Herbal Cooling

[Guest guest]

I feel that this article has a hidden advertisement in it but am

posting it anyway to show the information about these ingredients. I

hope people are smart enough to add those ingredients to their diets

without feeling they have to purchase it as a proprietary product.

 

 

 

" HSI - Jenny Thompson " <hsiresearch

HSI e-Alert - Herbal Cooling

Tue, 22 Nov 2005 07:00:00 -0500

HSI e-Alert - Herbal Cooling

 

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

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November 22, 2005

 

 

 

Dear Reader,

 

Every man wants it, but few men actually want to talk about it.

 

The " it " is prostate health. And a precursor of arthritis may hold the

key to treating a pre-cancerous prostate condition.

 

COX-2 is the enzyme-protein complex that triggers inflammation that

causes arthritis pain. But in recent years, scientists have discovered

that cancerous tissues have unnaturally high COX-2 levels. In fact,

COX-2 may be largely responsible for the growth of several cancer

types, including breast, lung and colon cancer.

 

Researchers at Columbia University have led the way in studying a

unique herbal formulation that may inhibit COX-2 without the dangerous

side effects of pharmaceutical COX-2 inhibitors. The Columbia team has

specifically turned its attention to prostate cancer, and the results

so far are very promising.

 

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Cancer cells cut back

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We'll start things out in the lab.

 

In the e-Alert " Riddle Me This " (10/20/04), I told you about a study

from Columbia's Center of Holistic Urology in which an herbal product

called Zyflamend was added to a culture of human prostate cancer

cells. The Zyflamend-treated cultures had a 78 percent reduction in

the number of cancer cells, compared with untreated cultures.

 

Researchers believe that Zyflamend encouraged apoptosis, also known as

" programmed cell death. " A specific protein involved in apoptosis was

apparently doubled by the herbs. In addition, the herbal formula had

almost the same effectiveness as a pharmaceutical in the inhibition of

COX-2. Curcumin was also tested, but had no beneficial effect.

 

A new lab study from Columbia - reported in the October 2005 issue of

Nutrition and Cancer - has produced similar results. The Columbia team

writes that when tested on a cancer cell line, " Zyflamend dramatically

decreased COX-1 and COX-2 enzymatic activity. " And again, Zyflamend

induced apoptosis while also suppressing cell growth.

 

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The next step

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The Columbia team has now gone outside the lab to test Zyflamend in a

human trial that's already underway.

 

The current study is specifically designed to examine the effects of

Zyflamend on patients who are diagnosed with prostatic intraepithelial

neoplasia (PIN). PIN is a condition in which the cells on the prostate

gland's surface divide more rapidly than the rest of the prostate

cells. Research shows that men diagnosed with PIN have a sharply

increased risk of developing prostate cancer.

 

Researchers are examining the use of Zyflamend on nearly 50 men, aged

40 to 75, who have been diagnosed with PIN. The trial period will run

for 18 months, so I won't be reporting the results until next year at

the earliest, but the length of this study will provide an excellent

test of both the effectiveness and safety of Zyflamend.

 

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Putting the kibosh on COX-2

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So, what exactly does Zyflamend contain that has this profound effect

on cancer cells? The formula is made up of several herbs used for

centuries as anti-inflammatories. They include:

 

* Holy basil (contains ursolic acid; a COX-2 inhibitor)

* Turmeric (contains curcumin; a COX-2 inhibitor)

* Ginger (inhibits both COX-2 and 5-LO, another enzyme cancer

cells need to flourish)

* Green tea (polyphenols reduce COX-2)

* Rosemary (also contains ursolic acid)

* Hu zhang (contains reservatrol; a COX-2 inhibiter)

* Chinese goldthread and barberry (both contain berberine; a COX-2

inhibitor)

* Oregano (contains more than 30 known anti-inflammatory compounds)

* Scutellaria (contains a phytonutrients complex; a COX-2 inhibitor)

 

With the recent notoriety of Vioxx dangers, you can't help but wonder

if any COX-2 inhibitor - whether drug or herb - might pose problems.

But when I asked HSI Medical Adviser Martin Milner, N.D., about the

risk of gastrointestinal damage with herbal COX-2 inhibitors, he said

that using natural plant compounds as opposed to synthetic chemicals

generally produces better results with fewer side effects.

 

Still, if you decide to try Zyflamend, you should inform your doctor

to check potential interactions with other medicines you may be taking

and watch for signs of stomach discomfort or heart trouble. For more

information about Zyflamend, you can visit the manufacturer's web site

at new-chapter.com.

 

 

 

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....and another thing

 

Could olive oil have a future as a cancer-fighter?

 

As I mentioned in the e-Alert " Liquid Gold " (11/16/05), extra-virgin

olive oil contains high levels of antioxidant-rich phenols, which may

help prevent cancer. That's the theory that a team of researchers from

the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland put to the test in a

laboratory study reported in the International Journal of Cancer.

 

The Ulster team incubated a colon cancer cell line with increasing

concentrations of virgin olive oil phenols for 24 hours. They found

that the olive oil protected the cells from DNA damage.

 

Lead researcher Chris Gill, M.D., told NutraIngredients that when

another cell line was given a similar test for 48 hours it appeared

that the phenols exerted an " anti-promoter effect " significantly

reducing the invasiveness of the cancer.

 

In another recent lab test, oleic acid (one of the fats in olive oil)

was believed to be responsible for protection against breast cancer.

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

 

 

 

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Sources:

 

" Zyflamend, a Unique Herbal Preparation with Nonselective COX

Inhibitory Activity, Induces Apoptosis of Prostate Cancer Cells that

Lack COX-2 _Expression " Nutrition and Cancer, Vol. 52, No. 2, October

2005, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

" Columbia University Study Suggests Benefits of Zyflamend in the Early

Treatment of Prostate Cancer " Columbia University Press Release,

11/7/05, cumc.columbia.edu

" Olive Oil Compounds Fight Colon Cancer " NutraIngredients, 8/11/05,

nutraingredients.com

 

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