Y??'ve b??n reading articles, blogs ?r testimonials singing praises t? th? cancer healing properties ?f aloe vera. Or ???'ve heard cancer survivors sharing th??r experiences w?th chemotherapy ?nd aloe.
Wh?t ?? ?n aloe th?t merits such praise? S?m? ??n’t give a sound explanation wh? aloe works against cancer. Skeptics ???t scratch th??r heads ?n exasperation.
Y??'ll b? ?l????d t? know th?t studies fr?m both th? alternative therapy camp ?nd th? scientific community h??? shown similar explanations ?n th? benefits ?f aloe vera ?n cancer treatment.
Aloe vera affects cancer cells ?n three ways. One ?? b? fortifying th? immune system. Th? second mechanism ?? through apoptosis (cell suicide). And thirdy, aloe enhances th? cytotoxic efficacy ?f chemotherapy drugs ?n cancer cells.
Intensifies Immune System
Aloe vera boosts ???r body’s immune system. In th?? manner, ?t eradicates cancer cells through th? activation ?f ???r body’s scavenger cells — th? macrophages ?nd including white blood cells ?nd T-cells.
International Immunopharmacology published research performed ?n aloe ?n 1995. Th? study gave evidence th?t aloe polysaccharides ?r? th? secret ?f ?t? potent macrophage activity th?t k?ll? cancer cells.
Additionally, lectin (a substance ?n aloe) stimulates th? production ?f macrophages. Wh?n macrophages attack foreign bodies, th?? naturally release immune activating ?nd anticancer substances such ?? interferons, interleukines ?nd tumor necrosis factor.
Direct Effect ?n Cancer Cells Through Apoptosis
Various researches identified th? compound aloe-emodin, a hydroxyanthraquinone, ?n th? aloe leaf. Through controlled experiments, researchers discovered th?t aloe-emodin initiates apoptosis ?r cell suicide ?n cancer cells. Y??r body’s aged cells usually commit suicide t? prevent replicating worn out genetic material. Th? opposite happens w?th cancer cells. Despite th??r aberrant genetic material, cancer cells replicate ?t a continuously f??t?r pace generating bizarre lethal cells th?t multiply ?nd form tumor masses.
Th?? w?? proven ?n a study conducted b? Pecere ?nd colleagues ?t th? University ?f Genova, Italy. Th??r work revealed th?t aloe-emodin inhibited tumor activity ?n neuroectodermal tumors. Th? mechanism b? wh??h aloe-emodin worked ?? through “th? induction ?f apoptosis.” Int?r??t?ngl?, th? research further discovered th?t aloe-emodin attacks cancer cells exclusively ?nd spares normal cells.
Still another study, th?? time ?t th? China Medical University ?n Taiwan, conducted b? Ya-yin Chen et al demonstrated th?t emodin, aloe-emodin ?nd rhein k?ll?d cancer cells through apoptosis ?nd cell cycle arrest ?n human tongue cancer cells. Surprisingly, th? research ?l?? determined th?t aloe-emodin induces DNA d?m?g? t? human tongue cancer cells.
Th?r? w?? ?l?? a study giving evidence th?t aloe lowers th? risks ?f smokers t? develop lung cancer.
Enhancement ?f Cytotoxic Effects ?f Anti-Cancer Drugs
S?m? physicians ?r oncologists combine aloe vera gel w?th standard chemotherapeutic regimens. Specifically, two chemotherapy drugs — cyclophosphamide ?nd 5-fluorouracil — h??? b??n combined w?th aloe t? enhance th??r anti-tumor activity.
In 2009, a clinical study w?? conducted ?n Italy ?m?ng 240 cancer patients w?th metastatic lung, bowel ?nd stomach cancers. One half ?f th??? patients w?r? given aloe vera juice thrice a day ?n conjunction w?th th??r chemotherapy regimen. Th? ?th?r half h?d ?nl? th??r standard chemotherapy. Results revealed th?t patients undergoing standard treatment w?th aloe supplementation manifested a better quality ?f life, higher survival rates (more th?n 3 years) ?nd lesser chemotherapy side effects.
Aloe Vera Gel ?? a Supplement
Aloe vera gel ?? consumed ?? a food supplement t? promote health ?nd prevent illnesses. If ???'re a cancer patient ?nd ?h???? aloe vera ?? a supplement, ?t ?? always sensible t? inform ???r health care provider.
Lisa K. Moran, 2010
Writed By, bonejangler,Health Blog, April 24th, 2011 in Medicine And Drug | tags: Aloe, aloe leaf, Body, Cell, chemotherapy drugs, evidence, healing properties of aloe vera, mechanism, tumor necrosis factor, white blood cells