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Indian bitter melon may harbour breast cancer cure, claims NRI scientist | An extract from bitter melon, a vegetable common in
India and known as 'karela' in Hindi, helps trigger a chain of events that kills breast cancer cells and prevents them from multiplying, claims an Indian-origin
researcher at Saint Louis University. Ratna Ray, Ph.D., professor in the department
of pathology at Saint Louis University and lead researcher, said she was surprised
that the extract from the bitter melon she cooks in stir fries inhibits the growth
of breast cancer cells. "To our knowledge, this is the first report describing
the effect of bitter melon extract on cancer cells," Ray said. "Our result was
encouraging. We have shown that bitter melon extract significantly induced death
in breast cancer cells and decreased their growth and spread." The expert decided
to study the bitter melon extract's impact on breast cancer cells because research
by others have shown the substance lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Ray conducted her research using human breast cancer cells in vitro - or in a
controlled lab setting. "There have been significant advances in breast cancer
treatment, which have improved patient survival and quality of life. However women
continue to die of the disease and new treatment strategies are essential," Ray
said. "Cancer prevention by the use of naturally occurring dietary substances
is considered a practical approach to reduce the ever-increasing incidence of
cancer. Studying a high risk breast cancer population where bitter melon is taken
as a dietary product will be an important area of future research," Ray said.
She cautioned against seeing bitter melon extract as a miracle cure for breast
cancer. "Bitter melon is common in China and India, and women there still get
breast cancer," Ray said. |
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