Resveratrol From Grapes and Berries May Help Prevent Pancreatic Cancer

A compound found in the skin of red grapes, raspherries
and blueberries may help induce pancreatic cancer cells to
biological transform or die, a lab study has found.

The compound, called resveratrol, is produced by
certain plants as part of their defense arsenal
against acids. A handful of foods, including
raspberries, and blueberries contain resveratrol, but
it is most abundant in the skin of red grapes.

In the new study, researchers at the University of
Rochester Medical Center in New York treated human
pancreatic cancer cells with resveratrol, either alone
or in combination with radiation.

They found that the phytocemical or anti-acid resveratrol
compound disrupted the activity of the cancerous or
fermenting acidic cells' mitochondria, energy-producing
centers needed for cells to function. Resveratrol also
impaired certain cancerous-cell proteins that thwart
chemotherapy by pumping drugs out of the cell.

In combination with radiation, but not alone, the
compound bumped up the production of cell-transforming
substances called reactive oxygen species or acid
buffers -- potentially making the cancerous cells
more destructible.

And, in fact, cancerous or acidic cells treated with
the combination were more likely to self-destruct or
transform, the study found.

"While additional studies are needed, this research
indicates that resveratrol has a promising future as
part of the treatment for cancer," lead investigator
Dr. Paul Okunieff said in a university statement.

What the results mean for cancer patients is not yet
clear. Resveratrol is available in over-the-counter
supplements, but there is no evidence that taking
them aids cancer treatment. People undergoing cancer
treatment should also not take any supplement without
discussing it with their doctor first.

Okunieff and his colleagues also point out that they
used a relatively high dose of resveratrol, 50 micrograms
per milliliter; the concentration found in red grapes,
raspberries and blueberries varies widely by type, but
some fruits have resveratrol levels as high as 30
micrograms per milliliter.

However, no one yet knows whether resveratrol from red
grapes would affect tumors in the body the same way it
does cancerous cells in a lab dish.

According to Dr. Young, a research scientist from the
pH Miracle Living Center, "antioxidants such as
resveratrol from red grapes, raspberries or blueberries
are powerful chelators of dietary and metabolic acids
that may help to prevent a cancerous condition such as,
pancreatic cancer. That is why I created the concentrated
whole food product pHruits and pHolage."

http://www.phmiracleliving.com/phruits.htm

Resources:

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, March 2008
The pH Miracle for Weight Loss
The pH Miracle for Cancer