Broccoli Sprouts Fight Cancer

Researchers in Ireland released studies showing that eating watercress everyday can prevent the DNA damage that leads to cancer. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition – but conducted in Ulster where people are more comfortable eating watercress -- found that antioxidants in the nutrient-rich greens prevented free radicals from damaging healthy cells. Spinach, which we're all more familiar with, is also a cancer-fighter; research conducted by the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas showed spinach to protect against bladder cancer. The chemical that gives spinach its dark green color, chlorophyllin, proved to reduce the risk of liver cancer in research by the National Academy of Sciences. 

The rich, dark colors of blueberries, Brazilian acai berries, raspberries and cranberries come from phytochemicals that protect against numerous types of cancer. Most recently, researchers at the University of Florida found that the active ingredient in acai berries destroyed cancer cells when tested in cell cultures. And blueberries and muscadine grapes contain compounds that recent research shows cause cancer cells in the liver to self-destruct. In studies particularly important to women, cranberries have recently been discovered to be an important weapon in the fight against deadly ovarian cancer. Studies reported at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society found that ovarian cancer cells that were becoming resistant to platinum chemotherapy – the standard of care for ovarian cancer – became six times more sensitive when exposed to a compound in cranberries.
The anti-cancer properties of all these berries are so strong that researchers have developing concentrated supplements and other products such as purees and concentrates.

“The easiest, least-expensive way to reduce your risk for cancer is just by eating a healthy diet,” says Rachael Stolzenberg-Solomon, PhD, MPH, RD, a researcher at the National Cancer Institute.
There are many foods that help fight cancer. Here are the top 5 in my research files:

1. Broccoli (and other cruciferous vegetables). Broccoli is a great food and is part of a class of foods called cruciferous vegetables, so that the others in this class are excellent as well, including kale, radish, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, sauerkraut, bok choy and others. A chemical which occurs naturally in cruciferous vegetables boosts the activity of two genes that detect and repair damaged DNA.1 A Finnish study completed in 2002 found the fermentation process that turns cabbage into sauerkraut breaks down the cancer-fighting chemicals in cabbage into simpler substances, which are even easier for the body to use.
2. Pau d’arco is a canopy from the Amazon rainforest that has considerable cancer-fighting qualities. “The phytochemical database housed at the U.S. Department of Agriculture has documented lapachol as being antiabscess, anticarcinomic, antiedemic, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antiseptic, antitumorous, antiviral, bactericidal, fungicidal, insectifugal, pesticidal, protisticidal, respiratory depressant, schistosomicidal, termiticidal, and viricidal.”3
3. Grape seed. “Studies have found that grape seed extracts may prevent the growth of breast, stomach, colon, prostate, and lung cancer cells in the laboratory…Free radicals are believed to contribute to the aging process as well as the development of a number of health problems, including heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants found in grape seeds can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.”4
4. Green Tea. Green tea’s ability to fight cancer is even more potent and varied than scientists suspected, say researchers who have discovered that chemicals in green tea shut down one of the key molecules that tobacco relies upon to cause cancer. It’s a find that could help explain why people who drink green tea are less likely to develop cancer. The finding by scientists at the University of Rochester’s Environmental Health Science Center appear[ed[ in the July 21 issue of Chemical Research in Toxicology, published by the American Chemical Society.”5
5. Curcumin. This is a spice that has been known in India for thousands of years and plays an important role in their Ayurvedic healing system. Experts credit curcumin’s anti-inflammatory effects for its ability to fight cancer. “Most diseases are caused by chronic inflammation that persists over long periods of time,” says Bharat B. Aggarwal, PhD, a biochemist at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Recent studies have shown curcumin to interfere with cell-signaling pathways, thereby suppressing the transformation, proliferation, and invasion of cancerous cells.6

Lemongrass Cure for Cancers

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Beth Lytle

Based in the Midwest, Beth Lytle has been writing professionally since 2008. Working as an editor and with recent work published on eHow, LiveStrong and the Bayer Aspirin website, Lytle is a self-made freelancer. Lytle writes health-related and home-improvement articles, first beginning her writing journey while attending writing workshops and classes during childhood. Lytle has owned transcription and commercial construction companies since 2006.

By Beth Lytle, eHow Contributor

Lemongrass is yet one more fascinating plant that originates in the Amazon rainforest. You may have heard that acai berry and other foods found in the rainforest can help prevent and cure disease, including cancer. New research indicates that lemongrass tea may be a cure for different types of cancer.

Read more: Lemongrass Cure for Cancers | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5166341_lemongrass-cure-cancers.html#ixzz1wKzyFTN3

More Miracles from the Rainforest: Yerba Maté Kills Cancer

Yerba maté, the national drink of South American countries Argentina and Paraguay, has been shown to kill colon cancer cells in a recent University of Illinois study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.
According to the study researchers, the natural caffeine sources found in yerba maté induced death of colon cancer cells and reduced inflammation markers. Inflammation is closely linked to the progression of cancer and a number of other health issues including heart disease. Bacterial colonies found inside the colon absorb and metabolize caffeine compounds like those found in yerba mate making their anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits most effective. “Put simply, the cancer cell self-destructs because its DNA has been damaged,” said study researcher Elvira de Mejia, a University of Illinois associate professor of food chemistry and food toxicology who recommends “drinking maté tea for its bioactive benefits, especially if you have reason to be concerned about colon cancer.”
Revered for its energizing properties and healthy boost of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, yerba maté grows under the canopy of the rainforest where it has been a regional dietary staple for centuries. Technically not a tea plant (camellia sinensis), yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis) is a member of the holly family ritually consumed through a hollowed out gourd.
Yerba maté became a popular beverage in the U.S. in the 1990s due largely in part to efforts by Guayaki—a leading importer of organic and fair-trade maté. The brand has always emphasized the health benefits of the product, and, says Richard Bruehl, Guayaki’s Vice President of North American Operations, “It is very encouraging to once again see the anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agents in yerba mate getting studied.” As popularity of the multifaceted herb grows and research into its health benefits persist, Bruehl notes that “we will continue to see more positive results associated with the consumption of this amazing South American herb in the near future.”
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