Lemon Grass And Cancer Cells

These are the lemon grass plants growing in a little plot of land just outside the front of our house. I started with 3 stalks of store bought lemon grass about 4 months ago, and it has grown into a nice little clump, and still growing. Lemon grass is a hardy herb and grows easily. You can even grow it in a flower pot if space is limited. It doesn't need a lot of TLC, just water and sunshine. Lemon grass is easily available from the wet markets and fresh produce section of supermarkets, and doesn't cost very much.

Lemon grass has a lemony scent and is very commonly used in most Asian cuisines. It can be used fresh, dried or powdered. Usually the white stalk - the white part nearer the root - and seldom the leaves, are used for flavoring curries, soups, stews and in marinades for poultry and meat.

However, apart from its culinary use, research has shown that drinking lemon grass tea can help cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Apparently, lemon grass contains citral, an aroma compound which causes cancer cells to self-destruct.

A couple of months back, an article touting the medicinal effects of lemon grass on cancer cells had been going the rounds of the internet, which was emailed to me by a friend.

For the benefit of those who did not receive the email, here's what it says:

Fresh Lemon Grass Drink Causes Apoptosis to Cancer Cells.

By Allison Kaplan Sommer April 02, 2006

Israeli researchers find a way to make cancer cells self-destruct - Ben-Gurion University.

A drink with as little as one gram of lemon grass contains enough citral to prompt cancer cells to commit suicide in the test tube.

At first, Benny Zabidov, an Israeli agriculturalist, who grows greenhouses full of lush spices on a pastoral farm in Kfar Yedidya in the Sharon region, couldn't understand why so many cancer patients from around the country were showing up on his doorstep asking for fresh lemon grass. It turned out that their doctors had sent them. 'They had been told to drink eight glasses of hot water with fresh lemon grass steeped in it on the days that they went for their radiation and chemotherapy treatments,' Zabidov told ISRAEL21c. 'And this is the place you go to in Israel for fresh lemon grass.'

It all began when researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, discovered last year that the lemon aroma in herbs like lemon grass kills cancer cells in vitro, while leaving healthy cells unharmed. The research team was led by Dr. Rivka and Prof. Yakov Weinstein, incumbent of the Albert Katz Chair in Cell-Differentiation and Malignant Diseases, from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at BGU.

Citral is the key component that gives the lemony aroma and taste in several herbal plants such as lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), melissa (Melissa officinalis) and verbena (Verbena officinalis).

According to Ofir, the study found that citral causes cancer cells to 'commit suicide': using apoptosis, a mechanism called 'programmed cell death.' A drink with as little as one gram of lemon grass contains enough citral to prompt the cancer cells to commit suicide in the test tube.

The BGU investigators checked the influence of the citral on cancerous cells by adding them both to cancerous cells and normal cells that were grown in a petri dish. The quantity added in the concentrate was equivalent to the amount contained in a cup of regular tea using one gram of lemon herbs in hot water. While the citral killed the cancerous cells, the normal cells remained unharmed.

The findings were published in the scientific journal Planta Medica, which highlights research on alternative and herbal remedies. Shortly afterwards, the discovery was featured in the Israeli press.

Why does it work? Nobody knows for certain, but the BGU scientists have a theory. 'In each cell in our body, there is a genetic program which causes programmed cell death. When something goes wrong, the cells divide with no control and become cancer cells. In normal cells, when the cell discovers that the control system is not operating correctly - for example, when it recognizes that a cell contains faulty genetic material following cell division - it triggers cell death,' explains Weinstein. ‘This research may explain the medical benefit of these herbs.'

The success of their research led them to the conclusion that herbs containing citral may be consumed as a preventative measure against certain cancerous cells. As they learned of the BGU findings in the press, many physicians in Israel began to believe that, while the research needed to be explored further, in the meantime, it would be advisable for their patients, who were looking for any possible tool to fight their condition, to try and harness the cancer-destroying properties of citral.

That's why Zabidov's farm - the only major grower of fresh lemon grass in Israel - has become a pilgrimage destination for these patients. Luckily, they found themselves in sympathetic hands. Zabidov greets visitors with a large kettle of aromatic lemon grass tea, a plate of cookies, and a supportive attitude. 'My father died of cancer, and my wife's sister died young because of cancer,' said Zabidov. 'So I understand what they are dealing with. And I may not know anything about medicine, but I'm a good listener. And so they tell me about their expensive painful treatments and what they've been through. I would never tell them to stop being treated, but it's great that they are exploring alternatives and drinking the lemon grass tea as well.'

Zabidov knew from a young age that agriculture was his calling. At age 14, he enrolled in the Kfar Hayarok Agricultural high school. After his army service, he joined an idealistic group which headed south, in the Arava desert region, to found a new moshav (agricultural settlement) called Tsofar. 'We were very successful, we raised fruits and vegetables, and,' he notes with a smile, 'we raised some very nice children.'

On a trip to Europe in the mid-80's, he began to become interested in herbs. Israel, at the time, was nothing like the trend-conscious cuisine-oriented country it is today, and the only spices being grown commercially were basics like parsley, dill and coriander. Wandering in the Paris market, looking at the variety of herbs and spices, Zabidov realized that there was a great potential in this niche. He brough samples back home with him, 'which was technically illegal,' he says with a guilty smile, to see how they would grow in his desert greenhouses. Soon, he was growing basil, oregano, tarragon, chives, sage, marjoram and melissa, and mint, just to name a few.

His business began to outgrow his desert facilities, and he decided to move north, settling in the moshav of Kfar Yedidya, an hour and a half north of Tel Aviv. He is now selling 'several hundred kilos' of lemon grass per week, and has signed with a distributor to package and put it in health food stores. Zabidov has taken it upon himself to learn more about the properties of citral, and help his customers learn more, and has invited medical experts to his farm to give lectures about how citral works and why.

He also felt a responsibility to know what to tell his customers about its use. 'When I realized what was happening, I picked up the phone and called Dr. Weinstein at Ben-Gurion University, because these people were asking me exactly the best way to consume citral. He said to put the loose grass in hot water, and drink about eight glasses each day.'

Zabidov is pleased by the findings, not simply because it means business for his farm, but because it might influence his own health. Even before the news of its benefits were demonstrated, he and his family had been drinking the lemon grass in hot water for years, 'just because it tastes good.

Cancer Cell Killer - Guyabano, The Soursop Fruit

I received this interesting write-up on the delicious soursop fruit in an email. The soursop has always been one of my favourite fruit, and soursop juice is deliciously refreshing and addictive - because once you've tried it, you'll be wanting more of it. And why not, since research has unveiled the many medicinal properties of this delectable fruit, especially it's role as a cancer cell terminator! I can't think of a more delicious way to stay healthy.

The Sour Sop or the fruit from the graviola tree is a miraculous natural cancer cell killer 10,000 times stronger than Chemo.
Why are we not aware of this? Its because some big corporation want to make back their money spent on years of research by trying to make a synthetic version of it for sale.

So, since you know it now you can help a friend in need by letting him know or just drink some sour sop juice yourself as prevention from time to time. The taste is not bad after all. It's completely natural and definitely has no side effects. If you have the space, plant one in your garden.
The other parts of the tree are also useful.

The next time you have a fruit juice, ask for a sour sop.

How many people died in vain while this billion-dollar drug maker concealed the secret of the miraculous Graviola tree?
This tree is low and is called graviola in Brazil, guanabana in Spanish and has the uninspiring name "soursop" in English. The fruit is very large and the subacid sweet white pulp is eaten out of hand or, more commonly, used to make fruit drinks, sherbets and such.

The principal interest in this plant is because of its strong anti-cancer effects. Although it is effective for a number of medical conditions, it is its anti tumor effect that is of most interest. This plant is a proven cancer remedy for cancers of all types.

Besides being a cancer remedy, graviola is a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent for both bacterial and fungal infections, is effective against internal parasites and worms, lowers high blood pressure and is used for depression, stress and nervous disorders.

If there ever was a single example that makes it dramatically clear why the existence of Health Sciences Institute is so vital to Americans like you, it's the incredible story behind the Graviola tree.

The truth is stunningly simple: Deep within the Amazon
Rainforest grows a tree that could literally revolutionize what you, your doctor, and the rest of the world thinks about cancer treatment and chances of survival. The future has never looked more promising.

Research shows that with extracts from this miraculous tree it now may be possible to:

* Attack cancer safely and effectively with an all-natural therapy that does not cause extreme nausea, weight loss and hair loss.
* Protect your immune system and avoid deadly infections
* Feel stronger and healthier throughout the course of the treatment
* Boost your energy and improve your outlook on life

The source of this information is just as stunning: It comes from one of America 's largest drug manufacturers, the fruit of over 20 laboratory tests conducted since the 1970's! What those tests revealed was nothing short of mind numbing... Extracts from the tree were shown to:

* Effectively target and kill malignant cells in 12 types of cancer, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreatic cancer..
* The tree compounds proved to be up to 10,000 times stronger in slowing the growth of cancer cells than Adriamycin, a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug!
* What's more, unlike chemotherapy, the compound extracted from the Graviola tree selectively hunts
down and kills only cancer cells. It does not harm healthy cells!

The amazing anti-cancer properties of the Graviola tree have been extensively researched--so why haven't you heard anything about it? If Graviola extract is as half as promising as it appears to be--why doesn't every single oncologist at every major hospital insist on using it on all his or her patients?

The spine-chilling answer illustrates just how easily our health--and for many, our very lives(!)--are controlled by money and power.

Graviola--the plant that worked too well

One of America 's biggest billion-dollar drug makers began a search for a cancer cure and their research centered on Graviola, a legendary healing tree from the Amazon Rainforest.

Various parts of the Graviola tree--including the bark, leaves, roots, fruit and fruit-seeds--have been used for centuries by medicine men and native Indians in South America to treat heart disease, asthma, liver problems and arthritis. Going on very little documented scientific evidence, the company poured money and resources into testing the tree's anti-cancerous properties--and were shocked by the results. Graviola proved itself to be a cancer-killing dynamo.

But that's where the Graviola story nearly ended.

The company had one huge problem with the Graviola tree--it's completely natural, and so, under federal law, not patentable. There's no way to make serious profits from it.

It turns out the drug company invested nearly seven years trying to
synthesize two of the Graviola tree's most powerful anti-cancer ingredients. If they could isolate and produce man-made clones of what makes the Graviola so potent, they'd be able to patent it and make their money back. Alas, they hit a brick wall. The original simply could not be replicated. There was no way the company could protect its profits--or even make back the millions it poured into research.

As the dream of huge profits evaporated, their testing on Graviola came to a screeching halt. Even worse, the company shelved the entire project and chose not to publish the findings of its research!

Luckily, however, there was one scientist from the Graviola research team whose conscience wouldn't let him see such atrocity committed. Risking his career, he contacted a company that's dedicated to harvesting medical plants from the Amazon Rainforest and blew the whistle.

Miracle unleashed
When researchers at the Health Sciences Institute were alerted to the news of Graviola, they began tracking the research done on the cancer-killing tree. Evidence of the astounding effectiveness of Graviola--and its shocking cover-up--came in fast and furious....

.....The National Cancer Institute performed the first scientific research in 1976. The results showed that Graviola's "leaves and stems were found effective in attacking and destroying malignant cells." Inexplicably, the results were published in an internal report and never released to the public...

....Since 1976, Graviola has proven to be an immensely potent cancer killer in 20 independent laboratory tests, yet no double-blind clinical trials--the typical benchmark mainstream doctors and journals use to judge a
treatment's value--were ever initiated...

.....A study published in the Journal of Natural Products, following a recent study conducted at Catholic University of South Korea stated that one chemical in Graviola was found to selectively kill colon cancer cells at "10,000 times the potency of (the commonly used chemotherapy drug) Adriamycin..."

.....The most significant part of the Catholic University of South Korea report is that Graviola was shown to selectively target the cancer cells, leaving healthy cells untouched. Unlike chemotherapy, which indiscriminately targets all actively reproducing cells (such as stomach and hair cells), causing the often devastating side effects of nausea and hair loss in cancer patients.

....A study at Purdue University recently found that leaves from the Graviola tree killed cancer cells among six human cell lines and were especially effective against prostate, pancreatic and lung cancers... Seven years of silence broken!

How To Reduce Cancer Cells In The Body.

I got this in an email forwarded to me by my dear friend Elsie, kind soul that she is indeed.

How can you reduce cancer cells in your body?

Below are some useful information on one of the
deadliest diseases of our time.


1. Every person has cancer cells in the body.
These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests
until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell
cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their
bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to
detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the
detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in
a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells
will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple
nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental,
food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet
and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells
and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow,
gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver,
kidneys, heart, lungs, etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and
damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce
tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation
do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy
and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed,
hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections
and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate
and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause
cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by
not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one
important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like
NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful.
A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts.
Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour.
Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the
gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk
and substituting with unsweetened Soya milk, cancer cells are
being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet
is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than
beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth
hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to
people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains,
seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline
environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans.
Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily
absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to
nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live
enzymes for building healthy cells, try and drink fresh vegetable
juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some
raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at
temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine.
Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties.

Water - best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid
known toxins and heavy metals in tap water.
Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of
digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines
become putrefied and leads to more toxic build-up.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining
from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the
protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells
to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system
(IP6, Florssence-ssence,Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals,
EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy
cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to
cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal
method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive
and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor.
Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a
stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and
forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment.
Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen
down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means
employed to destroy cancer cells.


PLEASE FORWARD THIS INFORMATION TO PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT