Free Republic

Hiroshima University researchers have found that fermented stevia extract may fight pancreatic cancer without harming healthy cells—potentially making it more than just a zero-calorie sugar substitute.art samuel/ShutterstockPancreatic cancer shows significant resistance to existing treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.“Globally, the incidence and mortality rates of pancreatic cancer continue to rise, with a five-year survival rate of less than 10 percent,” study coauthor Narandalai Danshiitsoodol, associate professor at Hiroshima University, said in a press statement.There’s a growing need to find new, effective cancer-fighting compounds—especially those that come from medicinal plants, said Danshiitsoodol.Fermentation Unlocks Cancer-Fighting PowerThe study, recently published in the International...

"... stevia leaf extract fermented with L. plantarum SN13T, which contains CAME, may serve as a promising candidate for pancreatic cancer treatment." Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) is a perennial herb widely utilized in the food and pharmaceutical industries, valued not only for its intense natural sweetness but also for its potential health-promoting properties. In addition to steviol glycosides, stevia leaves are rich in flavonoids and phenolic compounds, which exhibit various biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, and anticancer effects. While purified steviol glycosides and their derivatives (e.g., stevioside, isosteviol) have demonstrated cytotoxic and antiproliferative activities against several cancer cell lines,...