The Root Veggie That Kills Liver Cancer Cells, Scientists Found

Kyle J. Norton

Beet root, one of popular functional vegetable may hold a key in reduced risk and treatment of liver cancer, a respectable study opinionated.

Liver cancer is a medical condition characterized by cell growth irregularly and uncontrollably in liver tissue.

At the late stage, the cancerous cells may travel a distance away from the original site to infect other healthy tissues.

According to statistic, approximately, 40000 adults in the United States will be diagnosed with primary liver cancer every year.

The disease also causes annual death of 17,000 men and 8,000 women.

The 5-year survival rate of people who are diagnosed with liver cancer is 18%.

However, the 5 years of early diagnosis survival rate is 31%.

Birth defect, alcohol abuse and chronic liver infection are most causes of liver cancer, diabetes and hemochromatosis also are associated to increased risk of the chronic disease.

Most common symptoms of liver cancer include jaundice, abdominal pain unexplained weight loss, an enlarged liver, fatigue,…. and back pain.

However, most people with liver cancer do not experience any symptoms until the advance stage.

Therefore, people with higher risk o.f liver cancer, such as excessive alcohol consumption should have their liver checked annually.

Beet, best known as the beetroot or garden beet, belongings to the amaranth family, is a perennial plant with leafy stems growing to 1–2 m tall.

According to the Howard University, in liver tumor induced by injection of tumor initiation with N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN, 30 mg/kg) in mice model, mice group treated with oral administration of 0.0025% betanin isolated from beet or beet root, exerted a very significant effect on both the incidence and multiplicity of the liver tumors.

Dr. Kapadia GJ, the lead author suggested, betanin, the major chemical compound found in beet root is an effective cancer chemopreventive agent in mice.

Regular consumption of the vegetable may ameliorate against the incidence of cancers, including liver cancer.

In the findings of natural food in compared to conventional anticancer drugs in high resistance HepG2 liver cancer cells, researchers at the University of Urbino “Carlo Bo” found that natural compound Vitexin-2-O-xyloside (XVX) and avenanthramides (AVNs) isolated from beet, exhibited antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects by sulforhodamine B method, and caspase activity assays, respectively.

The study also showed the inhibition of the liver cell line may be a result of the phytochemicals activities in activation of proteins in regulated progression of apoptosis and prevented gene in over expression of pro cancer cell survival. 

More importantly, the efficacy of beetroot in reduced incidence of early onset of liver cancer may also attribute to the antioxidant property in prevention of over production of free radical which was known as an independent risk factor in inducing liver cancer, measured by Cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) assay.

Other, in the examine of the effect of betaxanthins and betacyanins efficacy in treatment of various cancers, postulated that the isolated phytochemicals may be a potential natural agents in inhibited cancer cell lines intrinsically and extrinsically by induced apoptosis.

More importantly,  Vitexin-2- O-xyloside, betaxanthins and betacyanins combination with conventional anticancer drugs may be a future treatment in reduce conventional anticancer drugs toxicity and overcome the expression of multidrug resistance of cancer cells.

Collectively, these findings may suggested that intake of functional food – beet root regularly may reduce risk and treatment of liver cancer.
 

However, further data collection on studies performed with human consumption during the course of the disease will be necessary to complete the picture of beet  anti liver cancer possibilities.

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal – The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Loose Weight

Back to Kyle J. Norton Home page http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca
Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton(Scholar, Master of Nutrition), all right reserved.
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published on line, including world wide health, ezine articles, article base, healthblogs, selfgrowth, best before it’s news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada – Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bio science, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) Chemoprevention of DMBA-induced UV-B promoted, NOR-1-induced TPA promoted skin carcinogenesis, and DEN-induced phenobarbital promoted liver tumors in mice by extract of beetroot by Kapadia GJ1, Azuine MA, Sridhar R, Okuda Y, Tsuruta A, Ichiishi E, Mukainake T, Takasaki M, Konoshima T, Nishino H, Tokuda H.(PubMed)
(2) Antiproliferative activity of vitexin-2-O-xyloside and avenanthramides on CaCo-2 and HepG2 cancer cells occurs through apoptosis induction and reduction of pro-survival mechanisms by Scarpa ES1, Antonini E1, Palma F1, Mari M1, Ninfali P2.(PubMed)
(3) C-Glycosyl Flavonoids from Beta vulgaris Cicla and Betalains from Beta vulgaris rubra: Antioxidant, Anticancer and Antiinflammatory Activities-A Review by Ninfali P1, Antonini E1, Frati A1, Scarpa ES1.(PubMed)