Grape Seed Blocks Colon Cancer

Grape seed extract, which is a powerful antioxidant that studies suggest may have more potent free radical-scavenging activity than vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene. Recent studies have found that grape seed extract inhibits the growth of human colorectal tumor cells in the lab and in mice, researchers recently reported.

Administration of three concentrations of grape seed extract to human colorectal cancer cell lines in culture produced an inhibition of cell growth that increased with the concentration and time exposed to grape seed extract. There was also an increase in cancer cell death. Grape seed increased the availability of a protein that halts cancer cell replication, while decreasing several proteins that encourage cell division. When the extract was given to mice implanted with human colorectal tumor cells, the number of tumors was reduced by 44% after eight weeks when compared to mice that did not receive the extract. Levels of a protein associated with cancer cell self destruction doubled in the tumor cells.

[tags]colon cancer[/tags]