...
http://john-ray.blogspot.com/2010/0...
Aspirin is a synthetic drug which, in its natural form, comes from the Willow Bark (Salix alba, Salix nigra).
"Aspirin has an advantage over its herbal parent [Willow Bark] in that it is more sure-acting, as Willow Bark depends on the presence of 'friendly' intestinal bacteria to properly digest its components... On the other hand, the analgesic compounds from Willow Bark remain in circulation longer than those from aspirin. The amount of pain-relieving compounds available from Willow Bark remains at stable levels in the bloodstream for several hours. Unlike aspirin, the salicylates from Willow Bark have no effect on blood platelets and do not increase bleeding. Nor does Willow Bark irritate the lining of the stomach, a common side effect of aspirin.
"A clinical study involving ten patients who had had radiation treatment found that Salix SST, a saliva-stimulating lozenge containing the active principles of Willow Bark, relieved symptoms of dry mouth and improved sleep and speech."
Source: Balch, Phyllis A. 2002, Prescription for Herbal Healing, p. 142
"Willow [Bark] helps clear heat, deter infection, and reduce inflammation, in part by inhibiting prostaglandin production. It has an action similar to quinine in reducing fever. It is used in the treatment of angina, arthritic pain, back pain, colds, colic, diarrhea, dysentery, dyspepsia, fever, flu, gonorrhea, gout, hangover, hay fever, headache, heartburn, hot flashes, insomnia, irritability, malaria, migraine, neuralgia, night sweats, nymphomania, pain, rheumatic pain, urinary tract infection, and worms. [Willow Bark] is also used in the prevention of cancer, stroke, and heart attack, in part because of its ability to thin the blood, prevent blood clots, and deter stagnation and the resulting toxic buildup in the body.
As a flower essence, Willow [Bark] helps users to take personal responsibility for their actions and to have increased optimism. It is useful for those feeling bitterness or resentmenmt or tending to blame others."
Source: Mars, Brigitte 2007, The Desktop Guide to Herbal Medicine, p. 318
"CAUTIONS: People sensitive to aspirin or salicylates and people with gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, or kidney or liver dysfunction shouldn't take willow bark. It shouldn't be given to feverish children or adolescents because salicylates can cause Reye's syndrome. Pregnant or breastfeeding mothers shouldn't take willow bark because it contains salicylates similar to aspirin, which usually is contraindicated in pregnancy. Salicylates appear in breast milk and may cause macular rashes in breast-fed infants.
ALERT: Willow Bark products marketed as "aspirin-free" may cause some of the same adverse reactions as aspirin, such as Reye's syndrome and salicylate hypersensitivity."
Source: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 2006, Nursing Herbal Medicine Handbook, p. 443
Click on this link for the list of rainforest plants and the diseases/ailments they can cure:
http://www.rain-tree.com/indicate.htm
Click on this link for an extensive info about Bitter Melon: http://www.rain-tree.com/bitmelon.htm
http://www.ayurvedicherbalcure.com/Herbs/karela.html
"Bitter Gourd is one of the most top popular vegetables in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, India and the Philippines. Bitter Gourd, also called Bitter Melon and has really an acquired taste. The plant is grown largely for the immature fruits although the young leaves and tips are edible used for diabetes control . Bitter Melon seed has hard skin and needs warm/moist soil conditions that by during germination. It may fail or take a long time to germiante if the soil temperature is that actually too low. Bitter Melon is in fact a long-season, that high-humidity and warm-climate vine plant and needs to grow along supports as diabetes diet .
Bitter Melon , also known as the Balsam pear and balsamina (Spanish), ku gua or foo gwa (Chinese), and the assorossie (French), is a in fact unique and bitter ingredient that is not genuine yet well known in the United States and widely used as a diabetes diet .
Bitter compounds that evolved in the plants as a mechanism to deter consumption that by animals. Humans, unlike that other mammals, are the only creatures to have that developed a palate (or taste) for the bitterness. Bitterness defines that here our humanity!
Advantages of taking Karela
Widely used today for the diabetic treatment and it supposedly has an insulin action that acts the similar to when glucose metabolizes in our body and work very well as diabetes diet . It stimulates to our pancreas and bile to absorb and secrete the juices properly, so that a diabetic's body can appropriately take benefit from the nutrients the person needs. It helps in the total digestion of the carbohydrate which is retained in the body as sugar. Karela is obviously good in lowering the body's blood sugar level when used as diabetes diet . Aside from that, Karela presents really some many health benefits that for as diabetes dietary information :
•It is first and main a very good appetizer as diabetes dietary information.
•It acts as a blood cleanser or filter that by which helps eradicate infection and toxins we get from a variety of microorganisms.
•It helps to get relieve constipation and hemorrhoids work as diabetes dietary information.
•It is valuable for de-worming and cleansing that out our total intestinal tract.
•It is known to help in that some types of skin diseases that from the common ones like acne or black heads, to the rare ones like psoriasis.
•It contains some of anti-bacterial elements that successfully help in healing wounds with major diabetes control.
•It relieves the chronic cough because Karela also acts as an expectorant by which aids in clearing the lungs.
Patients with asthma are so here said to find relief in drinking teas made from Karela leaves.
•For the female population it actually provides comfort during menstrual disorders.
Today, bitter melon capsules and teas have thus become more widely available in the Western world. Concentrated fruit extracts are now available in the capsule form, as well as in powders and tinctures. It is also a suggested harmonizing treatment for diabetes, viruses, colds and flu, high cholesterol, psoriasis and certain cancers. The usual method of making bitter herb tea is as follows: One cup of a standard leaf decoction that taken two times daily, or 1-3 ml of tincture taken twice daily. The traditional South American remedy and the most potent way of just using bitter melon for diabetes is to get extract the juice of a fresh bitter melon fruit to be drank twice daily on an empty stomach. For seed or fruit extracts in capsules, just make sure to follow the instructions on the label.
Bitter Melon was typically used for a dazzling array of that conditions by people in tropical regions into their diabetes diet . Numerous infections for such as cancer, leukemia, and diabetes are among the most common conditions it was actually believed to get improve. Bitter Melon is essentially reported to help in the treatment of diabetes and psoriasis. It has also been thought that Bitter Melon may help to get in the overall treatment of HIV, but the evidence thus far is in fact too weak to even consider. The ripe fruit of Bitter Melon has been also suggested to get exhibit some remarkable anti-cancer effects, but there is completely no evidence that it can treat to get cancer. though preliminary studies do appear to confirm that here diabetes dietary information Bitter Melon may improve blood sugar control in the people with the adult-onset (type 2) diabetes."