Water soluble Garlic ingredients may inhibit liver cancer

Researchers from the Department of Biology, University of Rome examined the effects of different Garlic ingredients on liver cancer cells. If left alone, the liver cancer cells grew at a tremendous rate; multiplying by 300% in just 48 hours. The fatty soluble Garlic substances that cause the potent odor effects of Garlic had no effect on stopping the growth of the liver cancer; these ingredients usually evaporate quickly. The water soluble substances however completely stopped the multiplication of the cancer cells. Also, these substances were not dangerous to healthy cells. The study is published in the January 2006 issue of the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.

Commentary by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph.

Yesterday we reported that taking a combination of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and ibuprofen prevented the onset of Alzheimer's disease in patients who inherited a gene from their parents that puts them at high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Resveratrol improves the ability of chemotherapy to fight cancer in cellular and animal studies

Cisplatin and doxorubicin are two commonly used cancer chemotherapeutic drugs. Resveratrol is a plant polyphenol known to have anticancer effects. In this study Resveratrol was added to doxorubicin and cisplatin to test its ability to improve the chemotherapeutic punch on both ovarian and uterine cancer cells. When Resveratrol was added to either cisplatin or doxorubicin the ability of the drugs to inhibit the growth of the cancer cells was more powerful than using the drugs alone.

In a second study the drug doxorubicin was given to rats and their heart function was monitored; doxorubicin is notorious for causing toxicity to the heart muscle. Resveratrol reduced doxorubicins impact on heart rate and function and in a study of heart cells Resveratrol improved heart cell viability in the presence of doxorubicin. The studies are published in the May 2006 issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.