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Why Red Grapes and Green Tea May
Be Cancer's Worst Enemy!
June 30, 2005 - Our cells live and die on nutrients. Unfortunately, most doctors in this
country seem to have forgotten that and would fail even the most basic biochemistry test.
We are so busy creating new drugs and chemical therapies that enrich drug companies at
your expense, we have gotten away from the basic foundations of molecular cell biology.
Therefore, I was very pleased to have come across a recent article from the prestigious
M.D. Andersen Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Researchers from the Department of
BioImmunotherapy were studying resveratrol, a nutrient found in nature that appears to
have incredible benefits. The article, published last September in the journal Anti-Cancer
Research, indicated that resveratrol appears to exhibit anti-cancer properties by its ability to
suppress proliferation of a wide variety of tumor cells. The mechanism for this anti-cancer
effect seems to be multi-factorial. It appears to work because it interferes with the cell cycle
of the cancer, inhibiting certain proteins and down-regulating gene products. These
encouraging results have lead to expanded research of resveratol by the team at M.D.
Andersen as a potential nutrient to fight cancer cells.
So what is resveratrol? It is in a class of nutrients known as polyphenols. Polyphenols are
among the most potent plant antioxidants in nature. They are a class of phytochemicals
found in high concentrations in wine, tea, grapes and a wide variety of other plants. These
compounds are responsible for the brightly-colored pigments of many fruits and vegetables.
Polyphenols protect plants from diseases and ultraviolet light and help prevent damage to
seeds until they germinate. They are naturally produced in plants in response to injury or
fungal infection.
Specifically, resveratrol is a chemical substance known as a phytoalexins. Interestingly,
alexin is from the Greek root, meaning to ward off or protect. Resveratrol is found in
grapevines, with the highest concentration being in grape skins. It is also found in peanuts
and mulberries. Aside from its anti-cancer benefit, resveratrol appears to have very potent
cardio-protective effects. Its mechanism of action for cardio protection includes inhibiting
oxidation of your LDL cholesterol, inhibiting platelet aggregation and proliferation of smooth
muscle cells. In animal studies, it is also shown to reduce the synthesis of lipids.
In a study published last October in the American Journal of Physiology - Lung, Cellular and
Molecular Physiology, it was found that resveratrol had an anti-inflammatory effect for lung
disease and was actually a more effective anti-inflammatory agent than steroids. The
researchers stressed the need for an aerosol version of resveratrol, which could be used to
treat asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease.
Another related polyphenol with incredible benefits is grape seed extract. In a study
published in the journal Metabolism from October 2003, 24 healthy male, heavy smokers
over the age of fifty were enrolled in a trial to receive either 300 mg a day of grape seed
procyanidin extract or placebo for four weeks. After a washout period of three weeks, the
groups then switched treatment. Although there was no significant change in total
cholesterol or triglycerides in this short study, measures of oxidative stress were
significantly reduced in the treated group.
In another study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, April 2004, 51
healthy men and women between the ages of eighteen to sixty five years old were given
either grape seed extract or placebo to see if it had any effect on energy metabolism. It was
found that those treated with the grape seed extract had on average a 4% reduction in
energy requirement without having any effect on satiety, mood or tolerance. The findings
suggested that grape seed could be effective at reducing energy intake in normal to
overweight individuals and could, therefore, play a significant role in body weight
management. I'm always excited when I can recommend a supplement or food that appears
to help you manage your weight as well as promote a healthy heart and reduced risk of
cancer. That's a combination with which I think we can all live!
In one of the more interesting articles that I came across, there was a study out of Spain
published in April of this year regarding melanoma, one of the deadliest cancers once it
metastasizes. In the study, 52 mice were inoculated with melanoma cells and then orally
administered grape seed extract, red wine or ethanol. Metastatic tumors in the lung were
then counted. It was found that grape seed extract and red wine reduced the number of
metastatic nodules in the lungs by 26% and 20% respectively, compared with the control
group that was treated with ethanol. The researchers concluded that ethanol administration
significantly increased pulmonary metastases, while grape seed extract and red wine lead to
a reduction.
There was even a study that was just published in the journal NeuroScience Letters
suggesting that the antioxidant benefits of grape seed extract actually had rejuvenating
effects on the central nervous system in aged rats. It appears these rats could have found
their proverbial "Fountain of Youth." I hope we'll soon see similar studies and results for us
humans.
One further antioxidant that I would mention is green tea. I've done several exciting
newsletters on green tea hailing its incredible benefits, not only as an anti-cancer nutrient,
but also as a powerful antioxidant and potential nutrient for weight loss. In a prior
newsletter, I mentioned a study that was published on green tea catechins (the active
ingredient of green tea). In this study (involving 62 men who had a pre-malignant form of
prostate cancer known as intra-epithelial neoplasia), it was found that in those individuals
given 600 mg a day of green catechins for one year, only one man out of a group of 32
went on to develop prostate cancer, as compared to nine out of 30 that were given placebo.
This was a 900% higher incident of cancer progression in the non-green tea group! In light
of these significant results, I feel extremely bad for the men that were in the placebo group
and weren't taking the green tea supplement. They, as well as the researchers, didn't know
the added risk they were suffering, but we do now and can act appropriately. It should be
noted that in order to take in 600 mg a day of caffeine-free green catechins, it would be the
equivalent to drinking 10 to 20 cups of green tea a day. And while many of us like to sit
down to a nice relaxing cup of tea, studies are proving standardized supplements are really
the only way to practically achieve the levels that have shown such encouraging results.
I am very pleased to inform you that Nutraceutical Sciences Institute (NSI) has just
released a brand-new product containing standardized forms of resveratrol, grape seed
extract, green tea extract and grape skin extract. This is an extremely powerful combination
of products that can make a significant impact on your health. And, of course, you'll find the
value for this product is superior when compared to buying each nutrient separately: You
get 120 capsules for under $20! I personally plan to start taking this supplement every day,
along with my family.
We also sell resveratrol, green tea and grape seed extract as stand alone products. And, the
wide variety of Synergy multi-vitamins contain many of these incredibly-powerful
antioxidants as part of their standard formulas. They are some of the finest and most
complete multi-vitamins available on the market today.
Please find a way to add some of these powerful antioxidants into your diet as soon as
possible. I don't want you to find yourself in "the placebo group" any time in the future.