Why Red Grapes and Green Tea May 
Be Cancer's Worst Enemy!	
	
June 30, 2005 - Our cells live and die on nutrients. Unfortunately, most doctors in this country seem to have forgotten that and would fail even the most basic biochemistry test. We are so busy creating new drugs and chemical therapies that enrich drug companies at your expense, we have gotten away from the basic foundations of molecular cell biology. Therefore, I was very pleased to have come across a recent article from the prestigious M.D. Andersen Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Researchers from the Department of BioImmunotherapy were studying resveratrol, a nutrient found in nature that appears to have incredible benefits. The article, published last September in the journal Anti-Cancer Research, indicated that resveratrol appears to exhibit anti-cancer properties by its ability to suppress proliferation of a wide variety of tumor cells. The mechanism for this anti-cancer effect seems to be multi-factorial. It appears to work because it interferes with the cell cycle of the cancer, inhibiting certain proteins and down-regulating gene products. These encouraging results have lead to expanded research of resveratol by the team at M.D. Andersen as a potential nutrient to fight cancer cells. 
So what is resveratrol? It is in a class of nutrients known as polyphenols. Polyphenols are among the most potent plant antioxidants in nature. They are a class of phytochemicals found in high concentrations in wine, tea, grapes and a wide variety of other plants. These compounds are responsible for the brightly-colored pigments of many fruits and vegetables. Polyphenols protect plants from diseases and ultraviolet light and help prevent damage to seeds until they germinate. They are naturally produced in plants in response to injury or fungal infection.
Specifically, resveratrol is a chemical substance known as a phytoalexins. Interestingly, alexin is from the Greek root, meaning to ward off or protect. Resveratrol is found in grapevines, with the highest concentration being in grape skins. It is also found in peanuts and mulberries. Aside from its anti-cancer benefit, resveratrol appears to have very potent cardio-protective effects. Its mechanism of action for cardio protection includes inhibiting oxidation of your LDL cholesterol, inhibiting platelet aggregation and proliferation of smooth muscle cells. In animal studies, it is also shown to reduce the synthesis of lipids.
In a study published last October in the American Journal of Physiology - Lung, Cellular and Molecular Physiology, it was found that resveratrol had an anti-inflammatory effect for lung disease and was actually a more effective anti-inflammatory agent than steroids. The researchers stressed the need for an aerosol version of resveratrol, which could be used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease.
Another related polyphenol with incredible benefits is grape seed extract. In a study published in the journal Metabolism from October 2003, 24 healthy male, heavy smokers over the age of fifty were enrolled in a trial to receive either 300 mg a day of grape seed procyanidin extract or placebo for four weeks. After a washout period of three weeks, the groups then switched treatment. Although there was no significant change in total cholesterol or triglycerides in this short study, measures of oxidative stress were significantly reduced in the treated group.
In another study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, April 2004, 51 healthy men and women between the ages of eighteen to sixty five years old were given either grape seed extract or placebo to see if it had any effect on energy metabolism. It was found that those treated with the grape seed extract had on average a 4% reduction in energy requirement without having any effect on satiety, mood or tolerance. The findings suggested that grape seed could be effective at reducing energy intake in normal to overweight individuals and could, therefore, play a significant role in body weight management. I'm always excited when I can recommend a supplement or food that appears to help you manage your weight as well as promote a healthy heart and reduced risk of cancer. That's a combination with which I think we can all live!
In one of the more interesting articles that I came across, there was a study out of Spain published in April of this year regarding melanoma, one of the deadliest cancers once it metastasizes. In the study, 52 mice were inoculated with melanoma cells and then orally administered grape seed extract, red wine or ethanol. Metastatic tumors in the lung were then counted. It was found that grape seed extract and red wine reduced the number of metastatic nodules in the lungs by 26% and 20% respectively, compared with the control group that was treated with ethanol. The researchers concluded that ethanol administration significantly increased pulmonary metastases, while grape seed extract and red wine lead to a reduction.
There was even a study that was just published in the journal NeuroScience Letters suggesting that the antioxidant benefits of grape seed extract actually had rejuvenating effects on the central nervous system in aged rats. It appears these rats could have found their proverbial "Fountain of Youth." I hope we'll soon see similar studies and results for us humans.
One further antioxidant that I would mention is green tea. I've done several exciting newsletters on green tea hailing its incredible benefits, not only as an anti-cancer nutrient, but also as a powerful antioxidant and potential nutrient for weight loss. In a prior newsletter, I mentioned a study that was published on green tea catechins (the active ingredient of green tea). In this study (involving 62 men who had a pre-malignant form of prostate cancer known as intra-epithelial neoplasia), it was found that in those individuals given 600 mg a day of green catechins for one year, only one man out of a group of 32 went on to develop prostate cancer, as compared to nine out of 30 that were given placebo. This was a 900% higher incident of cancer progression in the non-green tea group! In light of these significant results, I feel extremely bad for the men that were in the placebo group and weren't taking the green tea supplement. They, as well as the researchers, didn't know the added risk they were suffering, but we do now and can act appropriately. It should be noted that in order to take in 600 mg a day of caffeine-free green catechins, it would be the equivalent to drinking 10 to 20 cups of green tea a day. And while many of us like to sit down to a nice relaxing cup of tea, studies are proving standardized supplements are really the only way to practically achieve the levels that have shown such encouraging results.
I am very pleased to inform you that Nutraceutical Sciences Institute (NSI) has just released a brand-new product containing standardized forms of resveratrol, grape seed extract, green tea extract and grape skin extract. This is an extremely powerful combination of products that can make a significant impact on your health. And, of course, you'll find the value for this product is superior when compared to buying each nutrient separately: You get 120 capsules for under $20! I personally plan to start taking this supplement every day, along with my family.
We also sell resveratrol, green tea and grape seed extract as stand alone products. And, the wide variety of Synergy multi-vitamins contain many of these incredibly-powerful antioxidants as part of their standard formulas. They are some of the finest and most complete multi-vitamins available on the market today.
Please find a way to add some of these powerful antioxidants into your diet as soon as possible. I don't want you to find yourself in "the placebo group" any time in the future.