Citrus

Grapefruit

Grapefruit seed extract USA

Antibacterial & antifungal properties. Anti-Candida.

Aromatic ethereal essence of grapefruit (outer peel) USA (Rutaceae Citrus Paradisi)

Aromatherapists use grapefruit ethereal to stimulate healthy lymphatic activity and reduce hangovers, jet lag and PMS. Balancing to central nervous system. Supports euphoria and happiness. Useful in unleashing body's ability to heal acne, cellulite, stones and obesity. Supports assimilation of other nutrients.

Phytonutrients include Nootketone, D limonene, Gamma Terpine, Cadinene, Neral, Citronellal, Geraniol, Citral and Pinene.

Health Benefits

Grapefruit may be the less favored citrus choice when compared to its sweeter cousin, the orange, but grapefruit sparkles with health promoting compounds that may help:

fight cold symptoms
prevent certain forms of cancer
prevent heart disease

Vitamin C

Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, a vitamin that helps to support the immune system. Vitamin C-rich foods like grapefruit may help reduce cold symptoms or severity of cold symptoms; over 20 scientific studies have suggested that vitamin C is a cold-fighter. Vitamin C also prevents the free radical damage that triggers the inflammatory cascade, and is therefore also associated with reduced severity of inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. As free radicals can oxidize cholesterol and lead to plaques that may rupture causing heart attacks or stroke, vitamin C is beneficial to promoting cardiovascular health. Owing to the multitude of vitamin C's health benefits, it is not surprising that research has shown that consumption of vegetables and fruits high in this nutrient is associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes including heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Protection against Lung and Colon Cancer

Not only are grapefruit rich in vitamin C, but new research presented August 2004 at the 228th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society provides two more reasons to drink grapefruit juice: protection against lung and colon cancer.

In humans, drinking three 6-ounce glasses of grapefruit juice a day was shown to reduce the activity of an enzyme that activates cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. In rats whose colons were injected with carcinogens, grapefruit and its isolated active compounds (apigenin, hesperidin, limonin, naringin, naringenin, nobiletin) not only increased the suicide (apoptosis) of cancer cells, but also the production of normal colon cells. Researchers also confirmed that grapefruit may help prevent weight gain by lowering insulin levels. (October 19, 2004)

Lycopene

The rich pink and red colors of grapefruit are due to lycopene, a carotenoid phytochemical. Lycopene appears to have anti-tumor activity. Among the common dietary carotenoids, lycopene has the highest capacity to help fight oxygen free radicals, which are compounds that can damage cells.

Limonoids

Phytochemicals in grapefruit called limonoids inhibit tumor formation by promoting the formation of glutathione-S-transferase, a detoxifying enzyme. This enzyme sparks a reaction in the liver that helps to make toxic compounds more water soluble for excretion from the body. Pulp of citrus fruits like grapefruit contain glucarates, compounds which may help prevent breast cancer.

Pectin

Grapefruit contains pectin, a form of soluble fiber that forms a gel-like substance in the intestinal tract that can trap fats like cholesterol. In animal studies, grapefruit pectin inhibited the formation of atherosclerosis. Animals fed a high-cholesterol diet plus grapefruit pectin had 24% narrowing of their arteries, while animals fed only the high-cholesterol diet had 45% narrowing.

Prevent Kidney Stones

Want to reduce your risk of calcium oxalate kidney stones? Drink grapefruit juice. A study published in the August 2003 issue of the British Journal of Nutrition found that when women drank ? to 1 litre of grapefruit, apple or orange juice daily, their urinary pH value and citric acid excretion increased, significantly dropping their risk of forming calcium oxalate stones. (October 4, 2003)

Protection against Macular Degeneration

Your mother may have told you carrots would keep your eyes bright as a child, but as an adult, it looks like fruit is even more important for keeping your sight. Data reported in a study published in the June 2004 issue of the Archives of Opthamology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.

In this study, which involved 77,562 women and 40,866 men, researchers evaluated the effect of study participants' consumption of fruits; vegetables; the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; and carotenoids on the development of early ARMD or neovascular ARM, a more severe form of the illness associated with vision loss. Food intake information was collected periodically for up to 18 years for women and 12 years for men. While, surprisingly, intakes of vegetables, antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids were not strongly related to incidence of either form of ARM, fruit intake was definitely protective against the severe form of this vision-destroying disease. Three servings of fruit may sound like a lot to eat each day, but grapefruit can help you reach this goal. Try starting your day with a half grapefruit, add grapefruit sections to your green salads, or for an elegant dessert, spread a little honey over a half grapefruit and broil for 1-2 minutes. (July 10, 2004)

Description

The grapefruit is a large citrus fruit related to the orange, lemon and pomelo. Grapefruits are categorized as white, pink or ruby. However, this terminology doesn't reflect their skin color, which is either yellow or pinkish-yellow, but rather describes the color of their flesh.

Grapefruits usually range in diameter from four to six inches, with some varieties featuring seeds while others are seedless. The wonderful flavor of a grapefruit is like paradise, just as its Latin name Citrus paradisi connotes. It is juicy, tart and tangy with an underlying sweetness that weaves throughout.

Citrus Pectin

Enhanced Citrus Pectin (From Citrus Fruits) USA

A technological breakthrough in availability provides the first nontoxic food substance that specifically disruptive of the transport and proliferation of cancer cells.

Galactosyl sugars and soluble fiber

Lemon

Aromatic ethereal essence of lemon ("Zest" on Outer Peel) USA (Rutaceae Citrus Limonium)

A profound enhancer of mental concentration and accuracy. Japanese studies demonstrated that only a faint hint of this ethereal in the air resulted in a 54% reduction in typing error. Regarded as cleansing and a preventor of putrefaction. Stimulating to new cell growth. Calming and cheering - improving one's sense of humor. Increased blood cell production and associated increase in energy. Awakens the liver. General tonic assisting nutrient transport all the way through to the inside of each cell wall. A bone builder synergist. Often used for relieving sore throat.

140:1. Phytonutrients include Linalool, Citronnellal, Cadinene, Bisabolene,Dipentene, Gamma Terpinene, Citral, D Limonene, Geraniol, Methyl Anthranilate, Camphene, Pinene, Aldehyde, Phellandrene, Methylhepton, Citroptene, ?-terpinen, Citronol, Acetic Acid, Caprin Acid, Larrin Acid, Terpineol and Linalyl-, Neryl-, Citronellyl- and Geranyl- Acetates.

Orange

Aromatic ethereal essence of orange (outer peel) USA (Rutaceae Citrus Sinensis)

Notable for its enhancement of bioelectric energy. Helps turn the mind from anxiety and depression toward joy and a positive attitude. For ambition and physical energy. Used to help ward off viruses and colds. Improves sleep. Strengthening. Assists regularity and colon health. Cleansing. Improves assimilation of other nutrients.

250:1

Phytonutrients include D Limonene, N-decylic Aldehyde, Linalool, Terpineol, Nerol, Citral and the Ester Methylanthranilate

Health Benefits

Oranges' Healing Phytonutrients

In recent research studies, the healing properties of oranges have been associated with a wide variety of phytonutrient compounds. These phytonutrients include citrus flavanones (types of flavonoids that include the molecules hesperetin and naringenin), anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acids, and a variety of polyphenols. When these phytonutrients are studied in combination with oranges? vitamin C, the significant antioxidant properties of this fruit are understandable.

But it is yet another flavanone in oranges, the herperidin molecule, which has been singled out in phytonutrient research on oranges. Arguably, the most important flavanone in oranges, herperidin has been shown to lower high blood pressure as well as cholesterol in animal studies, and to have strong anti-inflammatory properties. Importantly, most of this phytonutrient is found in the peel and inner white pulp of the orange, rather than in its liquid orange center, so this beneficial compound is too often removed by the processing of oranges into juice.

A Healthy Dose of Vitamin C for Antioxidant Protection and Immune Support

You may already know that oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C - just one orange supplies 116.2% of the daily value for vitamin C - but do you know just how important vitamin C and oranges are for good health? Vitamin C is the primary water-soluble antioxidant in the body, disarming free radicals and preventing damage in the aqueous environment both inside and outside cells. Inside cells, a potential result of free radical damage to DNA is cancer. Especially in areas of the body where cellular turnover is especially rapid, such as the digestive system, preventing DNA mutations translates into preventing cancer. This is why a good intake of vitamin C is associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.

Free radical damage to other cellular structures and other molecules can result in painful inflammation, as the body tries to clear out the damaged parts. Vitamin C, which prevents the free radical damage that triggers the inflammatory cascade, is thus also associated with reduced severity of inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Free radicals also oxidize cholesterol. Only after being oxidized does cholesterol stick to the artery walls, building up in plaques that may eventually grow large enough to impede or fully block blood flow, or rupture to cause a heart attack or stroke. Since vitamin C can neutralize free radicals, it can help prevent the oxidation of cholesterol.

Vitamin C, which is also vital for the proper function of a healthy immune system, is good for preventing colds and may be helpful in preventing recurrent ear infections. Owing to the multitude of vitamin C's health benefits, it is not surprising that research has shown that consumption of vegetables and fruits high in this nutrient is associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes including heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Protection against Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease

A 248-page report, ?The Health Benefits of Citrus Fruits,? released December 2003 by Australian research group, CSIRO (The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research), reviews 48 studies that show a diet high in citrus fruit provides a statistically significant protective effect against some types of cancer, plus another 21 studies showing a non-significant trend towards protection.

Citrus appears to offer the most significant protection against esophageal, oro-phayngeal/laryngeal (mouth, larynx and pharynx), and stomach cancers. For these cancers, studies showed risk reductions of 40 ? 50%.

The World Health Organization?s recent draft report, ?Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Disease,? concludes that a diet that features citrus fruits also offers protection against cardiovascular disease due to citrus fruits? folate, which is necessary for lowering levels of the cardiovascular risk factor, homocysteine; their, potassium, which helps lower blood pressure, protecting against stroke and cardiac arrhythmias; and the vitamin C, carotenoids and flavonoids found in citrus fruits, all of which have been identified as having protective cardiovascular effects.

One large US study reviewed in the CSIRO report showed that one extra serving of fruit and vegetables a day reduced the risk of stroke by 4%, and this increased by 5-6 times for citrus fruits, reaching a 19% reduction of risk for stroke from consuming one extra serving of citrus fruit a day.

The CSIRO Report also includes evidence of positive effects associated with citrus consumption in studies for arthritis, asthma, Alzheimer?s disease and cognitive impairment, Parkinson?s disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, gallstones, multiple sclerosis, cholera, gingivitis, optimal lung function, cataracts, ulcerative colitis and Crohn?s disease.

Finally, the CSIRO Report notes that as low fat, nutrient dense foods with a low glycemic index, citrus fruits are protective against overweight and obesity, conditions which increase the risk of heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke, and add to symptoms of other conditions like arthritis.

An orange has over 170 different phytochemicals and more than 60 flavonoids, many of which have been shown to have antiinflammatory, anti-tumour and blood clot inhibiting properties, as well as strong antioxidant effects.

Phytochemicals, specifically, the class of polyphenols, are high in citrus with oranges containing 84mg Gallic Acid equivalents/100mg. The polyphenols so abundant in oranges have been shown to have a wide range of antioxidant, anti-viral, anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative and anti-carcinogenic effects. Although most of the research has centered on citrus polyphenols? possible role in cancer and heart disease, more recently, scientists have begun to look at their role in brain functions such as learning and memory.

An increasing number of studies have also shown a greater absorption of the nutrients in citrus when taken not as singly as supplements, but when consumed within the fruit in which they naturally appear along with all the other biologically active phytonutrients that citrus fruits contain. The Health Benefits of Citrus Fruits,? released December 2003 by Australian research group, CSIRO (The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. If you would like to read more, click CSIRO (February 26, 2004)

Compounds in Orange Peel May Lower Cholesterol as Effectively as Statin Drugs

A class of compounds found in citrus fruit peels called polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs) have the potential to lower cholesterol more effectively than some prescription drugs, and without side effects, according to a study by U.S. and Canadian researchers that was published in the May 2004 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

In this study, when hamsters with diet-induced high cholesterol were given the same diet containing 1% PMFs (mainly tangeretin), their blood levels of total cholesterol, VLDL and LDL (bad cholesterol) were reduced by 19-27 and 32-40% respectively. Comparable reductions were also seen when the hamsters were given diets containing a 3% mixture of two other citrus flavonones, hesperidin and naringin.

Treatment with PMFs did not appear to have any effect on levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol, and no negative side effects were seen in the animals fed the PMF-containing diets.

Although a variety of citrus fruits contain PMFs, the most common PMFs, tangeretin and nobiletin, are found in the peels of tangerines and oranges. Juices of these fruits also contain PMFs, but in much smaller amounts. In fact, you?d have to drink about 20 glasses of juice each day to receive an amount of PMFs comparable in humans to that given to the hamsters. However, grating a tablespoon or so of the peel from a well-scrubbed organic tangerine or orange each day and using it to flavor tea, salads, salad dressings, yogurt, soups, or hot oatmeal, buckwheat or rice may be a practical way of achieving some cholesterol-lowering benefits. The researchers are currently exploring the mechanism of action by which PMFs lower cholesterol. Based on early results in cell and animal studies, they suspect that PMFs work like statin drugs, by inhibiting the synthesis of cholesterol and triglycerides inside the liver. (June 3, 2004)

A Very Good Source of Fiber

Oranges' health benefits continue with their fiber; a single orange provides 12.5% of the daily value for fiber, which has been shown to reduce high cholesterol levels thus helping to prevent atherosclerosis. Fiber can also help out by keeping blood sugar levels under control, which may help explain why oranges can be a very healthy snack for people with diabetes. In addition, the natural fruit sugar in oranges, fructose, can help to keep blood sugar levels from rising too high after eating. The fiber in oranges can grab cancer-causing chemicals and keep them away from cells of the colon, providing yet another line of protection from colon cancer. And the fiber in oranges may be helpful for reducing the uncomfortable constipation or diarrhea in those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. In addition to oranges' phytonutrients, vitamin C and fiber, they are a good source of thiamin, folate, vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), potassium and calcium.

Prevent Kidney Stones

Want to reduce your risk of calcium oxalate kidney stones? Drink orange juice. A study published in the August 2003 issue of the British Journal of Nutrition found that when women drank ? to 1 litre of orange, grapefruit or apple juice daily, their urinary pH value and citric acid excretion increased, significantly dropping their risk of forming calcium oxalate stones. (October 4, 2003)].

Help Prevent Ulcers and Reduce Risk for Stomach Cancer

An orange a day may help keep ulcers away, according to a study published in the August 2003 issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. In this study, researchers evaluated data from 6,746 adults enrolled in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1988-1994. Study participants with the highest blood levels of vitamin C had a 25% lower incidence of infection with Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium responsible for causing peptic ulcers and in turn, an increased risk for stomach cancer. Researchers are uncertain whether H. pylori lowers blood levels of vitamin C or if high blood levels of vitamin C help protect against infection?either way, eating an orange or drinking a glass of orange juice each day may help prevent gastric ulcers. Lead researcher in this study, Dr. Joel A. Simon at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, urges people who have tested positive for H. pylori to increase their consumption of vitamin C-rich foods since this may help them combat H. pylori infection.(October 4, 2003)

Lower Your Risk of Developing Lung Cancer

Consuming foods rich in beta-cryptoxanthin, an orange-red carotenoid found in highest amounts in oranges, corn, pumpkin, papaya, red bell peppers, tangerines, and peaches, may significantly lower one?s risk of developing lung cancer. A study published in the September 2003 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention reviewed dietary and lifestyle data collected from 63,257 adults in Shanghai, China, who were followed for 8 years, during which time 482 cases of lung cancer were diagnosed. Those eating the most crytpoxanthin-rich foods showed a 27% reduction in lung cancer risk. When current smokers were evaluated, those who were also in the group consuming the most cryptoxanthin-rich foods were found to have a 37% lower risk of lung cancer compared to smokers who ate the least of these health-protective foods. (December 3, 2003)

Protection against Macular Degeneration

In this study, which involved 77,562 women and 40,866 men, researchers evaluated the effect of study participants' consumption of fruits; vegetables; the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; and carotenoids on the development of early ARMD or neovascular ARM, a more severe form of the illness associated with vision loss. Food intake information was collected periodically for up to 18 years for women and 12 years for men. While, surprisingly, intakes of vegetables, antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids were not strongly related to incidence of either form of ARM, fruit intake was definitely protective against the severe form of this vision-destroying disease. Three servings of fruit may sound like a lot to eat each day, but oranges can help you reach this goal. Start your day with a freshly quartered orange. Add orange slices to your green as well as fruit salads. Before broiling, top any fish dish with orange slices. (July 10, 2004)

Protection against Rheumatoid Arthritis

While one July 2004 study suggests that high doses of supplemental vitamin C makes osteoarthritis, a type of degenerative arthritis that occurs with aging, worse in guinea pigs, another indicates that vitamin C-rich foods, such as oranges, provide humans with protection against inflammatory polyarthritis, a form of rheumatoid arthritis involving two or more joints.

The findings, presented in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases were drawn from a study of more than 20,000 subjects who kept diet diaries and were arthritis-free when the study began, and focused on 73 subjects who developed inflammatory polyarthritis and 146 similar subjects who remained arthritis-free during follow-up between 1993 and 2001.

Subjects who consumed the lowest amounts of vitamin C-rich foods were more than three times more likely to develop arthritis than those who consumed the highest amounts.

Description

Oranges are one of the most popular fruits around the world. Oranges are round citrus fruits with finely-texturized skins that are, of course, orange in color just like their pulpy flesh. They usually range from about two to three inches in diameter.

Oranges are classified into two general categories ? sweet and bitter ? with the former being the type most commonly consumed. Popular varieties of the sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) include Valencia, Navel and Jaffa oranges, as well as the blood orange, a hybrid species that is smaller in size, more aromatic in flavor and has red hues running throughout its flesh. Bitter oranges (Citrus aurantium) are oftentimes used to make jam or marmalade, and their zest serves as the flavoring for liquers such as Grand Marnier and Cointreau.

Tangerine

Aromatic ethereal essence of tangerine (outer peel) Spain (Rutaceae Citrus Reticulata)

In aromatherapy it is associated with inspiration and a releasing of tension, fear, sadness and irritability. Useful in PMS. Digestive tonic. Supports assimilation of other nutrients.

200:1 Phytonutrients include Methyl Anthranilate, Citral, Limonene, Geraniol and Gamma Terpine.

Aromatic ethereal essence of grapefruit (outer peel) USA (Rutaceae Citrus Paradisi)

Phytonutrients include Nootketone, D limonene, Gamma Terpine, Cadinene, Neral, Citronellal, Geraniol, Citral and Pinene.

Inhibition of Cancer Cell Growth and Metastases with Modified Citrus Pectin

by Jim English and Ward Dean, MD

Pectin is a complex carbohydrate (polysaccharide) found in virtually all plants. Pectin helps to bind cells together and provides a structural framework for maintaining the shape and integrity of cell membranes. Recently, a modified form of citrus pectin derived from the pulp and peel of citrus fruits has been shown to attach to cancer cells to prevent them from spreading throughout the body, pointing the way to a potentially safe approach for preventing or reducing cancer metastases.

Spreading Metastases

Conventional cancer treatment involves surgery to remove primary tumors, followed by chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of treatments designed to eradicate all remaining traces of cancer. This follow-up therapy is critical for addressing the biggest threat from cancer—the formation of secondary cancers, or metastases. Metastases are not new or different cancers, but new cancer colonies started from cells that have migrated to new sites. Sites where metastases commonly occur include the bones, lungs, prostate, kidney, liver, thyroid and brain. Left unchecked, metastases can quickly overwhelm the body’s defenses. In fact, it is metastases, not primary tumors that are responsible for most cancer deaths.

Halting Metastases

Over the last two decades, research into controlling or halting cancer metastases has led to two promising new strategies. The first, antiangiogenesis, targets the growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) that are required for tumor growth. Originally pioneered by noted cancer researcher Dr. Judah Folkman, antiangiogenesis grew from his observation that tumors cannot grow without access to a constant supply of new blood vessels. Folkman theorized that cancer cells actively communicate with surrounding tissues to trigger the growth of new blood vessels (neovascularization) needed to supply nutrients and remove waste products. Once neovascularization is initiated, hundreds of new capillaries converge on the tumor site and are quickly coated with new layers of rapidly dividing tumor cells.

Folkman also theorized that, just as certain chemical messengers can initiate new capillary formation, other signals could inhibit neovascularization. This insight led to the development of antiangiogenic therapy, which, in contrast to other cancer treatments, doesn’t directly destroy tumors, but aims to limit their blood supply, causing tumors to shrink. By 1997 researchers were excited by promising results from several antiangiogenic drugs. Speaking of one early angiogenesis inhibitor called TNP470, in 1997 Folkman commented on the results of early clinical human trials, stating, “We’ve not seen a tumor that we cannot regress (shrink).” Currently TNP470 and several other angiogenesis inhibitors are in clinical trials, and other promising compounds are under study in university laboratories and in some 30 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies around the world. For more information on nutritional compounds that have been shown to help inhibit new capillary growth and reduce angiogenesis refer to “Nutritional Support for Cellular Mutagenic Concerns”.

Intercepting Cancer Cells

The second strategy for controlling metastases works by intercepting migrating cancer cells before they have a chance to establish new tumors. This approach targets a family of carbohydrate-binding proteins called lectins. Lectins are attracted to sugar molecules found on the surface of almost all cells. Lectins help cancer cells stick together to form multi-celled clusters that are believed to be necessary for metastases formation. Lectins also enable cancer cells to communicate with each other, as well as with other types of cells (cell-to-cell communication) to trigger cellular transformations that assist the spread of cancer. One class of lectin—called galectins (for galactoside-binding lectins)—possesses an especially strong affinity for galactose, a simple sugar located on the surface of cells lining blood vessels.

A number of cancer researchers have focused on a particular galectin—galectin-3—that has been found to be directly involved in the progression and spread of several types of cancers, including breast, prostate and colon cancer. Serum levels of galectin-3 correlate closely with the spread of cancer, and may serve as a biological marker to help physicians and patients monitor the efficacy of anti-cancer therapies.

The Protein-Sugar Connection

The powerful attraction between galectins and galactose plays a pivotal role in how cancers spread in the body. After a cancer cell has broken free from its primary tumor (or is accidentally dislodged during surgery) it floats freely through the blood and lymph systems until it eventually becomes trapped in a small blood vessel (microcapillary). Firmly lodged in the microcapillary, galectins on the surface of the cancer cell start to bind to galactose receptors on endothelial cells (the cells that form the inside lining of blood vessels). After securely attaching to the endothelium the cancer cells penetrate through the blood vessel walls. The final step after invading the vessel involves the release of chemical signals that trigger new blood vessel growth (angiogenesis), and a new tumor colony is firmly established.

Modified Citrus Pectin

Modified citrus pectin (MCP) is a unique dietary fiber that is produced by processing natural citrus pectin by altering its pH and splitting the carbohydrate chains to form a low molecular-weight, water-soluble fiber that is rich in the sugar, galactose. It is this presence of particularly high amounts of galactose that led researchers to wonder if MCP might bind with proteins (lectins) on cancer cells to inhibit their ability to bind with other tissues.

Early test tube studies revealed that MCP did indeed bind to galectins from numerous human cancer cell lines to inhibit their ability to adhere to other cells. Researchers found that as little as a 1.0 percent solution of MCP inhibited attachment of 1) human prostate adenocarcinoma cells, 2) human breast carcinoma cells, 3) human melanoma cells, and 4) human laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma cells to human endothelial cells. (Naik H, et al.)

In 1992, Platt and colleagues demonstrated that MCP was effective at reducing metastases in mice injected with live melanoma cells. One group of mice was injected with normal melanoma cells, while a second group received melanoma cells that had been incubated in a solution containing MCP. Seventeen days after being injected, the mice receiving untreated melanoma cells were found to have, on average, 33 new tumors (metastases) in their lungs, while the mice receiving the MCP-treated cells had virtually no lung tumors. The researchers hypothesized that MCP had successfully attached to the lectin sites on the cancer cells, blocking the receptors and rendering them incapable of attaching to other cells.

In a second study conducted in 1995, Pienta and colleagues demonstrated that adding MCP to drinking water was an effective delivery route for reducing experimental metastases in rats. Four days after injecting rats with live prostate cancer cells, the animals were divided into three groups. Two groups of rats were treated with MCP added to their drinking water in amounts of 0.1% and 1.0%. The animals in the third group, the control, received no MCP. Thirty days after being injected with one million active prostate cancer cells, 15 out of 16 rats in the control (untreated) group had cancer metastases in their lungs, compared with 7 of 14 rats in the 0.1% group, and 9 of 16 in the 1.0% group. Importantly, the 1.0% group had, on average, only one tumor per animal, versus an average of nine tumors in the lungs of the control group. Commenting on the results of the study the researchers noted that oral intake of modified citrus pectin acts as a “potent inhibitor of spontaneous prostate cancer metastasis…”

MCP Exhibits Antiangiogenesis Activity

A recent paper published in the December 2002 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found, as with earlier studies, that MCP significantly reduced both the incidence and the size of tumors in rats injected with human breast cancer and colon cancer cells (Fig. 1). Additionally, in vitro experiments demonstrated that MCP inhibited formation of capillaries, demonstrating that MCP possesses antiangiogenic properties. Of their findings, the researchers concluded that, “MCP, given orally, inhibits carbohydrate-mediated tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis in vivo, presumably via its effect on galectin-3 function. These data stress the importance of dietary carbohydrate compounds as agents for the prevention and/or treatment of cancer.”

Conclusion and Dosage Recommendations

There are unfortunately no clinical studies that we are aware of to confirm the efficacy of Modified Citrus Pectin as an anti-cancer substance in humans. Nevertheless, we believe that because of its absolute lack of toxicity in any amount, its demonstrated efficacy in reducing the incidence and size of tumors in experimental animals, and its potential anti-cancer mechanisms as demonstrated in a number of in vitro models, Modified Citrus Pectin should be considered as a key part in any preventive or therapeutic regimen for any type of cancer. Dosage is also speculative, but based on the animal studies, we believe that a dosage of five grams per day may provide significant preventive or therapeutic benefits.

References

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from http://www.nutritionreview.org/library/citrus.pectin.html