Resveratrol found to be essential element in the fight against prostate cancer

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 by: John Phillip
Tags: resveratrol, prostate cancer, nutrients

(NaturalNews) It is estimated that one in five men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lifetime. Our body normally has a sophisticated array of mechanisms available to fight the aberrant growth of cancerous cells, including slow-growing prostate tumors. Many men slowly lose the ability to fight cancer cell growth during aging, as decades of poor diet, lack of physical activity and exposure to environmental toxins combine to accelerate the aging process, and genetic replication becomes less efficient leading to mutations and cancer.

Nutrition researchers have uncovered a handful of natural substances that have the ability to assist human metabolic functions and can help to thwart cancerous cell growth. Resveratrol is one such compound that helps to protect plants from the harsh environment and has been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and many forms of cancer as well.

Resveratrol alters gene expression to protect against cancerous tumor formation and progression

A research team from the University of Missouri, publishing in the journal Cancer Science, has discovered that resveratrol can make prostate tumor cells more susceptible to apoptosis (natural cell death), increasing the chances of a full recovery from all types of prostate cancer, including aggressive tumors. The scientists determined that prostate tumor cells contain very low levels of two proteins, perforin and granzyme B, which function together to kill cancerous cells.

Both of the identified proteins must be genetically 'expressed' in order to kill the prostate cancer cells through the process of apoptosis. In more aggressive forms of the disease, the two proteins are inactive or have become negatively expressed to allow tumor development and growth. Researchers introduced resveratrol into the prostate cancer tumors and found that the expression of the proteins became highly expressed. The researchers determined that 97 percent of the tumor cells died after direct exposure to resveratrol.

The study author, Dr. Michael Nicholl concluded "It is critical that both proteins, perforin and granzyme B, are present in order to kill the tumor cells, and we found that the resveratrol helped to increase their activity in prostate tumor cells." In a manner similar to vitamin D and curcumin, resveratrol functions by altering gene expression to help combat cancerous growths. Nutrition experts recommend supplementing with 50 to 400 mg per day of a standardized resveratrol compound to fight prostate cancer and many other deadly forms of the disease.

Sources for the article include:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/252654.php
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121110093554.htm
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/uom-cig110912.php

About the author:
John Phillip is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. John is the author of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan', a comprehensive EBook explaining how to use Diet, Exercise, Mind and Targeted Supplementation to achieve your weight loss goal. Visit My Optimal Health Resource to continue reading the latest health news updates, and to download your copy of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan'.