Researchers from the Faculty ofPharmacy at the University of Calabria in Italy publishing in The FASEB Journal report thatresveratrol blocks the effect of estrogen and can help to prevent the malignantgrowth of breast cancer in women. The grape/red wine derivative has been thesubject of numerous scientific studies in recent years and has shown promise inlowering risks from cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia.
Scientists also believe theprotective nutrient may extend healthy lifespan by directly influencingmortality genes known as SIRT. Italian researchers noted "Resveratrol is a potentialpharmacological tool to be exploited when breast cancer become resistant to thehormonal therapy." Health-minded adults will want to includeresveratrol from natural food sources or supplementation to reap the numeroushealth benefits.
Resveratrol Supplementation Suppresses the Growth of Malignant BreastCancer Cells
To design their study,researchers used several breast cancer cell lines expressing the estrogenreceptor to test the effects of resveratrol. They exposed the different cellsto a solution containing resveratrol and compared the results to cells leftuntreated. They found an important reduction in cell growth in cells treated withresveratrol, while no changes were seen in untreated cells. Further experimentsdetermined that this effect was caused by a critical reduction in estrogenreceptors caused by the administration of resveratrol.
This finding is the first of itskind as it relates specifically to the effect of resveratrolon a particular cancer cell line. The team was able to conclude thatresveratrol is able to counteract the malignant progression of breast cancercells by inhibiting the growth and spread of hormone resistant cancerous cells.This has important implications for the treatment of women with breast cancerwhose tumors eventually develop resistance to hormonal therapy.
Resveratrol Specifically Targets Cancerous Cells to Fight Breast Cancer
Lead researcher Dr. SebastianoAndo noted "Resveratrol is a potentialpharmacological tool to be exploited when breast cancer become resistant to thehormonal therapy." A peer review board examining the study dataconcluded “scientists haven't finisheddistilling the secrets of good health that have been hidden in natural productssuch as red wine.” It is important to note that in this body of research,resveratrol only demonstrated an effect on malignant cancer cells and exertedno effect on non-cancerous cells.
While the authors cautioned thatpeople should not go out and start using red wine or resveratrol supplements asa treatment for breast cancer, the finding strongly indicates that theplant-protective compound should be considered as a component in an overallplan designed to prevent the devastating disease. Nutrition experts recommend asupplemental intake (from a purified, organically derived source) of between 50and 250 mg per day for optimal health benefits.
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