Study Finds Blueberry Compound to Kill Cancer Cells, Blasts Cancer Radiation Treatment

In the battle against cancer, there are many conflicting theories. But one thing you’ll very seldom hear is that conventional treatments like radiation and chemotherapy are good for you. On the contrary, many cancer survivors swear off using such treatments ever again. So, when research comes out that substantiates their feelings and indicates such treatments may actually be doing more harm than good, it signals a possible shift in conventional thinking.

One such piece of research has found that blueberries can somewhat negate the adverse effects of irradiation while inducing cancer cell death.

One study, published in the journal eCAM, offers two promising findings. One of those findings is that a component of blueberries – pterostilbene – can actually suppress “adverse changes associated with irradiation.” The other finding: that radiation treatment leads to the “enrichment” of hepatoma (liver cancer) stem cells. Yes, radiation makes these cancer cells stronger and more plentiful.

While conventional cancer treatments would have you think that blasting every cancer-related cell in the body with radiation and toxins will eventually rid you of the disease, this isn’t the only theory.

For centuries, scientists have observed a certain type of cancer cell that resemble embryonic tissue. These cells, known as cancer stem cells, are believed to produce the various cancer cells throughout the body. They are, in essence, the brain behind cancer proliferation. This theory is known as the embryonal rest theory of cancer (ERTC) and conventional treatments don’t ascribe to it.

Read: Milk Thistle Protects Against Chemo Toxicity, Prevents Cancer

Conventional cancer treatments target tumor cells; they attempt to eradicate everything within the tumor. But, research has shown that although these treatments may kill off the smaller cancerous tumor cells, they actually enrich the cancer stem cells. What this means for a cancer patient is a possible reemergence of cancer somewhere else in the body at a later date.

Such an occurrence, according to the thinking of conventional medicine, is totally unrelated to the original cancer. It is written off as being linked and therefore any connection to the conventional treatments is disregarded.

This study, however, indicates radiation does, in fact, enrich cancer stem cells, in alignment with the ERTC/Cancer Stem Cell explanation. But more than that, the study indicates a natural substance found in blueberries can cause programmed cell death (apoptosis), even killing the cancer stem cells within various cancer types.

While the authors of the study, true to form with conventional science, conclude by saying radiation treatment should be supplemented with the beneficial blueberry compound, we see their work as further evidence that radiation may not be the answer to cancer at all and that further research money needs to be poured into those studies looking at natural and wholly beneficial remedies.

The health benefits of blueberries shouldn’t be overlooked.

Blueberry Compound Shows Potential in Preventing Colon Cancer

Previous research by Rutgers University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed that pterostilbene may have the potential to prevent colon cancer.

The discovery placed pterostilbene as a potent antioxidant with the possibility of being developed into a pill for colon cancer prevention, offering a natural alternative with potentially fewer side effects compared to some current commercial drugs.

Led by Bandaru Reddy, Ph.D., a professor at Rutgers University, the study involved a small pilot experiment with 18 rats induced with colon cancer. Half of these rats were fed a standard diet, while the other half received a diet supplemented with pterostilbene. Remarkably, the pterostilbene group exhibited a 57% reduction in pre-cancerous lesions in the colon compared to the control group.

This reduction was accompanied by a decrease in colonic cell proliferation and the inhibition of genes linked to inflammation, both known risk factors for colon cancer.

In addition to its potential in cancer prevention, pterostilbene has been shown to lower cholesterol levels, a finding demonstrated by Agnes Rimando, a research chemist at the USDA-ARS. This ability to lower lipids may contribute to its effectiveness in combating colon cancer, often linked to high intake of saturated fats and calories in Western diets.