Does resveratrol fight cancer?

Red grapes contain resveratrol

Red wine, red grapes, cranberries, blueberries, peanuts—these foods contain resveratrol, a compound that research shows can have a devastating effect on cancer cells. Does this polyphenol—a plant chemical with antioxidant properties—have what it takes to effectively and safely fight cancer in humans?

How resveratrol kills cancer cells
Thus far, studies of resveratrol’s ability to fight cancer have taken place in test tubes and have involved its use primarily on animal and human cell lines. But many of the findings have been promising.

Scientists have found that one way resveratrol fights cancer is by causing cancerous cells to destroy themselves. This “cell suicide” occurs because resveratrol inhibits the activity of a protein called nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), which helps to nourish cancer cells and thus promote their development and survival.

Resveratrol and breast cancer
Estrogen is the driving force behind many cases of breast cancer, and one study has found that resveratrol may put the brakes on its action. In a University of Nebraska study, investigators found that resveratrol reduced the ability of estrogen to transform into the substances that interact with DNA in breast cells and trigger the development of tumors. In this way, resveratrol may prevent the initial step that occurs when estrogen begins the process that results in the development of breast cancer cells.

In a March 2009 article in Experimental and Molecular Medicine, scientists reported that resveratrol was effective against the proliferation of human breast and pancreatic cancer cells. A June 2008 study noted that resveratrol inhibited the invasion and migration of breast cancer cells. This was an important finding because metastasis (the spread of cancer beyond its starting point) is a main cause of death from breast cancer.

Resveratrol and other cancers
In the fight against prostate cancer, resveratrol was impressive in a study published in June 2008 in Carcinogenesis. Investigators found that the polyphenol helped prohibit the growth and proliferation of human prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. In an earlier study scientists had the same finding, and also reported that resveratrol promoted prostate cancer cell death.

Several studies published in 2008 reported on the value of resveratrol in colon cancer. In a University of Barcelona study, resveratrol prevented cell proliferation and promoted the death of colon cancer cells. These findings are similar to those documented by investigators at the Medical University of Vienna.

Resveratrol supplements
Resveratrol supplements are available in several forms and are taken by many people to fight cancer, heart disease, obesity, and aging. Suggested daily doses range from 10 to 50 mg or greater. Consult your health-care provider about taking resveratrol.

Resveratrol supplements can be found online and in many natural food stores and pharmacies in the Phoenix area, including the Natural Medicinary, which is next to the Southwest Naturopathic Medical Center in Scottsdale.

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