Acai Berry for Leukemia Patients
Posted on 15. Aug, 2010 by admin in MonaVie EMV
The famous acai berry found in the Amazonian rain forests is becoming extensively popular in the field of medicine today. The tiny berry has also proved to be beneficial in controlling the growth of cancer cells. An assistant professor, Mr. Stephen Talcott of The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences claimed that the berry is capable of killing a reasonable amount of leukemia cells when the extracts were applied to them for a day. Consumption of the berry is known to reduce the growth of cancer cells in patients, even if it is not a permanent cure for the disease itself.
It has been proven difficult to do extensive research on the berry regarding its property of fighting cancer cells as they must be consumed within a short period of time after they have been picked. The berry contains, apart from antioxidants, anthocyanins which also help in inhibition of the growth of cancer cells. They slow down the growth of cancer cells that are pre malignant. They also tend to accelerate apoptosis which makes the process of the death of the cancer cells faster. They also aid in preventing newer blood vessels that provide nourishment for tumors from growing.
The way that the berry helps in reducing the growth of the cancer cells is by setting up a self-destructing mechanism that result in curbing the growth. Drinking the juice made from the berries helps destroy the free radicals that enter our body in the form of pollution and smoke that can result to be cancerous. As a result of its antioxidant properties the effects of the berry along with chemotherapeutic drugs can help in the treatment of cancer.
To understand how antioxidants help in preventing cancer we must first understand what the concept of free radicals is. Those molecules with electron shells that aren’t completely are called free radicals. This property makes these molecules are generally more reactive than molecules with completely filed electron shells. Free radicals occur most commonly in the oxygen molecule. When the molecule is charged electrically it steals electrons from the surrounding molecules thus damaging the DNA. If this damage occurs continuously, it leads to cancer.
The best way of combating these cancer cells is to consume the pulp in its fresh state or in the form of juice. It is important to keep in mind that the berry is not a direct cure for cancer and leukemia patients shouldn’t place their hopes entirely on the berry itself. Instead they should consider a healthy combination of the prescribed chemotherapic drugs along with fresh acai berry products.
