The Science of Soy, Menopause and Equol

The science of soy and soy isoflavones for menopause has experienced a bumpy ride. But now we know better. Turns out those bumps in the road came in the form of a little-understood metabolite called equol.

The Ancestor's Diet

Living and Cultured Foods to Extend Life, Prevent Disease and Lose Weight

Garlic Inhibits Leukemia Growth

Garlic is known as a potent antibacterial and antifungal. Now we find that it is also a potent anti-cancer agent.

NATURAL CANCER SCIENCE

The Evidence for Diets, Herbs, Superfoods, and Other Natural Strategies that Fight Cancer

Audiobook available on Audible and Amazon
Also available on Kobo
Also available on Barnes & Noble
Also available on Audiobooks

Available in Paperback

Available on Apple Books

Available on Kindle

Every body has cancer. Yet nature has the means to eliminate cancer cells and even inhibit tumors if we give it the chance. The author details the latest scientific evidence showing the diets that help prevent cancer, the foods and superfoods that deter cancer growth, and the herbal medicines and their constituents that inhibit cancer. The book also extensively covers the causes of cancer, and supplemental and lifestyle strategies that have been shown by the research to boost the body’s ability to fight and protect itself against cancer. This is not anecdotal opinion. The author documents the latest science from distinguished cancer researchers from hospitals and medical schools around the world with over two thousand studies.

Save 20% on PDF and all other Ebook formats Save 20% on new Printed Book mailed to you

Find it in Apple Books

Find it on other book sellers!

Plant Nutrient Ellagic Acid Fights Prostate, Pancreatic, Breast and Lymphoma Cancers

The evidence is mounting that a plant nutrient prevents and fights off the growth of cancer cells of different types of cancer.

Jalapeño Peppers Fight Pathogenic Bacteria and Feed Probiotics

One of the problems with antibiotics is that they will knock out both the bad guys and the good guys – leaving our guts in a state of microorganism void. Jalapeño Peppers don't have that problem. They inhibit disease-causing bacteria while at the same time boosting our probiotics.

Fermented Papaya Increases Immune Function and Detoxification

Italian researchers have discovered that eating fermented papaya for six weeks significantly increases immune function and stimulates the body’s ability to detoxify through special enzymes such as superoxide dismutase.

The researchers, from Italy's ReGenera Research Group for Aging Intervention Group in Milan, studied 90 healthy but sedentary human subjects. They divided the subjects into three groups by age (20-40 years old, 41-65 years old and over 65). They tested the subjects' blood and saliva together with questionnaires prior to and after the papaya protocol.

The researchers then gave half of each of the subjects from each group either a placebo or nine grams per day of fermented papaya.

After the six weeks, the subjects were again tested and given a month break (washout period). Then the the placebo group was given the fermented papaya while the previous papaya group was given the placebo. This research method is called a crossover.

Before and after each testing period the researchers performed blood analysis on the patients, checked for white blood cells count, checked saliva flow rates and secretary IgA activity. They also checked lysozymes and redox gene expression for Phase II enzymes and superoxide dismutase secretion from upper airway cells.

Immunoglobulin-A is an antibody produced by the body to help identify invaders and guard the body from infections.

The researchers found that those taking the fermented papaya had significantly greater IgA (immunoglobulin-A) levels than the placebo groups.

The researchers also found that phase II enzymes and superoxide dismutase enzyme expression was significantly higher among the papaya groups.

While these responses were seen among all of the age groups studied, the salivary secretion rates increased significantly in the youngest group. This is another sign of increased immune function.

Why superoxide dismutase secretion is important

Superoxide dismutase secretion is extremely important to the nose and airways because it helps neutralize reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species – both considered free radicals that will damage the body's cells if they are not neutralized. Many toxins and pollutants – especially air pollutants containing mercury, sulfur and other reactive elements from air pollution – will convert to radicals in the presence of oxygen, damaging lung and airway cells.

Phase 2 enzymes include glutathione transferases and quinone reductases. These are important enzymes for preventing genetic mutations – and those preventing cancerous cells from forming.

The researchers confirmed that while further testing was required to confirm their findings, fermented papaya stimulates the immune system especially among the cells of the upper airways.

The fermented papaya concoction used by the researchers was produced by the Osato Research Institute from Gifu, Japan. The product was taken sublingually, which means it was put under the tongue, allowing the nutrients to be quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. This method of sublingual absorption works well for a number of nutrients, including vitamin B12.

Fermented papaya reduces damage from free radicals

Another study - this from French and Mauritius researchers - found that fermented papaya reduced the blood's susceptibility to free radical damage. The study collected blood cells before and after the consumption of fermented papaya (six grams per day for 14 weeks). The researchers found that the fermented papaya significantly reduced blood cells' rate of hemolysis (destruction) through contact from free radicals.

Other fermented foods have also been shown by other research to stimulate the immune system. These include kimchi, kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut and others.

It should be noted that many papayas grown in Hawaii are now genetically modified.

REFERENCES:

Marotta F, Naito Y, Jain S, Lorenzetti A, Soresi V, Kumari A, Carrera Bastos P, Tomella C, Yadav H. Is there a potential application of a fermented nutraceutical in acute respiratory illnesses? An in-vivo placebo-controlled, cross-over clinical study in different age groups of healthy subjects. J Biol Regul Homeost Agents. 2012 Apr-Jun;26(2):285-94.

Somanah J, Bourdon E, Rondeau P, Bahorun T, Aruoma OI. Relationship between fermented papaya preparation supplementation, erythrocyte integrity and antioxidant status in pre-diabetics. Food Chem Toxicol. 2013 Dec 5;65C:12-17. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2013.11.050.

Agglutinating Lectins from Plants Selectively Bind to Cancer Cells

Nature is smart.

Researchers from the University of Tokyo have discovered that a lectin naturally contained in Wisteria japonica seeds selectively binds to several types of cancer. And other plant lectins have been found to have this capability.

The researchers conducted laboratory tests using seeds from three different plants - Wisteria floribunda (Japanese wisteria), Wisteria brachybotrys, and Wisteria japonica (Japonica). The researchers extracted agglutinizing lectins from each of the seeds of these three plants.

What are agglutinizing lectins?

Agglutinizing lectins often play a protective role in nature, where they protect their host from the intrusion of certain molecules or even bacteria or viruses. For this reason practically every plant will contain some lectins.

Agglutinizing lectins appear throughout nature within many different species. The word agglutinin comes from agglutinare, which means "to glue.”

Agglutinizing lectins will thus bind with and sometimes “clump” different types of elements. They may bind to bacteria, or they might bind to red blood cells. Or they may simply bind to sugars, or even antibodies.

In the case of the lectins within the Japonica tree, and compared to the other three species of Wisteria, the researchers extracted and purified lectins that were found to bind to N-acetylgalactosamine. This is a galactose sugar combined with an amino acid—a component of living cells involved in intercellular communication and thus a part of most of most living cells.

But in this case, the researchers found these lectins were smart – and one was smarter than the other two. The researchers tested all three against a host of different cells, including human cancer cells that had been collected from cancer patients.

These included human squamous cell carcinoma, cancer cells from the kidney, liver cancer cells and lung cancer cells among others. The researchers also tested the Wisteria lectins against normal (healthy) cells.

One lectin was more selective

The two Wisteria plants were found to bind with all of the cancer cells.

But the lectin from the Wisteria japonica was found to bind only with the skin cancer cells, the kidney cells and the lung cancer cells.

The researchers indicated this meant the Wisteria japonica lectin could be used as a diagnostic tool – and possibly even a treatment tool – against these forms of cancer.

The researchers noted:

“In addition, histochemical analysis of human squamous cell carcinoma tissue sections
demonstrated that Wisteria japonica lectin specifically bound to differentiated
cancer tissues but not normal tissue. This novel binding characteristic of
Wisteria japonica lectin has the potential to become a powerful tool for clinical
applications.”

Other agglutinating lectins bind and even take out cancer cells

The fact that lectins will selectively bind to cancerous cells have been seen among other types of plant lectins, including wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and others. In a university study from Argentina, WGA was found to selectively bind to polycystic ovary cells. Other studies have shown WGA will not only bind but inhibit growth of colon cancer cells in the gut.

In these studies, the WGA and other lectins would selectively differentiate between the cancer cells and the healthy cells around them—leaving the healthy cells intact.

The general take-away relates to utilizing those elements in nature that can help protect us. Lectins within plants help protect the plant from foreign forces that endanger the plant’s survival. Now we are finding that these same elements can help us protect our own bodies.

This is really not a new thing – though our realization might be. For decades researchers have known that the same antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals within our bodies are produced by plants to help protect themselves from the environment around them.

And surely we are slowly learning just how smart nature is. Hopefully we will all learn this sooner so we can halt the continuing decimation of so many smart plant species around the world.

REFERENCES:

Soga K, Teruya F, Tateno H, Hirabayashi J, Yamamoto K. Terminal N -acetylgalactosamine-specific leguminous lectin from Wisteria japonica as a probe for human lung squamous cell carcinoma. PLoS One. 2013 Dec 13;8(12):e83886. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083886.

Glavas-Dodov M, Steffansen B, Crcarevska MS, Geskovski N, Dimchevska S, Kuzmanovska S, Goracinova K. Wheat germ agglutinin-functionalised crosslinked polyelectrolyte microparticles for local colon delivery of 5-FU: in vitro efficacy and in vivo gastrointestinal distribution. J Microencapsul. 2013;30(7):643-56. doi: 10.3109/02652048.2013.770099.

Barbeito CG, Ortega HH, Matiller V, Gimeno EJ, Salvetti NR. Lectin-binding pattern in ovarian structures of rats with experimental polycystic ovaries. Reprod Domest Anim. 2013 Oct;48(5):850-7. doi: 10.1111/rda.12174.

Shi YQ, He Q, Zhao YJ, Wang EH, Wu GP. Lectin microarrays differentiate carcinoma cells from reactive mesothelial cells in pleural effusions. Cytotechnology. 2013 May;65(3):355-62. doi: 10.1007/s10616-012-9474-x.

Photo by T. Kiya