(24-01-13) Resveratrol found to be essential element in the fight against prostate cancer

by John Phillip

(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

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