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Brazilian berry destroys cancer cells in lab, UF study shows

Filed under Agriculture, Health, Research, Sciences on Thursday, January 12, 2006.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A Brazilian berry popular in health food contains antioxidants that destroyed cultured human cancer cells in a recent University of Florida study, one of the first to investigate the fruit’s purported benefits.

Published today in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the study showed extracts from acai (ah-SAH’-ee) berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells tested, said Stephen Talcott, an assistant professor with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

“Acai berries are already considered one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants,” Talcott said. “This study was an important step toward learning what people may gain from using beverages, dietary supplements or other products made with the berries.”

He cautioned that the study, funded by UF sources, was not intended to show whether compounds found in acai berries could prevent leukemia in people.

“This was only a cell-culture model and we don’t want to give anyone false hope,” Talcott said. “We are encouraged by the findings, however. Compounds that show good activity against cancer cells in a model system are most likely to have beneficial effects in our bodies.”

Other fruits, including grapes, guavas and mangoes, contain antioxidants shown to kill cancer cells in similar studies, he said. Experts are uncertain how much effect antioxidants have on cancer cells in the human body, because factors such as nutrient absorption, metabolism and the influence of other biochemical processes may influence the antioxidants’ chemical activity.

Another UF study, slated to conclude in 2006, will investigate the effects of acai’s antioxidants on healthy human subjects, Talcott said. The study will determine how well the compounds are absorbed into the blood, and how they may affect blood pressure, cholesterol levels and related health indicators. So far, only fundamental research has been done on acai berries, which contain at least 50 to 75 as-yet unidentified compounds.

“One reason so little is known about acai berries is that they’re perishable and are traditionally used immediately after picking,” he said. “Products made with processed acai berries have only been available for about five years, so researchers in many parts of the world have had little or no opportunity to study them.”

Talcott said UF is one of the first institutions outside Brazil with personnel studying acai berries. Besides Talcott, UF’s acai research team includes Susan Percival, a professor with the food science and human nutrition department, David Del Pozo-Insfran, a doctoral student with the department and Susanne Mertens-Talcott, a postdoctoral associate with the pharmaceutics department of UF’s College of Pharmacy.

Acai berries are produced by a palm tree known scientifically as Euterpe oleracea, common in floodplain areas of the Amazon River, Talcott said. When ripe, the berries are dark purple and about the size of a blueberry. They contain a thin layer of edible pulp surrounding a large seed.

Historically, Brazilians have used acai berries to treat digestive disorders and skin conditions, he said. Current marketing efforts by retail merchants and Internet businesses suggest acai products can help consumers lose weight, lower cholesterol and gain energy.

“A lot of claims are being made, but most of them haven’t been tested scientifically,” Talcott said. “We are just beginning to understand the complexity of the acai berry and its health-promoting effects.”

In the current UF study, six different chemical extracts were made from acai fruit pulp, and each extract was prepared in seven concentrations.

Four of the extracts were shown to kill significant numbers of leukemia cells when applied for 24 hours. Depending on the extract and concentration, anywhere from about 35 percent to 86 percent of the cells died.

The UF study demonstrates that research on foods not commonly consumed in the United States is important, because it may lead to unexpected discoveries, said Joshua Bomser, an assistant professor of molecular nutrition and functional foods at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

But familiar produce items have plenty of health-giving qualities, he said.

“Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with decreased risk for many diseases, including heart disease and cancer,” said Bomser, who researches the effects of diet on chronic diseases. “Getting at least five servings a day of these items is still a good recommendation for promoting optimal health.”

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Credits

Writer: Tom Nordlie, tnordlie@ifas.ufl.edu, (352) 392-0400, ext. 276
Source: Stephen Talcott, sttalcott@ifas.ufl.edu, (352) 392-1991, ext. 218
Source: Joshua Bomser, jbomser@hec.ohio-state.edu, (614) 247-6622

Avoiding prostate cancer
Proactive steps you should take now.

So what can you do to reduce your risks?

Low fat diet

There is clear evidence that you can improve your chances of avoiding prostate cancer by eating the right fats (olive oil) and minimizing your intake of saturated fats. So the same foods you should be taking to keep your cholesterol and blood pressure under control are also perfect for your prostate:

Plenty of fruit and vegetables (tomatoes are particularly good for your prostate)
Whole meal bread and fiber
Olive or rice bran oil
Soy products
Green tea and one or two glasses of red wine.

What about supplements for avoiding prostate cancer ?

If you do any research you will soon realize there are many studies that strongly promote the merits of supplements. However, there are also a similar number of studies that claim that many of the supplements are not proven to make any difference.

I personally want to make sure that I am getting lots of antioxidants and the best source is the Mona Vie Health Fruit Drink. Mona Vie is made from 19 different fruits including the renowned Acai berry from Brazil which has the highest antioxidant content of any fruit or vegetables.

Many research studies have shown that antioxidants are going to help me with my overall health and help prevent the development of cancer cells like prostate cancer.

What are the symptoms of Prostate Cancer & an Enlarged Prostate

Prostate cancer - symptoms and tests

The bad news is often there are no symptoms with Prostate Cancer. That is why it is so important to have regular tests to detect the cancer as early as possible. The simplest screening test is a blood test you can do at home, all it requires is to prick your finger and check levels of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA).

The normal range of PSA for men younger than 60 is between 0 and 4.0 nglml. For men over 60 the normal range is between 0 and 6.5 nglml.

If you get a higher than normal PSA reading you should see your doctor for a digital rectal examination. The doctor places a gloved and lubricated finger into the patients rectum to check for lumps in the prostate.

If necessary you then may need to have an ultrasound scan or a biopsy to check for tumors and cancerous cells.

Symptoms of an Enlarged Prostate

Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH) is the medical name for an enlarged prostate gland. For those affected the process starts in young adulthood and continues throughout a man's life.

It is unfortunately a very common problem - as a rough guide if you take a man's age in years, that percentage of men will have symptoms of BPH. For example in a group of 55 year old men, between 50% and 55% of them will have an enlarged prostate.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of an enlarged prostate are:

A weak or interrupted urine flow.
Difficulty in starting to urinate
A burning sensation when urinating.
Frequent need to urinate, especially at night.
Blood in the urine.
Painful ejaculation
Continuous pain in the lower back, hips or thighs.

You do need to make sure you test your PSA levels because some of the above symptoms can be caused by other medical problems. For example a symptom of diabetes is the need to urinate frequently. A urinary tract infection can also cause a burning sensation when urinating.
We have talked a lot about the prostate gland - what is it?

The prostate is one of the major male sex glands, but don't laugh - it is only the size of a walnut.

It sits just behind the bladder and together with the testicles and seminal vesicles, the prostate is responsible for making a man's semen.

Are you more likely to get prostate cancer if your father had it?

If your father or brother has had prostate cancer you are twice as likely to get prostate cancer.

If you have high testosterone levels you are also at greater risk of getting prostate cancer. That is why one of the forms of treatment is to take hormonal medication to stop the production of testosterone and help with avoiding prostate cancer.

However, reducing testosterone levels can have all sorts of other effects and that is why this type of treatment must be under the supervision of your doctor.

Are there other forms of treatment?

For prostate cancer the most likely forms of treatment are either surgery involving removal, or radiation therapy.

It is very important to discuss the options with your doctor for a couple of reasons:

When the prostate gland is removed, they also usually remove the seminal vesicles resulting in sterility.
Some medical authorities challenge the merits of surgery because prostate cancer in many men does not spread to other parts of the body and is not what eventually causes death.

For an enlarged prostate there are a number of options that need to be discussed with your doctor. These include:

Use of Alpha Blocker and Alpha Reductose Inhibitor drugs that are often effective in reducing the size of the prostate and the associated symptoms.
A range of surgery options.

Conclusion

You have a 1 in 8 chance of getting prostate cancer and your chances of being affected by an enlarged prostate are even higher.

Our recommendation is do what you can now to increase your chances of avoiding prostate cancer (particularly if you are over 30).

The main steps being:

Minimize your saturated fat intake and use good olive oil where you can for cooking, salad dressing and use an olive oil based spread instead of butter or margarine.
Take the Mona Vie Juice or other high quality supplements and keep taking plenty of fruit & vegetables
Last but not least - cooked tomatoes and tomato ketchup is good for you! So eat lots of pizza.

Health Benefits