There's a Fruit Compound That Kills Cancer Stem Cells, Research Finds (Video)

- June 15, 2020

Many people believe that Nature holds the key to curing what ails our fragile bodies. Researchers from the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute believe they have found a potential cure for colon cancer. It turns out that the compound found in grapes, known as resveratrol, could be an effective treatment for people suffering from colon cancer. It may also be effective in prevention.

The Research

The study was recently published in an issue of BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Jairam K.P. Vanamala, associate professor of food sciences at Penn State, explained, “The combination of resveratrol and grape seed extract is very effective at killing colon cancer cells. And what we’re learning is that combination of these compounds is not toxic to healthy cells.”

Researchers found that combining resveratrol and grape seed extract can suppress cancer stem cells. When they tested the resveratrol and grape seed extract separately, the results were not as effective.

The profound effect of combining the two is similar to the effect that a plant-based diet has on colon cancer. While there are no proven ways to avoid cancer completely, scientists have found many ways to reduce your risk.

Research has shown that a diet low in red meat but rich in fruits and vegetables can help lower your risk of colorectal cancer. Vanamala agrees.

He explained, “This also connects well with a plant-based diet that is structured so that the person is getting a few different types of plants, of different parts of the plant and different colors of the plant. This seems to be beneficial for not only promoting bacterial diversity but also preventing chronic diseases and eliminating the colon cancer stem cells.”