Thirty years of research reveals 10 of the best food phytonutrients to ingest to protect against and even treat the root cause of most cancers.
A new medical model is fast emerging in line with ancient wisdom: one that aims to strike to the root cause of disease and resolve it permanently, and which some call “functional medicine.” In cancer treatment, this highly rational approach involves targeting the cancer stem cells (CSCs) at the root of cancer malignancy. Because we now know that CSCs are resistant to chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and may even increase in number and invasveness when exposed to these outdated therapies, it is no longer ethical to continue with the conventional oncologist’s “standard of care.” Clearly, unless a cancer treatment is capable of selectively killing and/or inducing apoptosis within cancer cells without harming non-cancerous cells, it is not going to produce a cure.In light of this, we are excited to report on a new review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences titled, “Phytochemicals as Innovative Therapeutic Tools against Cancer Stem Cells,” which evaluated the evidence for what natural compounds within various foods and spices make for the most compelling treatments for targeting CSCs.
According to the review of 30 years worth of literature on the topic, the following 10 natural substances have been demonstrated to be the most effective chemopreventive dietary agents against CSCs:
-
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG): A green tea extract
-
Curcumin: The primary polyphenol in turmeric root
-
Resveratrol: A phytochemical found in grapes, peanuts, Japanese knotweed
-
Lycopene: A red carotenoid found in watermelon, pink grapefruit, and tomatoes
-
Pomegranate extracts
-
Luteolin: A flavonoid found in peppers and various green vegetables
-
Genistein: A phytochemical found in soy, red clover, and coffee
-
Piperine: A phytochemicals found in black pepper
-
β-carotene: An orange carotenoid found in various vegetables
-
Sulforaphane: A sulfurous phytochemical found in Cruciferous vegetables
The researchers described the discovery that phytochemicals can selectively target CSCs as “a milestone in the improvement of cancer treatment because the synthetic anticancer drugs that are currently used are often highly toxic for healthy organs and weakens the patient’s immune system.”
They also pointed out that the phytochemicals or extracts identified above, due to their “low levels of toxicity for normal cells,” can be used in combination with other phytochemicals, “yielding powerful synergistic effects.”
They identified several key areas of focus for the future:
