Fresh Lemon Grass Drink Causes Apoptosis to Cancer Cells

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 18:24:01 +0530Fresh Lemon Grass Drink Causes Apoptosis to Cancer CellsrobinderTo: Sanjay.Soneja; alokupadhyay; jainanuj; sawhneyarun1; ashishmisra111; bsudhakar1805; jayant18; m.mohan; rajanviswanath; faltumails.ravi; romaa.m; ruchi17e; sajalgin; samiksha.ojha; jayshini; sanjeevmathur111; sunita_agrawal; suparna_jacobAn interesting forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh Lemon Grass Drink Causes Apoptosis to Cancer Cells

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* *********

 

Fresh lemon grass fields in Israel become Mecca for cancer patients By Allison Kaplan Sommer April 02, 2006

 

A drink with as little as one gram of lemon grass contains enough citral to prompt cancer cells to commit suicide in the test tube.

Israeli researchers find way to make cancer cells self-destruct - Ben Gurion University

At first, Benny Zabidov, an Israeli agriculturalist who grows greenhouses full of lush spices on a pastoral farm in Kfar Yedidya in the Sharon region, couldn't understand why so many cancer patients from around the country were showing up on his doorstep asking for fresh lemon grass. It turned out that their doctors had sent them. 'They had been told to drink eight glasses of hot water with fresh lemon grass steeped in it on the days that they went for their radiation and chemotherapy treatments,' Zabidov told ISRAEL21c. 'And this is the place you go to in Israel for fresh lemon grass.'

It all began when researchers at Ben Gurion University of the Negev discovered last year that the lemon aroma in herbs like lemon grass kills cancer cells in vitro, while leaving healthy cells unharmed. The research team was led by Dr. Rivka Ofir and Prof. Yakov Weinstein, incumbent of the Albert Katz Chair in Cell-Differentiatio n and Malignant Diseases, from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at BGU.

Citral is the key component that gives the lemony aroma and taste in several herbal plants such as lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), melissa (Melissa officinalis) and verbena (Verbena officinalis. )According to Ofir, the study found that citral causes cancer cells to 'commit suicide: using apoptosis, a mechanism called programmed cell death.' A drink with as little as one gram of lemon grass contains enough citral to prompt the cancer cells to commit suicide in the test tube.

The BGU investigators checked the influence of the citral on cancerous cells by adding them to both cancerous cells and normal cells that were grown in a petri dish. The quantity added in the concentrate was equivalent to the amount contained in a cup of regular tea using one gram of lemon herbs in hot water. While the citral killed the cancerous cells, the normal cells remained unharmed.

The findings were published in the scientific journal Planta Medica, which highlights research on alternative and herbal remedies. Shortly afterwards, the discovery was featured in the popular Israeli press.

 

 

 

Why does it work? Nobody knows for certain, but the BGU scientists have a theory. 'In each cell in our body, there is a genetic program which causes programmed cell death.. When something goes wrong, the cells divide with no control and become cancer cells.. In normal cells, when the cell discovers that the control system is not operating correctly - for example, when it recognizes that a cell contains faulty genetic material following cell division - it triggers cell death,' explains Weinstein. 'This research may explain the medical benefit of these herbs.'

 

 

 

The success of their research led them to the conclusion that herbs containing citral may be consumed as a preventative measure against certain cancerous cells. As they learned of the BGU findings in the press, many physicians in Israel began to believe that while the research certainly needed to be explored further, in the meantime it would be advisable for their patients, who were looking for any possible tool to fight their condition, to try to harness the cancer-destroying properties of citral.

 

 

 

That's why Zabidov's farm - the only major grower of fresh lemon grass in Israel - has become a pilgrimage destination for these patients. Luckily, they found themselves in sympathetic hands. Zabidov greets visitors with a large kettle of aromatic lemon grass tea, a plate of cookies, and a supportive attitude. 'My father died of cancer, and my wife's sister died young because of cancer,' said Zabidov.. 'So I understand what they are dealing with. And I may not know anything about medicine, but I'm a good listener. And so they tell me about their expensive painful treatments and what they've been through. I would never tell them to stop being treated, but it's great that they are exploring alternatives and drinking the lemon grass tea as well.'

Zabidov knew from a young age that agriculture was his calling. At age 14, he enrolled in the Kfar Hayarok Agricultural high school. After his army service, he joined an idealistic group which headed south, in the Arava desert region, to found a new moshav (agricultural settlement) called Tsofar. 'We were very successful; we raised fruits and vegetables, and,' he notes with a smile, 'We raised some very nice children.'

 

 

 

On a trip to Europe in the mid-80s, he began to become interested in herbs. Israel , at the time, was nothing like the trend-conscious cuisine-oriented country it is today, and the only spices being grown commercially were basics like parsley, dill, and coriander. Wandering in the Paris market, looking at the variety of herbs and spices, Zabidov realized that there was a great export potential in this niche. He brought samples back home with him, 'which was technically illegal,' he says with a guilty smile, to see how they would grow in his desert greenhouses. Soon, he was growing basil, oregano, tarragon, chives, sage, marjoram and melissa, and mint just to name a few.

His business began to outgrow his desert facilities, and so he decided to move north, settling in the moshav of Kfar Yedidya, an hour and a half north of Tel Aviv. He is now selling 'several hundred kilos' of lemon grass per week, and has signed with a distributor to package and put it in health food stores. Zabidov has taken it upon himself to learn more about the properties of citral, and help his customers learn more, and has invited medical experts to his farm to give lectures about how the citral works and why.

 

 

 

He also felt a responsibility to know what to tell his customers about its use. 'When I realized what was happening, I picked up the phone and called Dr. Weinstein at Ben-Gurion University , because these people were asking me exactly the best way to consume the citral. He said to put the loose grass in hot water, and drink about eight glasses each day.'

Zabidov is pleased by the findings, not simply because it means business for his farm, but because it might influence his own health. Even before the news of its benefits were demonstrated, he and his family had been drinking lemon grass in hot water for years, 'just because it tastes good.'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This chart is awesome! Everyone can use it. Please pass it on to others.

 

Share this Chart with everyone

 

 

 

 

 

Apples

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

prevents constipation

 

 

Blocks diarrhea

 

 

Improves lung capacity

 

 

Cushions joints

 

 

 

Apricots

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Saves your eyesight

 

 

Shields against Alzheimer's

 

 

Slows aging process

 

 

 

Artichokes

 

 

Aids digestion

 

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Stabilizes blood sugar

 

 

Guards against liver disease

 

 

 

Avocados

 

 

Battles diabetes

 

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

 

Helps stops strokes

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Smoothes skin

 

 

 

Bananas

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Quiets a cough

 

 

Strengthens bones

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Blocks diarrhea

 

 

 

Beans

 

 

Prevents constipation

 

 

Helps hemorrhoids

 

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Stabilizes blood sugar

 

 

 

Beets

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Strengthens bones

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Aids weight loss

 

 

 

Blueberries

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Stabilizes blood sugar

 

 

Boosts memory

 

 

Prevents constipation

 

 

 

Broccoli

 

 

Strengthens bones

 

 

Saves eyesight

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

 

Cabbage

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Prevents constipation

 

 

Promotes weight loss

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Helps hemorrhoids

 

 

 

Cantaloupe

 

 

Saves eyesight

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Supports immune system

 

 

 

Carrots

 

 

Saves eyesight

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Prevents constipation

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Promotes weight loss

 

 

 

Cauliflower

 

 

Protects against Prostate Cancer

 

 

Combats Breast Cancer

 

 

Strengthens bones

 

 

Banishes bruises

 

 

Guards against heart disease

 

 

 

Cherries

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Combats Cancer

 

 

Ends insomnia

 

 

Slows aging process

 

 

Shields against Alzheimer's

 

 

 

Chestnuts

 

 

Promotes weight loss

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

 

Combats Cancer

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

 

Chili peppers

 

 

Aids digestion

 

 

Soothes sore throat

 

 

Clears sinuses

 

 

Combats Cancer

 

 

Boosts immune system

 

 

 

Figs

 

 

Promotes weight loss

 

 

Helps stops strokes

 

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

 

Combats Cancer

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

 

Fish

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Boosts memory

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Combats Cancer

 

 

Supports immune system

 

 

 

Flax

 

 

Aids digestion

 

 

Battles diabetes

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Improves mental health

 

 

Boosts immune system

 

 

 

Garlic

 

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

kills bacteria

 

 

Fights fungus

 

 

 

Grapefruit

 

 

Protects against heart attacks

 

 

Promotes Weight loss

 

 

Helps stops strokes

 

 

Combats Prostate Cancer

 

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

 

 

Grapes

 

 

saves eyesight

 

 

Conquers kidney stones

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Enhances blood flow

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

 

Green tea

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Helps stops strokes

 

 

Promotes Weight loss

 

 

Kills bacteria

 

 

 

Honey

 

 

Heals wounds

 

 

Aids digestion

 

 

Guards against ulcers

 

 

Increases energy

 

 

Fights allergies

 

 

 

Lemons

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Smoothes skin

 

 

Stops scurvy

 

 

 

Limes

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Smoothes skin

 

 

Stops scurvy

 

 

 

Mangoes

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Boosts memory

 

 

Regulates thyroid

 

 

aids digestion

 

 

Shields against Alzheimer's

 

 

 

Mushrooms

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

 

Kills bacteria

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Strengthens bones

 

 

 

....[Message clipped]Date India’s Teen Diva. Find out if you hit it off with her or are her fiery opposite. Drag n’ drop

Yes, I have also come across a few articles that state lemon grass has been effective in killing cancer cells in pre-controlled environments. It is also effective in reducing sugar levels that is in diabetes.

 

People here in pune swear by 'gauti cha' (gauti = lemon grass) as a cure for cough n cold though some people have reservations about its intake during pregnancy.

Regards,

Meenu--- On Thu, 8/6/09, Sunita Agrawal <sunita_agrawal wrote:

Sunita Agrawal <sunita_agrawal Fresh Lemon Grass Drink Causes Apoptosis to Cancer Cells"worldnaturecure" <worldnaturecure >Thursday, August 6, 2009, 8:50 PM

 

 

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 18:24:01 +0530Fresh Lemon Grass Drink Causes Apoptosis to Cancer Cellsrobinder (AT) gmail (DOT) comSanjay.Soneja@ ril.com; alokupadhyay@ indianoil. co.in; jainanuj ; sawhneyarun1@ gmail.com; ashishmisra111@ gmail.com; bsudhakar1805@ gmail.com; jayant18 (AT) gmail (DOT) com; m.mohan (AT) idbi (DOT) co.in; rajanviswanath@ ; faltumails.ravi@ gmail.com; romaa.m (AT) gmail (DOT) com; ruchi17e ; sajalgin (AT) (DOT) co.in; samiksha.ojha@ gmail.com; jayshini (AT) gmail (DOT) com; sanjeevmathur111@ gmail.com; sunita_agrawal@ hotmail.com; suparna_jacob@ An interesting forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh Lemon Grass Drink Causes Apoptosis to Cancer Cells ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* *********

Fresh lemon grass fields in Israel become Mecca for cancer patients By Allison Kaplan Sommer April 02, 2006

A drink with as little as one gram of lemon grass contains enough citral to prompt cancer cells to commit suicide in the test tube.Israeli researchers find way to make cancer cells

self-destruct - Ben Gurion University At first, Benny Zabidov, an Israeli agriculturalist who grows greenhouses full of lush spices on a pastoral farm in Kfar Yedidya in the Sharon region, couldn't understand why so many cancer patients from around the country were showing up on his doorstep asking for fresh lemon grass. It turned out that their doctors had sent them. 'They had been told to drink eight glasses of hot water with fresh lemon

grass steeped in it on the days that they went for their radiation and chemotherapy treatments,' Zabidov told ISRAEL21c. 'And this is the place you go to in Israel for fresh lemon grass.' It all began when researchers at Ben Gurion University of the Negev discovered last year that the lemon aroma in herbs like lemon grass kills cancer cells in vitro, while leaving healthy cells unharmed. The research team was led by Dr. Rivka Ofir and Prof. Yakov Weinstein, incumbent of the Albert Katz Chair in Cell-Differentiatio n and Malignant Diseases, from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at BGU.Citral is the key component that gives the lemony aroma and taste in several herbal plants such as lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), melissa (Melissa officinalis) and verbena (Verbena officinalis. )According to Ofir, the study found that citral causes cancer cells to 'commit suicide: using apoptosis, a mechanism called programmed

cell death.' A drink with as little as one gram of lemon grass contains enough citral to prompt the cancer cells to commit suicide in the test tube.The BGU investigators checked the influence of the citral on cancerous cells by adding them to both cancerous cells and normal cells that were grown in a petri dish. The quantity added in the concentrate was equivalent to the amount contained in a cup of regular tea using one gram of lemon herbs in hot water. While the citral killed the cancerous cells, the normal cells remained unharmed.The findings were published in the scientific journal Planta Medica, which highlights research on alternative and herbal remedies. Shortly afterwards, the discovery was featured in the popular Israeli press.

 

Why does it work? Nobody knows for certain, but the BGU scientists have a theory. 'In each cell in our body, there is a genetic program which causes programmed cell death.. When something goes wrong, the cells divide with no control and become cancer cells.. In normal cells, when the cell discovers that the control system is not operating correctly - for example, when it recognizes that a cell contains faulty genetic material following cell division - it triggers cell death,' explains Weinstein. 'This research may explain the medical benefit of these herbs.'

 

The success of their research led them to the conclusion that herbs containing citral may be consumed as a preventative measure against certain cancerous cells. As they learned of the BGU findings in the press, many physicians in Israel began to believe that while the research certainly needed to be explored further, in the meantime it would be advisable for their patients, who were looking for any possible tool to fight their condition, to try to harness the cancer-destroying properties of citral.

 

That's why Zabidov's farm - the only major grower of fresh lemon grass in Israel - has become a pilgrimage destination for these patients. Luckily, they found themselves in sympathetic hands. Zabidov greets visitors with a large kettle of aromatic lemon grass tea, a plate of cookies, and a supportive attitude. 'My father died of cancer, and my wife's sister died young because of cancer,' said Zabidov.. 'So I understand what they are dealing with. And I may not know anything about medicine, but I'm a good listener. And so they tell me about their expensive painful treatments and what they've been through. I would never tell them to stop being treated, but it's great that they are exploring alternatives and drinking the lemon grass tea as well.'Zabidov knew from a young age that agriculture was his calling. At age 14, he enrolled in the

Kfar Hayarok Agricultural high school. After his army service, he joined an idealistic group which headed south, in the Arava desert region, to found a new moshav (agricultural settlement) called Tsofar. 'We were very successful; we raised fruits and vegetables, and,' he notes with a smile, 'We raised some very nice children.'

 

On a trip to Europe in the mid-80s, he began to become interested in herbs. Israel , at the time, was nothing like the trend-conscious cuisine-oriented country it is today, and the only spices being grown commercially were basics like parsley, dill, and coriander. Wandering in the Paris market, looking at the variety of herbs and spices, Zabidov realized that there was a great export potential in this niche. He brought samples back home with him, 'which was technically illegal,' he says with a guilty smile, to see how they would grow in his desert greenhouses. Soon, he was growing basil, oregano, tarragon, chives, sage, marjoram and melissa, and mint just to name a few.His business began to outgrow his desert facilities, and so he decided to move north, settling in the moshav of Kfar Yedidya, an hour and a half north of Tel Aviv. He is

now selling 'several hundred kilos' of lemon grass per week, and has signed with a distributor to package and put it in health food stores. Zabidov has taken it upon himself to learn more about the properties of citral, and help his customers learn more, and has invited medical experts to his farm to give lectures about how the citral works and why.

 

He also felt a responsibility to know what to tell his customers about its use. 'When I realized what was happening, I picked up the phone and called Dr. Weinstein at Ben-Gurion University , because these people were asking me exactly the best way to consume the citral. He said to put the loose grass in hot water, and drink about eight glasses each day.'Zabidov is pleased by the findings, not simply because it means business for his farm, but because it might influence his own health. Even before the news of its benefits were demonstrated, he and his family had been drinking lemon grass in hot water for years, 'just because it

tastes good.'

 

 

 

 

This chart is awesome! Everyone can use it. Please pass it on to others.

Share this Chart with everyone

 

 

 

 

 

Apples

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

prevents constipation

 

 

Blocks diarrhea

 

 

Improves lung capacity

 

 

Cushions joints

 

 

 

Apricots

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

Saves your eyesight

 

Shields against Alzheimer's

 

Slows aging process

 

 

Artichokes

 

Aids digestion

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

Protects your heart

 

Stabilizes blood sugar

 

Guards against liver disease

 

 

Avocados

 

Battles diabetes

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

Helps stops strokes

 

Controls blood pressure

 

Smoothes skin

 

 

Bananas

 

Protects your heart

 

Quiets a cough

 

Strengthens bones

 

Controls blood pressure

 

Blocks diarrhea

 

 

Beans

 

Prevents constipation

 

Helps hemorrhoids

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

Combats cancer

 

Stabilizes blood sugar

 

 

Beets

 

Controls blood pressure

 

Combats cancer

 

Strengthens bones

 

Protects your heart

 

Aids weight loss

 

 

Blueberries

 

Combats cancer

 

Protects your heart

 

Stabilizes blood sugar

 

Boosts memory

 

Prevents constipation

 

 

Broccoli

 

Strengthens bones

 

Saves eyesight

 

Combats cancer

 

Protects your heart

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Cabbage

 

Combats cancer

 

Prevents constipation

 

Promotes weight loss

 

Protects your heart

 

Helps hemorrhoids

 

 

Cantaloupe

 

Saves eyesight

 

Controls blood pressure

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

Combats cancer

 

Supports immune system

 

 

Carrots

 

Saves eyesight

 

Protects your heart

 

Prevents constipation

 

Combats cancer

 

Promotes weight loss

 

 

Cauliflower

 

Protects against Prostate Cancer

 

Combats Breast Cancer

 

Strengthens bones

 

Banishes bruises

 

Guards against heart disease

 

 

Cherries

 

Protects your heart

 

Combats Cancer

 

Ends insomnia

 

Slows aging process

 

Shields against Alzheimer's

 

 

Chestnuts

 

Promotes weight loss

 

Protects your heart

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

Combats Cancer

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Chili peppers

 

Aids digestion

 

Soothes sore throat

 

Clears sinuses

 

Combats Cancer

 

Boosts immune system

 

 

Figs

 

Promotes weight loss

 

Helps stops strokes

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

Combats Cancer

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Fish

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Boosts memory

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Combats Cancer

 

 

Supports immune system

 

 

 

Flax

 

Aids digestion

 

 

Battles diabetes

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Improves mental health

 

 

Boosts immune system

 

 

 

Garlic

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

kills bacteria

 

 

Fights fungus

 

 

 

Grapefruit

 

Protects against heart attacks

 

 

Promotes Weight loss

 

 

Helps stops strokes

 

 

Combats Prostate Cancer

 

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

 

 

Grapes

 

saves eyesight

 

 

Conquers kidney stones

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Enhances blood flow

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

 

Green tea

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Helps stops strokes

 

 

Promotes Weight loss

 

 

Kills bacteria

 

 

 

Honey

 

Heals wounds

 

 

Aids digestion

 

 

Guards against ulcers

 

 

Increases energy

 

 

Fights allergies

 

 

 

Lemons

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Smoothes skin

 

 

Stops scurvy

 

 

 

Limes

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Protects your heart

 

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Smoothes skin

 

 

Stops scurvy

 

 

 

Mangoes

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Boosts memory

 

 

Regulates thyroid

 

 

aids digestion

 

 

Shields against Alzheimer's

 

 

 

Mushrooms

 

Controls blood pressure

 

 

Lowers cholesterol

 

 

Kills bacteria

 

 

Combats cancer

 

 

Strengthens bones

 

 

....[Message clipped]

 

Date India’s Teen Diva. Find out if you hit it off with her or are her fiery opposite. Drag n’ drop