Using food as medicine
Diet is extremely
influential in preventing as well as healing ovarian cancer. Beyond consuming
an abundant variety of fresh produce and limiting dairy, meat and sugar,
certain foods specifically target ovarian cancer cells -- demonstrating
extraordinary success in defeating this life-threatening disease.
Ginger
Ginger root is an
outstanding food for annihilating ovarian cancer cells. When researchers
dissolved ginger powder in a solution containing ovarian cancer cultures, the
mutant cells died. Ginger destroys ovarian cancer cells in two ways. First by a
process of cellular self-destruction called apoptosis then by autophagy where
the cells digest themselves. Scientists at the University of Michigan found
that ginger caused the same rate of apoptosis as common chemotherapy drugs yet
without any side effects. Ginger root also controls inflammation which is a
precursor to ovarian cancer.
Ginkgo biloba
Research has shown that
the herb ginkgo biloba significantly lowers the risk of developing ovarian
cancer. More than 600 women with ovarian cancer and 640 healthy control
subjects were studied. The participants had a history of using either ginkgo,
echinacea, St. John's wort, ginseng or chondroitin. Only those who took ginkgo
supplements had lower rates of ovarian cancer -- an impressive 60 percent
decrease in risk.
Green tea
Drinking a mere two
cups per day of green tea can slash the risk of ovarian cancer by half.
Researchers followed 61,057 women, ranging in age from 40 to 76, over the
course of 15 years. For those who drank one cup of green tea daily, the risk of
ovarian cancer was reduced by 24 percent while two or more cups lowered the
risk by 46 percent. And for women who consumed the beverage consistently for
over 30 years, ovarian cancer rates dropped by 75 percent. Scientists believe
the high level of antioxidants found in green tea are responsible for the
results. Not only do these powerful phytonutrients help prevent and repair DNA
damage but they also hinder the growth and spread of cancer cells by increasing
apoptosis.
Flaxseed
A case-control study
discovered that U.S. women who had the highest intake of plant lignans also had
the lowest rates of ovarian cancer. Lignans found in flaxseed are considered
phytoestrogens. These compounds 'plug' into estrogen receptors, blocking
stronger forms of the hormone which aggravate ovarian cancer. Flaxseed lignans
also act as an antioxidant. In a surprising investigation involving flax fed
chickens, researchers at the University of Illinois found that ovarian cancer
was significantly reduced in hens that consumed the seed. According to
professor Janice Bahr, "In hens fed flaxseed, we found that more tumors
were confined to the ovary and they had less metastatic spread. This is an
important finding as the metastases that accompany late-stage ovarian cancer
are the main cause of death from the disease."
Sources for this
article include:
"Green tea for
ovarian cancer prevention and treatment: a systematic review of the in vitro,
in vivo and epidemiological studies" Trudel D, Labbe DP, Bairati I, Fradet
V, Bazinet L, Tetu B, Laval University Cancer Research Center, Pub Med,
September 2012. Retrieved on November 5, 2012 from:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22564714
"Green tea
consumption enhances survival of epithelial ovarian cancer" Zhang M, Lee
AH, Binns CW, Xie X, School of Public Health, Curtin University of Technology,
Australia, Pub Med, November 10, 2010. Retrieved on November 5, 2012 from:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15382073
"Green tea fights
ovarian cancer" David Liu, PhD, Food Consumer, May 9, 2012. Retrieved on
November 5, 2012 from: http://www.foodconsumer.org
"Ovarian cancer
vitamins, supplements, herbs and natural treatment" Ray Sahelian, MD.
Retrieved on November 5, 2012 from:
http://www.raysahelian.com/ovariancancer.html
"Natural Cures for
Ovarian Cancer" Thomas King. Retrieved on November 5, 2012 from:
http://www.ehow.com/about_5480292_natural-cures-ovarian-cancer.html
"Green tea intake
may reduce the risk of gynecologic cancers" Jonathan Benson, Natural News,
May 8, 2012. Retrieved on November 5, 2012 from: http://www.naturalnews.com
"Gallons of
benefits in just two cups of tea" Karen Collins, RD, NBC News. Retrieved
on November 5, 2012 from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com
"LIgnans"
Linus Pauling Institute. Retrieved on November 5, 2012 from:
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/lignans/
"Flaxseed-Fed
Chickens Shed Light On Ovarian Cancer" Science Daily, May 11, 2010.
Retrieved on November 10, 2012 from:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504124740.htm
"Lignans" NYU
Langone Medical Center. Retrieved on November 5, 2012 from:
http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=21801
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