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How the root of Moringa Oleifera combats cancer cells
October 18, 2023
The use of plants such as Moringa Oleifera for therapeutic purposes is an ancient practice used since ancient times by peoples who knew well the properties of many plant species in the prevention and treatment of various diseases.
Let's look at what the studies say.
Fighting cancer and natural compounds
The knowledge of natural healing methods, which is still deeply rooted among some indigenous peoples, was also passed on to industrialized countries. Extracts that are obtained directly from certain plant species are increasingly being used in the production of medicines. This is done with the aim of finding natural remedies for cancer and other diseases that can assist in treatment.
The explanation for this choice is mainly related to a need, namely the difficulty or even impossibility of synthesizing these substances in the laboratory due to their structural complexity.
In the fight against cancer, there is an exponential increase in scientific studies that use natural compounds from plants instead of laboratory-made chemical substances that are often too toxic, even for healthy cells.
For this reason, natural anti-cancer remedies are increasingly being used to combat the development and spread of cancer cells in the body.
Study on Moringa: Can it cure breast cancer and liver tumors?
One of these studies on natural anticancer agents concerns Moringa Oleifera, a plant species widespread in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, particularly in India, near the Himalayan Mountains.
Specifically, the said study was carried out by researchers Ahmed A Abd-Rabou, Aboelfetoh M Abdalla, Naglaa A Ali and Khairy MA Zoheir, all of whom belong to different departments of the Medical Department of the National Research Center in Giza, Egypt. The study was published in APJCP (Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention), with permission from the Organization for Cancer Prevention in West Asia. You can find the original study in English here.
The aim of this study was to analyze the behavior of extracts from different parts of moringa in vitro on cancer cells, particularly breast cancer cells, colon cancer cells and liver cancer cells.
The result of the use of these substances was very interesting because it showed that although each extract contributed to the destruction of the cancer cells, the extract derived from the Moringa root had a stronger effect on their death (up to 80% more) and none had negative effects on healthy cells.
The apoptotic effects of moringa nanocompounds have thus revealed their possible potential as a natural antitumor substance and demonstrated the effectiveness of natural anticancer agents.
There are many causes that can lead to the development of lung cancer, from genetic predisposition to long-term exposure to smog, especially particulate matter, and cigarette smoke.
Working in factories where toxic fumes are continuously inhaled also increases the risk of lung cancer cells.
But what are the natural remedies for lung cancer? Without a doubt, careful prevention can make the difference, by avoiding frequenting heavily polluted areas or inhaling car exhaust fumes (which often occurs, for example, when doing outdoor sports in large cities, near busy roads), avoiding smoking or Give up completely and pay attention to passive smoking, which is also harmful to your health.
Natural remedies for lung cancer also include some medicinal plants such as Astragalus, a typical medicinal plant from Chinese tradition with important immune-boosting properties.
Some medicinal mushrooms such as Coriolus Versicolor, but also ginseng, curcuma, rhubarb and echinacea also appear to have important properties in the fight against lung cancer and are therefore among the natural remedies against cancer, especially when formulated in specific dosages and in combination with other natural ingredients .
Natural remedies for cancer: What does apoptosis mean and how is it used in cancer treatment?
Before we examine this research in detail and explain how these natural anticancer agents act on cancer cells, it is important to clarify the term apoptosis, which is fundamental when analyzing the results obtained against cancer.
What is cancer apoptosis
It is a term used in biology that describes the programmed cell death of a cell. In very simple terms, apoptosis could be compared to an outright "suicide."
In fact, there is a sequence in a cell's genetic program that can lead to its death due to biochemical changes. This happens, for example, in viral infections, where the infected cell destroys itself to prevent the virus from completing its life cycle and spreading to other cells.
The signal that triggers apoptosis
The signal that triggers apoptosis can come from outside, as in the case of stress conditions, temperature fluctuations or radiation, or from inside through proteins normally active in cellular function.
The study of the processes that trigger apoptosis is being pursued with particular interest because there is still much to be understood about the actual mechanisms and the role of natural remedies against cancer.
Understanding them would open the way to treating serious diseases such as cancer, where apoptosis should be promoted, or Alzheimer's and AIDS, where apoptosis should be blocked or slowed down.
Research using Moringa extracts on cancer cells is aimed precisely at increasing the mortality of these cells. That's why it's so important to understand how these natural cancer remedies work on the cancer cells in the body.
Natural remedies for cancer: The new fronts in the fight against tumors
For many patients, chemotherapy proves to be too invasive, often with devastating effects on overall health. For this reason, more and more research is focused on the use of natural anticancer agents, such as phenolic compounds, which, when consumed through the human diet, have already shown preventive effects against some cancer cells.
Moringa Oleifera, already well known by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, seems perfect for this type of research since all its parts are edible and the use of leaves already has antioxidant, immunostimulating, antitumor and cardiovascular preventive effects -diseases has shown. The roots are also effective against malaria.
Current statistics show that cancer is still the leading cause of death worldwide, with a forecast for the next few decades in which the number of new cases will increase by 70%.
In men, the most common cancers are lung, prostate, colon, stomach and liver cancer, while in women breast cancer, uterine cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer are more common.
The effects on cancer cells
That's why it's really crucial to understand how natural cancer drugs work on different types of cancer depending on the organs affected.
In this context, studies conducted in 2015 by Abdulrahman Khazim Al-Asmari et al. conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, demonstrated that the effect of moringa extracts on the death of cancer cells through apoptosis and a change in the phenotype of all diseased cells due to arrest of the normal cell cycle.
The aim of this research was to study the effects of extracts from leaves and roots of Moringa grown in Egypt on colon, liver and breast cancer cells, and thus reveal the real effects of these natural anticancer agents on cancer.
The novelty consists in the use of nanoparticles made of PLGA-CS-PEG, a biodegradable polymer (PLGA) treated with chitosan (CS) and polyethylene glycol (a polymer used in pharmacology). The size of these particles provides unique results as it allows the active ingredients to be transported into the cell and limits damage through rapid phagocytosis.
Ahmed A Abd-Rabou and the study of moringa in detail
The result of this studio suggests that the use of the fog of Moringa can significantly reduce the activity of the cell tumors of fegato (HepG2). Inoltre, è importante notare che tali concentrazioni di Moringa sono state somministrate also a soggetti sani, dimostrando che non hanno avuto effetti negativei sulle cellule sane.
An interesting aspect of this studio is the variation of the activity mitocondriale all'aumentare the doses of Moringa. Questa variazione ha portato a una riduzione effettiva dell'adenosintrifosfato (ATP) mitocondriale nelle cellule tumorali HepG2, il che può essere considerato a signale di progressiveiva lesione delle cellule tumorali fino alla morte.
Questi risultati forniscono una base promettente per ulteriori ricerche sul potentiale utilizzo della Moringa come rimedio naturale nella lotta contro il cancro, in particolare nel trattamento delle cellule tumorali del fegato. Tuttavia, è importante tenere presente che ulteriori studi clinici sono necessari prima che la Moringa possa essere ampiamente utilizzata come terapia contro il cancro.
The results from these and other studies on the functionality and effectiveness of natural anticancer remedies clearly indicate the cytotoxicity of moringa extracts, leading to cell death and loss of ATP and GSH (glutathione), although it is not yet clear whether this is the cause or consequence of the loss of their vitality and the integrity of the cell membrane.
The inhibitory effects of these natural anti-cancer remedies, particularly moringa root, on the activity of breast and colon cancer cells are due to the presence of eugenol, allose and isopropyl isothiocyanate.
As stated by Abdulrahman Khazim Al-Asmari et al. As shown in studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, eugenol, a natural phenolic substance contained in moringa leaves, effectively causes the death of diseased cells in both breast and colon cancer.
Read the full study here.
These results on the effectiveness of natural cancer cures are consistent with other research on allose that it could halt the cell cycle without cytotoxic effects on healthy cells.
The lower number of cells noted by the researchers can be attributed to the presence of these compounds in different parts of the moringa plant, which inhibit the function of a specific protein (E2F1) responsible for the spread and survival of cancer cells is.
Natural remedies for cancer: how to treat yourself with herbs
The study on the effects of natural anti-cancer remedies, in particular on extracts of Moringa root, carried out on different types of cancer cells (breast cancer, colon cancer and liver cancer), has shown that they are able to kill diseased cells, while healthy cells are spared. In summary, the substances from the leaves, stems and roots of this plant lead to the reduction of cell proliferation and the initiation of programmed cell death (apoptosis) in all cancer cell lines.
This research into natural anti-cancer remedies, coupled with previous studies by other researchers, identifies moringa as a possible promising approach in cancer therapy, particularly for aggressive forms of breast cancer, colon cancer and liver cancer.
Medicinal herbs for cancer: which ones are there?
There are also other medicinal herbs besides moringa that can help fight cancer or relieve its symptoms and therefore fall completely into the category of natural cancer cures.
Among the most effective herbs for relieving discomfort associated with tumors, such as those used to improve the quality of life of cancer patients, are herbs that strengthen the immune system to help fight cancer. There are also natural cancer remedies that help restore psychophysical energy and general well-being, important goals for people undergoing complex and sometimes exhausting therapies.
Among the most effective are taxol and its derivatives, the alkaloids of Vinca and their derivatives, and the derivatives of podophylline and irinotecan, which come from Camptotheca.
Foods that fight cancer
Finally, it is worth noting that some foods or their partial or complete avoidance are also natural cancer cures.
According to nutrition experts and doctors who study cancer, foods are among the most effective cancer cures because they interfere with many processes that promote or prevent the formation of cancer cells.
Various theories have spread over the years and even today there is heated debate about whether, according to some experts, the consumption of certain foods, such as red meat, could promote the formation of cancer cells, or even certain types of preparation. Therefore, natural cancer cures also include the foods we consume every day that can promote the production of carcinogenic substances.
Be careful with red meat, sausage products and coffee
Red meat is undoubtedly one of the main suspects at the moment, but coffee, cooked basil, alcohol, sausages and other foods are also still the subject of intense debate.
Favoring a healthy and balanced diet without preservatives, colorings and additives is undoubtedly one of the best natural remedies to fight cancer, as are healthy cooking methods such as grilling instead of frying.
Likewise, consumption of seasonal fruits and vegetables, especially some types of cabbage (such as cabbage, kale and cauliflower), appears to have positive effects in suppressing the processes that lead to the formation of tumors.