TheWellnessLiving Health Tips

Botanical and nutritional compounds have been used for the treatment of cancer throughout history. These compounds also may be useful in the prevention of cancer. Population studies suggest that a reduced risk of cancer is associated with high consumption of vegetables and fruits. Thus, the cancer chemopreventive potential of naturally occurring phytochemicals is of great interest. There are numerous reports of cancer chemopreventive activity of dietary botanicals, including cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli, Allium vegetables such as garlic and onion, green tea, Citrus fruits, soybeans, tomatoes, berries, and ginger, as well as medicinal plants. Several lead compounds, such as genistein (from soybeans), lycopene (from tomatoes), brassinin (from cruciferous vegetables), sulforaphane (from asparagus), indole-3-carbinol (from broccoli), and resveratrol (from grapes and peanuts) are in preclinical or clinical trials for cancer chemoprevention. Phytochemicals have great potential in cancer prevention because of their safety, low cost, and oral bioavailability. In this review, we discuss potential natural cancer preventive compounds and their mechanisms of action.

Source: Gullet et al. Semin Oncol. 2010 Jun;37(3):258-81.

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Acai berry is a tropical fruit picked from the Amazonian palm tree Acai. For ages, this fruits has been collected and consumed by native Brazilians as food and especially for its rejuvenating and detoxifying properties. Recently discovered by the Western media, Acai berries are being talked about in popular television programs like 0prah and the Today show to name a few, and thousands of people all over the world recognize how Acai berry products help them live a healthier life.

Acai is a great source of antioxidants thanks to their elevated content of anthocyanins (a molecule that is typical of purple-skinned fruit and vegetables). These compounds help eliminate free radicals that cause damage throughout the body. This is especially important during periods of sustained exercise and heavy dieting, as these activities increase the metabolic processes that generate free radicals. Anthocyanins may also help promote cardiovascular health and cellular integrity.

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Asthma is a highly prevalent condition that affects one in four people on average. Its symptoms can be triggered by many factors, such as allergies, emotions or stress. Asthma attacks are usually treated with prescription medications such as Albuterol and other corticoids.

This disease leads people to change their way of life to avoid or reduce attacks, but complete avoidance of stress, dust or allergens is virtually impossible to achieve 100% of the time. Even though asthma is not curable, the good news is that some children grow out of it. But those that don’t are usually on the hunt for anything that can help.

Many profesionals take very seriously the help coming from certain natural products. For example, studies found that 57% of the asthmatics find more relief from a combination of conventional and natural treatments, than prescription medicines alone. Aloe vera is one of the natural treatments being used. In fact, there are published studies on the benefits of aloe vera for asthma, and this relationship has been known since 1951, and more recent studies shed more light on this issue.

Aloe vera is rich in natural steroids and other compounds with the ability to reduce or even block inflammation. Moreover, studies done in Japan in the eighties showed that some compounds present in aloe vera leaves seem to help in the removal of particles that trigger asthma attacks. Since Aloe vera has only been shown to be beneficial as a preventive measure, it should not be used to treat an ongoing asthma attack. Asthma patients should still keep their prescribed inhalers nearby for attacks.

Mangosteen – Much has been made over the recent scientific studies completed on the mangosteen fruit. One of the leading mangosteen researchers (Professor Nakatani from Japan) was recently recruited by Pfizer Inc. Pfizer secured Nakatani’s research under a non-disclosure agreement and he may no longer discuss his research on the mangosteen.

Why would the world’s fastest-growing major pharmaceutical company, the one Fortune® magazine ranked #14 on it’s list of “World’s Most Admired Companies,” be so interested in the mangosteen fruit? Maybe there is something to the mangosteen and what it holds!

Some Keywords to Research on:

- Xanthones
- Gamma Mangostin (one of the many xanthones in Mangosteen)
- Mangosteen
- Garcinia Mangostana (scientific name)

Mangosteen Ingredients

The research on Mangosteen & Xanthones is astounding. What’s more, the fact that the world is just finding out about this gift from nature, means that we are very lucky to be hearing about this fruit now.

But Xanthones are not the only great component of the mangosteen fruit. There are other ingredients which have their own set of benefits. It is also known to have: Vitamins C, B1, B1, Protein, Iron, Calcium Fiber, Potassium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Niacin, and Polyphenols, Cathechins/tannins, Flavonoids.

Polyphenols – These are a group of plant chemical substances. They are considered to be strong antioxidants in their own right. You’ve probably heard of some of the other things with high polyphenols – pomegranates, green teas and extra virgin olive oil.

Flavonoids – there have been over 5,000 naturally occurring flavonoids identified in various plants. Quite often, the benefits associated with plant foods actually come from the flavonoids instead of other known nutrients.

Catechins – Usually associated with Flavonoids.

University of Illinois scientist Elvira de Mejia conducted a study that showed that  mate tea drinkers increased the activity of enzymes that improve HDL (good) cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. “Yerba mate” is a traditional infusion drunk in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and regions of Chile and Brazil. “Ilex paraguayensis, the mate plant has been grown and consumed for centuries. Dr Mejia has signed a five-year agreement with La Universidad Nacional de Misiones (UNaM, national University of Misiones) to carry out a collaborative study to assess 84 genotypes of mate tea for their ability to provide benefits on cholesterol and other health factors. Both cultivated and wild varieties will be included in the study.

In the September issue of the specialized journal Planta Medica, Dr mejia said that their studies show that some of the most important antioxidant enzymes in the body experience induction by this mate herbal tea, and since Argentina has so many different mate varieties, they’ll perform more comparisons between the various genotypes. They’ll be also able to explore the benefits of cultivating under different conditions.

The aim is not only identifying the most beneficial genotypes of the herbal tea in terms of nutrition value, but also help Argentine producers to improve drying and processing of mate tea to achieve better extraction of the tea’s bioactive compounds.

“Food companies are very interested in adding tea extracts to juices, soda, and even beer to increase the nutritional value of their products,” she said.

Adapted from http://www.eurekalert.org/