Grape-seed Extract Kills Laboratory Leukemia Cells, Proving Value Of Natural Compounds

Science Daily ^ | Jan. 1, 2009 | American Association for Cancer Research.

[ConservativeMind]

An extract from grape seeds forces laboratory leukemia cells to commit cell suicide, according to researchers from the University of Kentucky. They found that within 24 hours, 76 percent of leukemia cells had died after being exposed to the extract...

...While grape seed extract has shown activity in a number of laboratory cancer cell lines, including skin, breast, colon, lung, stomach and prostate cancers, no one had tested the extract in hematological cancers...

..."These results could have implications for the incorporation of agents such as grape seed extract into prevention or treatment of hematological malignancies and possibly other cancers," said the study's lead author, Xianglin Shi, Ph.D., professor in the Graduate Center for Toxicology at the University of Kentucky.

"What everyone seeks is an agent that has an effect on cancer cells but leaves normal cells alone, and this shows that grape seed extract fits into this category," he said...

...Given that epidemiological evidence shows that eating vegetables and fruits helps prevent cancer development, Shi and his colleagues have been studying chemicals known as proanthocyanidins in fruits that contribute to this effect. Shi has found that apple peel extract contains these flavonoids, which have antioxidant activity, and which cause apoptosis in several cancer cell lines but not in normal cells. Based on those studies, and findings from other researchers that grape seed extract reduces breast tumors in rats and skin tumors in mice, they looked at the effect of the compound in leukemia cells.

Using a commercially available grape seed extract, Shi exposed leukemia cells to the extract in different doses and found the marked effect in causing apoptosis in these cells at one of the higher doses.

They also discovered that the extract does not affect normal cells, although they don't know why.

[ConservativeMind]

This behavior was also found for colon cancer a few years ago, when mice ingested the equivalent of 50 200mg capsules for a 200 pound person in a single dose.

[swatbuznik]

Cripes, and here we’ve been making grapes seedless! STOP NOW!! :)

[the invisib1e hand]

What did the grape do when the elephant sat on it?

[andy58-in-nh]

What did the grape do when the elephant sat on it?

It wined?

[MrLee]

I take 50 mg 3 times a day. Figure it can’t hurt but not sure it helps either.

[MAD-AS-HELL]

It’s wonderful news that rats now can beat cancer. Unfortunately, these studies typically do not translate to humans in vivo.

[ConservativeMind]

Anecdotally, last year, I ingested a number of grape seed extract pills about a week and a half prior to an appointment with an oncologist for a skin growth my wife noticed that had been slowly growing on my shoulder.

After comparing with online photos, it appeared to be a basal cell carcinoma, so I wasn't really worried. We were already taking grape seed extract, so I decided to take a bunch more that day. After some intestinal discomfort about an hour later, noting else of note appeared to have happened.

However, the spot started to itch a few days later, and started to peel away from the skin, as like sun-burnt skin. By six days later, this lump and nothing else on my body, had disappeared, replaced with totally normal looking skin.

My wife took a picture of it, but we canceled the appointment when we realized we no longer had anything to show.

It hasn't come back, since.

[ConservativeMind]

The colon cancer study from two years ago:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061018093946.htm

[ConservativeMind]

It seems that grape seed extract only acts as an antioxidant in low to moderate doses. It takes surpassing the body’s antioxidant need level before it induces cancer cells into apoptosis, which appears to be why only large doses seem to cause this effect.

[darkangel82]

lol

[Secret Agent Man]

The reason (not technical) is that it is well-known that cancer cells are damaged cells that do not have everything working normally inside them. Certain processes that go on inside normal cells, regulating intake and expulsion of certain things, do not work inside cancer cells. What this can lead to is a lethal increase in the amount of a certain mineral or chemical that causes the cancer cell to die off.

Cesium chloride is another example of a compound that will kill cancer cells because the cancer cells cannot rid themselves of it. Cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment, and cesium chloride changes the pH to basic. It gets more and more alkaline in the cell and the cell dies. In normal healthy cells, they can get rid of any excess cesium chloride because their regulatory mechanisms are working properly. The same thing is occurring here with the grape seed extract.

[Cicero]

I use Resveratrol as a supplement.

http://www.vitacost.com/productResults.aspx?.x=9&ss=1&Ntk=products&.y=11&Ntt=reservatrol

[Tennessean4Bush]

Wow. That was such a clear and simple to understand explanation. You must be a teacher, or do an awful lot of presentations.

[ConservativeMind]

Resveratrol is a component of grape seed extract, but is not responsible for the effects mentioned above. The best studies with resveratrol show a much smaller effect on cancer cells.

However, the best price for those tiny 200 mg capsules of grape seed extract is Vitacost, which uses the patented Activin form.

[Secret Agent Man]

Thanks, I thought I’d probably get targeted by people for being not quite right or glossing things over too much.

I just have spent some time researching cancer and in particular, how certain natural compounds may work against certain forms of it.

[Cicero]

Thanks. That’s helpful.

[Whitebread]

Thanks for the article. It is of great interest to me as new treatments for APL leukemia have literally saved my life. Perhaps this grape seed extract will join the fight along with Arsenic and Retin-A, two medicines not known to treat leukemia as recently as 10 yrs ago.