Glorius Grapes

[Guest guest]

Glorious grapes!

The other day, reading through my `Inbox,' I came across an e-mail

about an all-natural grape seed treatment for leukemia. The gist of

the article claimed that grape seeds could kill 76 percent of

diseased cells overnight. Being the skeptic that I am, I thought this

sounded way too good to be true.

Where did these results come from, I wondered? It had to be a fluke,

concocted by some backward scientist in Slovakia. How could an all-

natural remedy really kill 76 percent of leukemia cells overnight?

However, after checking into the research myself, I found that the

study was conducted at the University of Kentucky. (No, it wasn't

Harvard, but a big university laboratory nevertheless.) I also found

that the results got published in the highly-respected, peer-reviewed

medical journal Clinical Cancer Research.

Okay, these little grape seeds had my attention. Now what? How do

they destroy leukemia cells so quickly?

First, let's back up. I probably should explain a little bit about

leukemia so you can truly appreciate how promising this study could

be in the years to come for any family touched by this brutal

disease.

It's the goliath of cancer

Leukemia is a vicious type of cancer that attacks the lifeline of

your body: your blood. Normally, blood cells start out as stem cells

made in the bone marrow. Then they mature into:

White blood cells (which help fight infection)

Red blood cells (deliver oxygen to vital organs and tissues in your

body)

Platelets (help form blood clots when you get a cut or injury)

In healthy individuals, blood cells have a life cycle. When this

happens, the old cells get replaced by new, healthy cells that are

made in the bone marrow. It's this natural turnover that helps keep

you free from disease.

But in leukemia patients, this natural system has gone awry. The bone

marrow begins to produce abnormal white blood cells that don't die.

Over time, the abnormal cells crowd out the healthy blood cells.

As a result, diseased cells take over the blood stream. Leukemia

patients can become prone to infection, grow tired easily, and become

anemic.

Plus, sometimes the treatment's worse than the disease

Treatment depends on the type of leukemia (there are four main

types). Most mainstream routes involve some type of rigorous

chemotherapy regimen, steroids, radiation, or even bone marrow

transplants.

The road is far from easy for a leukemia patient. That's why a proven

and effective non-toxic treatment like grape seed extract is such

welcome news.

What led scientists to test grape seeds?

The majority of research into grape seed extract has focused on

promoting heart health. But recent studies have shown that grape

seeds also seem to protect you against cancer.

Grape seeds contain loads of proanthocyanidin, an antioxidant thought

to be 20 times more powerful than vitamin C. These antioxidants seem

to neutralize roaming free radicals in your body that can cause

cancer and disease.

In recent lab tests, grape seed extract has been shown to work

against cancers of the breast, lung, and prostate. As recently as

2006, a very promising study funded by the US National Cancer

Institute showed that grape seed extract could control the spread of

colon cancer in mice.

Up until now, however, scientists dared not even dream that the

natural extract could touch a disease as complex as leukemia.

A quick end for abnormal cells

In a new in vitro experiment (which means the work was conducted in

test tubes with human cells, not animal cells), grape seed extract

caused 76 percent of leukemia cells to literally `commit cell

suicide.'

And, this mass drop-off (a process known as apoptosis) occurred

within 24 hours. Plus, unlike chemotherapy, which kills all

replicating cells (even hair cells), the grape seed extract left

healthy cells alone.

Send those leukemia cells packing

Researchers at the University of Kentucky discovered that grape seed

extract activates JNK, a protein that regulates the apoptosis

pathway. So the extract literally sends the leukemia cells packing,

never to be seen again.

According to the study's lead author Xianglin Shi, PhD, Professor in

the Graduate Center for Toxicology at the University of

Kentucky: " 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. "

While this treatment has only been proven in the lab, not on human

patients, the results are extremely promising.

Check out your local health food store

Grape seed extract is actually pretty easy to come by. And it's cheap

too. For preventative measures, I would recommend 200 mg per day

(under the care of a naturopath, of course).

If you've got leukemia and would like to add grape seed extract to

your regimen, check with your doctor or hematologist first. There

hasn't been a lot of research into how grape seed interacts with

other drugs or supplements you may be taking. I'd use caution and

probably stick pretty close to 200 mg a day. (As a side note: In a 12-

month study, rats were given 100 mg of grape seed extract and they

safely tolerated that dosage. It wouldn't be a stretch to assume 200

mg is a safe dosage for humans.)

Also, buyers beware that grape seed extract is sometimes shortened

to " GSE. " But that acronym is also sometimes used as an acronym for

grapefruit seed extract.

As research into this promising, non-toxic leukemia treatment

continues, I'll be sure to keep you updated.

Until next time,

Allan Spreen, M.D.

NorthStar Nutritionals