Mangosteen Help For Cancer
Cancer is one of the most fatal diseases in the world today. In 2007, cancer caused about 13% of all human fatalities, or approximately 7.6 million deaths. For the current year, a total of 1,529,560 new cancer cases and 569,490 deaths from cancer are projected to occur in the United States alone. Evidently, millions of people are suffering and dying but medical science has yet to figure out how to definitively treat this terminal illness. A lot of concoctions and purported treatment protocols have come out in the market claiming they can cure cancer. However, it is the mangosteen that stood out from all the products believed to hold the key in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Is this pure hype and anything more than wishful thinking or is there really a truth to this?
The succeeding section contains all of the pertinent information that you need to know about mangosteen and its relation to cancer.
Mangosteen's Anti-Cancer Properties
Since the turn of the millennium, mangosteen has been the subject of numerous laboratory studies, both in the United States and across Asia. Majority of the studies and researches have shown that the phytoceuticals in mangosteen, particularly the xanthones exhibit some remarkable anti-cancer properties such as the ability to shrink tumors, prevent the proliferation or metastasis of cancer cells and the ability to trigger programmed cell death (apoptosis) for certain types of cancer. Other notable biologic activities include antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. If you are an oncologist or a cancer patient, you’ll find that this is quite an impressive list and probably the reasons why mangosteen has received much acclaim in the fight against cancer.
Xanthones, the major components of mangosteen, have been widely implicated with its anti-cancer effects. It is believed that the anti-oxidants properties of xanthones can aid in cancer treatment and potentially prevent individuals from developing the dreaded disease. To date, scientists have discovered more than 40 different types of xanthones in mangosteen. However, a number of these necessitate further research in terms of structure and related medicinal properties. Among the more notable types of xanthones found in mangosteen are alpha-Mangostin, beta-Mangostin, 3-Isomangostin, Mangostanol, Gertanin, Garcinone A, Garcinone B, Garcinone C, Garcinone D, Garcinone E and Maclurin. The antioxidant properties that xanthones enabled mangosteen to rank very high in a new laboratory procedure called Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or ORAC. It has been revealed that mangosteen has 20 to 30 times the ability to absorb harmful free radicals when compared to most fruits and vegetables. A free radical is a molecular structure which contains an unpaired electron. It has the ability to destroy proteins, enzymes or even individual cells. To further complicate matters, free radicals can multiply through a chain reaction mechanism that results in the production of thousands of these so called ‘cellular oxidants’. When this occurs, cells can be badly damaged and DNA codes can be modified, resulting into mutations, and the body’s immune response could be compromised. On this scale, contact with a free radical or oxidant can create cellular degeneration, resulting in diseases like cancer. It is for this particular reason that xanthones have become very important as these compounds are among the most powerful antioxidants known to man. The rationale is quite simple, if xanthones can rid the body of free radicals then to a certain extent it provides protection against the eventual development of certain forms of cancer that are triggered by free radical damage.
The highly potent antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of mangosteen are among the cornerstones in its ability to fight off cancer cells. As previously noted, free radicals can cause damage to the body on the cellular level. They are capable of damaging genetic material (DNA) which can alter normal cell functions and replication, leading to the proliferation of aberrant cells that ultimately become tumors. In addition, the antibacterial and antiviral properties of mangosteen also contribute to the protection of genetic material as certain strains of bacteria and viruses are known to cause malignancy.
Researchers have shown that the xanthones found in the mangosteen have properties against leukemia - a cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of blood cells, especially white blood cells or leukocytes. To date, this has been one of the most highly acclaimed breakthroughs regarding mangosteen’s enormous potential to alleviate the pain and suffering of millions of cancer patients the world over. As was already mentioned, there are several xanthones that have been studied for their efficacy in treating cancer. A study published in the Journal of Natural Products in 2003 revealed that a number of xanthones from mangosteen successfully managed to inhibit the growth of human leukemia cells. The proponents of the research conducted a follow up study and they found out that alpha-mangostin is a prime candidate for the prevention and therapeutic application for cancer treatment.
Mangosteen is endemic to southeast Asia so it is not surprising that the super fruit is being studied extensively in the region. For instance, the Department of Microbiology at Mahidol University in Bangkok conducted a study involving nine different potential anti-cancer foods. It was later discovered that the mangosteen was the most potent in preventing the growth and proliferation of breast cancer cells. In addition, ethanolic extracts from nine Thai medicinal plants were analyzed for their antiproliferative activity against human breast adenocarcinoma cell line using MTT assay. Again, it was found that mangosteen showed the most potent activity against cancerous cells. In a related study by Moongkarndi et al on the effects of mangosteen pericarp extract on human breast cancer cells, it was also found that mangosteen has a huge potential for cancer chemoprevention. More importantly, the group noted that there were no possible side effects on the human body. This is great news for breast cancer patients as chemotherapy typically causes hair loss, nausea and/or vomiting, depression and/or anxiety, diarrhea, menopausal symptoms, among other nasty side effects.
In another study, it has been suggested that the rind of mangosteen might reduce the risk of cancer cell growth in the bowel. The study showed that crude alpha-mangostin has powerful chemopreventive effects in short-term colon carcinogenesis bioassay system, indicating that longer exposure could result in suppression of tumor development. In addition, preliminary studies conducted in 2002 showed that mangosteen has natural anti-inflammatory properties. Two years later, it was discovered that components of the rind could inhibit cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity, without inhibiting COX-1 synthesis. COX-2 enzymes are known to cause inflammation while COX-1 enzymes protect the delicate lining of the digestive tract. This means that mangosteen is highly capable of preventing the development of colon cancer among susceptible patients by protecting the mucosal lining of the colon, and the digestive tract as a whole. It also facilitates the absorption of essential nutrients needed by the body to maintain an overall level of wellness.
Other lab tests have shown that mangosteen can also induce the death of liver, gastric and lung cancer cells. All of these studies concluded that components of the mangosteen have potential for use in the treatment and prevention of cancer. A great majority of the studies conducted about the efficacy of mangosteen as an alternative option for the prevention and treatment of certain types of cancer are anchored on the precepts that the extract from the pericarp of mangosteen has strong antiproliferation and antioxidation properties, as well as the induction of apoptosis. Therefore, there is substantial evidence indicating that mangosteen can show different activities and has potential for cancer chemoprevention.
Apart from xanthones, mangosteen also contains other beneficial substances like essential vitamins, minerals, and enzymes such as catechins and polyphenols. They can all help in ensuring the wellness of cancer patients by providing the body with the substances needed to strengthen the immune system, specifically anti-cancer cells. Finally, compounds found abundantly in mangosteen can induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) in cancer cells. Induction of apoptosis refers to the process of cell death wherein apoptotic cells break into smaller fragments called apoptotic bodies that release chemicals that can be tracked by antibodies and other cells of the immune system so they can be phagocytized. As for tumors, the induction of apoptosis generally results in the repression of their growth and the reduction of their sizes. A study also found that polysaccharides found in the rind of the mangosteen can stimulate phagocytic cells, prodding them to action and track down cancer cells so they can be eliminated before they can replicate and produce more aberrant cell structures.
There are literally hundreds of in vitro studies that can be found in the annals of medicine about the amazing health benefits and medicinal properties of mangosteen. A number of these relate to the ever elusive cure for cancer. While any of the findings require further tests and analysis, the bottom line is that all of them point to the single notion that mangosteen indeed has the potential to serve as anti-cancer agent for the chemotherapy of cancer. Hopefully, in the next couple of years more conclusive studies will emerge that will bring to the fore mangosteen’s remarkable abilities to help patients afflicted with cancer.
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