11/28/2018 / By RJ Jhonson
A South African study concluded that moringa (Moringa oleifera) has antiproliferative activity against at least one type of cancer, adding yet another reason to incorporate the vegetable in your diet.
The study looked at the effects of moringa on esophageal cancer, a type of cancer diagnosed in many members of South Africa’s black population. To confirm the antiproliferative effects of moringa, the researchers exposed an esophageal cancer cell line to different dilutions of the plant’s crude aqueous extract. They also performed other tests to confirm relevant factors, such as the level of oxidative stress, DNA damage, apoptotic mechanisms, and the expression of proteins.
The researchers found that the treatment with moringa increased lipid peroxidation in the esophageal cancer cells. Lipid peroxidation is the process in which free radicals “steal” electrons from fatty acids, causing the latter to break down. An increase in lipid peroxidation is also a marker of mounting oxidative stress. Under normal circumstances, oxidative stress is bad – in fact, too much of it leads to cancer. In cancer patients, however, oxidative stress helps break down the cancer cells’ own antioxidant defenses and kills them in the process.
Indeed, further analysis revealed that the treatment caused the activation of natural enzymes that trigger apoptosis or cellular death, as well as the breakdown of the tumor cells’ DNA. The researchers confirmed that moringa could indeed put a stop to esophageal cancer by increasing the rate of oxidative stress through lipid peroxidation, enabling DNA fragmentation, and inducing apoptosis.
This study was published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.
Several times this past decade, esophageal cancer made it to the top 10 deadliest cancers in the United States. The American Society of Clinical Ontology estimates that among the people diagnosed with this type of cancer, just about 19 percent survive after five years. Once the disease has fully proliferated to different parts of the body, the figure shrinks all the way down to just five percent.
Esophageal cancer may be hard to treat, but it is much easier to prevent. Here are ways by which one can lower the risk of developing the disease:
Eating moringa gives you many health benefits, including the following:
Discover the many reasons moringa is so good for you at Veggie.news.
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Tagged Under: anti-proliferative, anticancer, Cancer Cells, esophageal cancer, food as medicine, food cures, medicinal food, moringa, Moringa oleifera