A common food, which you may already have in your pantry, has shown a remarkable ability to slow the growth of cancer cells.
Updated on 08/24/2024 – 17:05hs CLT
© IMAGO/Pond5 ImagesFood discovered that fights breast cancer
Could a natural sweet be the next big weapon against breast cancer? Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) believe so.
The team discovered that the Manuka honeyknown for its antibacterial superpowers, could reduce cancer cell growth by up to 84%The best thing? It doesn’t damage healthy cells or cause the dreaded side effects.
Honey against breast cancer
What makes Manuka honey so special? This honey is not the typical honey you find in the supermarket, as it is comes from the nectar that bees collect from the Manuka treea plant that grows in New Zealand and southeastern Australia.
Unlike other honeys, Manuka honey It has a unique composition that gives it medicinal properties. that have fascinated scientists and nature lovers alike.
He UCLA team decided Testing Manuka honey against two types of breast cancer: estrogen-dependent (ER+) and the feared triple negative, known to be more difficult to treat.
Al Apply Manuka honey to ER+ cellsnoticed that these stopped multiplying at an alarming rateThe effect was not as impressive in triple-negative cells, but was still significant.
The interesting thing is that when They combined Manuka honey with tamoxifena common drug in the fight against breast cancer, the result was even more effective. Cancer cells were overwhelmed and began to self-destructleaving researchers astonished.
After seeing these results in the lab, scientists took their research a step further and They tested honey on mice with human breast cancer tumors. The result? An 84% reduction in tumor growth! And all without touching a single hair (or healthy cell) of the mice.
As in all research, There is still much to be done before Manuka honey can be prescribed in cancer clinics..
He preliminary study It was published in the magazine Nutrients.
