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   Feb 18

Grape seed may help fight bowel cancer

Cancer can be a killer and natural remedies with proven effectiveness in the fight against cancer are therefore always appreciated. Grape seed has emerged as a potential potent natural remedy in the fight against cancer. Recent research highlights the value of a complementary approach to fighting bowel cancer, with grape seed used along with conventional treatment.

Grape seed extract has been found to have a dose responsive effect against a serious disorder of the gastrointestinal tract called mucositis, reported PLOS One. Mucositis results from cancer chemotherapy. Researchers investigated the effects of increasing grape seed extract doses on the severity of chemotherapy in a rat model and its coincident impact on the effectiveness of chemotherapy in colon cancer cells.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0085184

It was observed that grape seed extract significantly decreased the histological damage score in the jejunum. Grape seed extract was found to increase jejunal crypt depth by 25 percent in 5-Fluorouracil treated rats in comparison to 5-Fluorouracil controls. Overall, grape seed extract was found to be more effective at ameliorating 5-Fluorouracil induced intestinal injury, with effects most dramatic in the proximal jejunum. Grape seed extract was observed to significantly enhance the growth-inhibitory effects of 5-Fluorouracil by 26 percent and was more potent than 5-Fluorouracil at 50–100 µg/mL.

It was concluded that grape seed extract may offer a new therapeutic option to decrease the symptoms of intestinal mucositis while also impacting the viability of colon cancer cells. This research offers evidence for grape seed extract to reduce the severity of intestinal mucositis in a dose responsive manner while also enhancing the impact of 5-FU chemotherapy on colon cancer cells. Therefore, it is believed dietary grape seed extract could be a promising adjunctive approach for combating intestinal mucositis while also potentiating the impact of conventional chemotherapy for the treatment of colon cancer.

The University of Adelaide reports this research shows for the first time that grape seed can assist the effectiveness of chemotherapy in killing colon cancer cells as well as in reducing the side effects of chemotherapy. It is the opinion of the researchers that combining grape seed extracts with chemotherapy has real potential as a new approach to treat bowel cancer, in order to both reduce intestinal damage commonly caused by cancer chemotherapy and to enhance its effect.

Dr Amy Cheah, the lead author of this study, says there has been growing body of evidence dealing with the antioxidant health benefits of grape seed tannins or polyphenols as anti-inflammatory agents and, more recently, also for their anti-cancer properties. Dr Cheah has said, “This is the first study showing that grape seed can enhance the potency of one of the major chemotherapy drugs in its action against colon cancer cells.”

This research showed that in laboratory studies grape seed taken orally significantly lowers inflammation and tissue damage which is caused by chemotherapy in the small intestine, while having no harmful effects on non-cancerous cells. It appears that grape seed selectively acts on cancer cells and leaves healthy cells almost unaffected, which is not true with chemotherapy.

The research found that grape seed extract:

1: Showed no side effects on the healthy intestine at concentrations of up to 1000mg/kg

2: Significantly decreased intestinal damage compared to the chemotherapy control

3: Decreased chemotherapy-induced inflammation by up to 55 percent

4: Increased growth-inhibitory effects of chemotherapy on colon cancer cells in culture by 26 percent

The researchers found that grape seed extract lowered chemotherapy-induced inflammation and damage while also helping to protect healthy cells in the gastrointestinal tract. Grape seed extract clearly has great potential as an anti-inflammatory treatment for a range of bowel diseases and is now seen as also being a possible anti-cancer treatment.

I find that people are always searching for safe and effective natural remedies to help with the prevention and treatment of cancer.
This research adds credibility to the belief that grape seed extract may have a beneficial effect on bowel cancer. I therefore suggest that patients take advice regarding increased vegetable and fruit consumption to help fight cancer seriously, while keeping in mind grape seed extract in particular may demonstrate dramatic results with this consideration in mind. – Harold Mandel

Source: Emax Health

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