Natural Products for Cancer Prevention/Management (20)

Green Tea

Green tea contains a number of antioxidants, including flavonoids and polyphenols.  Green tea is a very good source of catechins, which is a flavonoid; benefits of flavonoids have been mentioned in a previous section.  

      Studies have shown that green tea prevent or slows down the development of cancer in liver, colon, and breast.  However, not all clinical studies showed the same positive effects.  Some clinical studies suggested that in order to have certain beneficial effects against cancer, one may have to drink three to five cups of green tea a day.


© Jiajiu Shaw, 2017

Disclaimer: This blog is written solely for informational purposes. It does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other medical professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All contents posted are extracted from the book I wrote, "IS CANCER IN US", published recently.

Natural Products for Cancer Prevention/Management (15)

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle has been used for years as a folk medicine for many diseases especially liver and gallbladder diseases.  The main active ingredient is believed to be a flavonoid called silymarin, which is a plant flavonoid isolated from the seeds of milk thistle.

Silymarin has anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, and hepatoprotective effects.  It has also been reported to show some effect in skin cancer prevention. 

© Jiajiu Shaw, 2016

Disclaimer: This blog is written solely for informational purposes. It does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other medical professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All contents posted are extracted from the book I wrote, "IS CANCER IN US", to be published in about two months.

Natural Products for Cancer Prevention/Management (9)

Quercetin

Quercetin is a representative flavonoid found in many plants including citrus fruit, tea, onion, and apples. Quercetin has been made in capsule form as a dietary supplement for quite some time. It has been shown to have several beneficial biological/pharmaceutical effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer.

Most of the research on quercetin and cancer has been done in cell culture (in vitro studies) or animal studies (in vivo studies). One must be cautious that these studies are not equivalent to human clinical trials. In vitro studies indicate that quercetin can slow the growth of some cancer cells. Clinical studies indicate its involvement in tyrosine kinase inhibition but there is no solid clinical evidence indicating that quercetin can prevent or treat cancer.

Some studies suggested potential protective value for quercetin in prostatitis (inflamed prostate), heart disease, and cancer. However, it is not clear what role quercetin played in their findings. All these sound exciting; however, further clinical studies are needed before any scientific conclusions can be made. Nevertheless, it is not a bad idea to include foods that contain quercetin as part of a balanced diet with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

© Jiajiu Shaw, 2016

Disclaimer: This blog is written solely for informational purposes. It does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other medical professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All contents posted are extracted from the book I am writing, "IS CANCER IN US", to be published in about two months.

Natural Products for Cancer Prevention/Management (8)

Flavonoids

Flavonoids are a group of polyphenolic compounds found ubiquitously in plants and in the human diet.  High levels of flavonoids are found in onions, parsley, tea, citrus fruits, berries, dark chocolate, red wine, and gingko biloba.

Flavonoids have been shown to have a wide range of biological and pharmacological activities, including immune-medicated diseases and cancer.

Some clinical trials found that people with diets high in flavonoids may have lower risk of breast, lung, pancreatic, and other types of cancer. 

© Jiajiu Shaw, 2016

Disclaimer: This blog is written solely for informational purposes. It does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other medical professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All contents posted are extracted from the book I am writing, "IS CANCER IN US", to be published in about two months. 

Natural Products for Cancer Prevention/Management (4)

Berries

Berries are available most of the time in the U.S.  They are known to contain different kinds of antioxidants in addition to different vitamins, minerals, etc.  Popular berries include blue berries, black berries, elder berries, goji berries, raspberries, red berries, and strawberries.  There are plenty of potential beneficial health effects of berries.  Some examples are shown below.   

Blueberries

Blueberries are becoming popular in recent years because they contain a lot of antioxidants and phytochemicals.  Both in vitro studies and animal studies indicate that blueberries may be effective against cancer.  Potential mechanisms of action include inhibition of pro-inflammation, oxidative stress, and cancer cell proliferation.

Elderberries

Similar to other berries, elder berries contain flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamins, etc.  Elder berries have been used as a folk medicine for cold, flu, and allergy.  Some studies indicate that elder berries may have certain anticancer effect.

Goji Berries (Wolfberries)

Goji berries have been commonly used in Chinese food and medicine for thousands of years.  Because it has a lot of antioxidants, Goji berries are becoming a hot item in the trendy health food industry.  Goji berries also contain many other ingredients with potential health benefits, including retina protection, anti-aging effect, etc.  Some studies indicate that the polysaccharides in goji berries may inhibit the growth of several different cancer cells in animal studies, including prostate cancer.

© Jiajiu Shaw, 2016

Disclaimer: This blog is written solely for informational purposes. It does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other medical professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All contents posted are extracted from the book I am writing, "IS CANCER IN US", to be published in about two months.

Natural Products for Cancer Prevention/Management (13), Chinese Skullcap

Chinese Skullcap

Chinese skullcap is native to China; its Chinese name is Huang Qin.  Chinese skullcap has been used as part of Chinese traditional medicine for thousands of years and reported to have certain beneficial biological activities against many diseases including cancer, asthma, allergy, arthritis, Alzheimer, and hepatoma.

There are more than 30 flavonoids in the root of Chinese skullcap; it is reported that baicalein flavonoid is one of the main active ingredients.  Baicalein is one of the most studied herbal chemicals.  

© Jiajiu Shaw, 2016

Disclaimer: This blog is written solely for informational purposes. It does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other medical professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All contents posted are extracted from the book I am writing, "IS CANCER IN US", to be published in about two months.

Natural Products for Cancer Prevention/Management (8)

Quercetin

Quercetin is a representative flavonoid found in many plants including citrus fruit, tea, onion, and apples. It has been shown to have several beneficial biological/pharmaceutical effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer. Quercetin has been made in capsule form as a dietary supplement for quite some time.

  

Most of the research on quercetin and cancer has been done in cell culture (in vitro studies) or animal studies (in vivo studies). One must be cautious that these studies are not equivalent to human clinical trials. In vitro studies indicate that quercetin can slow the growth of some cancer cells. Clinical studies indicate its involvement in tyrosine kinase inhibition but there is no solid clinical evidence indicating that quercetin can prevent or treat cancer.

Some studies suggested potential protective value for quercetin in prostatitis (inflamed prostate), heart disease, and cancer. However, it was not clear what role quercetin played in their findings. All these sound exciting; however, further clinical studies are needed before any scientific conclusions can be made. Nevertheless, it is not a bad idea to include foods that contain quercetin as part of a balanced diet with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

© Jiajiu Shaw, 2016

Disclaimer: This blog is written solely for informational purposes. It does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other medical professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All contents posted are extracted from the book I am writing, "IS CANCER IN US", to be published in about two months.