Fri Dec 14, 9:37 AM
JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli scientists claim that a wild mushroom, used in traditional Chinese medicine for a century, could treat prostate cancer, the University of Haifa said Friday.
Researchers at the university in northern Israel said they found molecules in the Ganoderma lucidum mushroom, commonly known as the reishi, which help supress some mechanisms involved in the progression of prostate cancer.
"We already knew the mushroom could impede the development of cancer by affecting the immune system. The in-vitro trials we have done show that it attacks the cancer cells directly," chief researcher Ben Zion Zaidman told AFP.
"These results give rise to hope about developing medication to treat prostate cancer," he said of research carried out to date only in Petri dishes. The research still has to be tested on animals.
The reishi is found only in remote, wild areas, preferring a habitat of rotting plum tree trunks, sometimes oak trees, in heavily forested mountain areas.
The Chinese have tried to grow reishi mushrooms for centuries, but it was only in the early 1970s that Japanese experts managed to cultivate them.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among men, with more than 543,000 cases diagnosed worldwide each year.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced in October that he is suffering from prostate cancer and is expected to undergo surgery in the new year.
Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
CANCER'S NATURAL ENEMY
Japanese researchers have uncovered a remarkable new way to boost
your immune system's ability to kill cancer cells, viruses, and
pathogenic bacteria by up to 300%.
Cancer rates in the U.S. are officially off the charts. A century ago
the disease occurred in 1-in-100 people. Today, half of all adults
will get some form of cancer in their lifetime. That's 1-in-2 people!
Why this alarming increase? It's being caused by a steady and widespread
breakdown of the immune system among our population. Cancer cells are
naturally present in everyone's bloodstream, but are kept in check by
a special immune cell called NK (short for Natural Killer). When NK
activity weakens either from old age, poor nutrition, or stress, cancer
cells are free to multiply and become tumors. That's what is happening
throughout our country today.
We need better treatments.
When a person is diagnosed with cancer,the only treatments permitted in
this country are chemotheraphy and radiation. Both have horrendous side
effects, such as hair loss and vomiting.
Both poison the immune system and destroy Natural Killer cells,
thus increasing the chances of relapse. And both have poor long-term
survival rates. This isn't the case in other countries. In Japan,
for instance, a surprising new, natural cancer treatment involves
stimulating the patient's immune system so tumors are gobbled up by
a feeding frenzy of NK cells.
You might be surprised to learn that doctors trigger this sudden blast
of immune activity with a natural substance found in certain Japanese
mushrooms like those in the Gano Excel Coffees, Tea, Hot Chocolate
and other products.
These mushroom extracts are now one of the leading cancer prescription
treatments in that Country! Using the immune system like this is the next
big frontier in medicine. It holds promise of findingreal cures, not just for
cancer, but heart disease, arthritis, allergies, and many other ills. But even
though the Japanese are doing a better job in the battle against cancer,
it will take many years if not decades before U.S. doctors accept the idea
that the immune system is the key to beating cancer and other diseases.
Sadly, that will be too late for most Americans who are now over 50 or
younger, people with a family history of these diseases. That's the bad news.
The good news is that scientists have recently isolated the active
substance in these medicinal mushrooms and put it into capsule form and
hot beverages. Since your immune system is your first line of defence
against more than just cancer (it's how your body fights off the flu,
colds,recurring infections, pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant bacteria,
and virtually any other disease), medicinal mushrooms offer benefits that
go far beyond just cancer protection.
People who would also greatly benefit from medicinal mushrooms include:
*Those with a history of smoking.
*Those with a history of heavy drinking.
*Individuals working in the medical field who are exposed
to highly contagious diseases.
*Elderly individuals with weakened immune systems.
This is because Natural Killer cells respond slower as we get older,
resulting in recurring bouts of infection and noticeable decline in
general health.
© 1999-2008 TamilStar.com
All Rights Reserved throughout the World
your immune system's ability to kill cancer cells, viruses, and
pathogenic bacteria by up to 300%.
Cancer rates in the U.S. are officially off the charts. A century ago
the disease occurred in 1-in-100 people. Today, half of all adults
will get some form of cancer in their lifetime. That's 1-in-2 people!
Why this alarming increase? It's being caused by a steady and widespread
breakdown of the immune system among our population. Cancer cells are
naturally present in everyone's bloodstream, but are kept in check by
a special immune cell called NK (short for Natural Killer). When NK
activity weakens either from old age, poor nutrition, or stress, cancer
cells are free to multiply and become tumors. That's what is happening
throughout our country today.
We need better treatments.
When a person is diagnosed with cancer,the only treatments permitted in
this country are chemotheraphy and radiation. Both have horrendous side
effects, such as hair loss and vomiting.
Both poison the immune system and destroy Natural Killer cells,
thus increasing the chances of relapse. And both have poor long-term
survival rates. This isn't the case in other countries. In Japan,
for instance, a surprising new, natural cancer treatment involves
stimulating the patient's immune system so tumors are gobbled up by
a feeding frenzy of NK cells.
You might be surprised to learn that doctors trigger this sudden blast
of immune activity with a natural substance found in certain Japanese
mushrooms like those in the Gano Excel Coffees, Tea, Hot Chocolate
and other products.
These mushroom extracts are now one of the leading cancer prescription
treatments in that Country! Using the immune system like this is the next
big frontier in medicine. It holds promise of findingreal cures, not just for
cancer, but heart disease, arthritis, allergies, and many other ills. But even
though the Japanese are doing a better job in the battle against cancer,
it will take many years if not decades before U.S. doctors accept the idea
that the immune system is the key to beating cancer and other diseases.
Sadly, that will be too late for most Americans who are now over 50 or
younger, people with a family history of these diseases. That's the bad news.
The good news is that scientists have recently isolated the active
substance in these medicinal mushrooms and put it into capsule form and
hot beverages. Since your immune system is your first line of defence
against more than just cancer (it's how your body fights off the flu,
colds,recurring infections, pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant bacteria,
and virtually any other disease), medicinal mushrooms offer benefits that
go far beyond just cancer protection.
People who would also greatly benefit from medicinal mushrooms include:
*Those with a history of smoking.
*Those with a history of heavy drinking.
*Individuals working in the medical field who are exposed
to highly contagious diseases.
*Elderly individuals with weakened immune systems.
This is because Natural Killer cells respond slower as we get older,
resulting in recurring bouts of infection and noticeable decline in
general health.
© 1999-2008 TamilStar.com
All Rights Reserved throughout the World
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