Balsamine kill cancer and treat diabetes
Bitter melon is a
fruit that grows abundantly in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. Traditionally it
has been used to treat diabetes and other more mild diseases or illnesses.
More recently, bitter
melon juice was shown to kill pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and
in mice in a study done by the University of Colorado. Considering the results
were seen in both in vitro and in vivo tests, the
effectiveness of bitter melon juice in treating pancreatic cancer, and
potentially other cancers, at a clinical level are promising.
“IHC analyses of
MiaPaCa-2 xenografts showed that BMJ(Bitter Melon Juice) also inhibits
proliferation, induces apoptosis and activates AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated
protein kinase) in vivo. Overall, BMJ exerts strong anticancer
efficacy against human pancreatic carcinoma cells, both in vitro and in
vivo, suggesting its clinical usefulness.”
Pancreatic cancer is
one of the most difficult cancers to treat due to the fact that it is often
discovered late, leaving very little time to treat. Since traditional therapies
(chemotherapy, radiation, surgery etc) were not showing promising results and
littler advancement was being made, researchers have been looking elsewhere to
find treatment.
Interestingly,
cannabis, specifically cannabinoids, have been shown to induce apoptic
(programmed) death of human pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and stop
pancreatic tumor growth in vivo. Cannabis is perhaps one of the most
popular treatments being aggressively pursued right now given its promising
results both in labs and anecdotally.
Scientific Evidence
Pancreatic Cancer
Many cancerous tumors
have insulin receptors which move glucose to cancer cells helping them to grow
and divide. Studies have shown that insulin encourages pancreatic cancer cells
to grow in a dose dependant manner, since bitter melon has been shown to help
regulate insulin levels, this could help prevent pancreatic cancer over the
long-term.
The Colorado
University study was led by Dr. Rajesh Agarwal. They examined effects of
bitter melon on 4 different lines of pancreatic cancer cells (in vitro) and in
mice. For the in vivo studies, mice were injected with pancreatic tumor cells
and were randomly divided into one of two groups. One group of mice received
water, which was the control group, and the other group was given bitter melon
juice for six weeks.
Researchers studied
the tumors at the end of the study and results showed that bitter melon juice
not only inhibited cancer cell proliferation but also induced apoptosis
(programmed cell death). Compared to the control, tumor growth was inhibited by
60% in the treatment group and there were no signs of toxicity or negative
effects on the body. With toxicity and negative effects being a huge role in
traditional mainstream treatments, this was positive to see.
Diabetes
A number of clinical
studies have been conducted to evaluate the efficacy of bitter melon for
treating diabetes. Since it is believed that diabetes is a precursor for
pancreatic cancer, researchers felt bitter melon could treat diabetes as well
after seeing pancreatic cancer results.
In 2011, results
of a four week long clinical trial were published in the Journal
of Ethnopharmacology that showed modest hypoglycemic effects and
significant fructosamine management for those taking 2000mg/day of bitter
melon.
As published by the
study: “Bitter melon had a modest hypoglycemic effect and significantly reduced
fructosamine levels from baseline among patients with type 2 diabetes who
received 2,000 mg/day. However, the hypoglycemic effect of bitter melon was
less than metformin 1,000 mg/day.”
Another study
published in 2008 in the international journal Chemistry and Biology indicated
that compounds in bitter melon improved glycemic control, helped cells uptake
glucose and improved overall glucose tolerance. This study was done in mice and
led to promising advancements in treating diabetes and obesity with bitter
melon.
In contrast, a study
published in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology in 2007 did
not show significant benefit of the treatment of diabetes by bitter melon but 2
years later in the British Journal of Nutrition it was stated
that “more, better-designed and clinical trials are required to confirm the
fruit’s role in diabetes treatment.”
Since that 2007 study,
more studies have been done to show beneficial effects which perhaps was a
result of better design.
Conclusion
When it comes to
bitter melon juice, the current research available is showing strong results
for specific types of cancer cell destruction, diabetes treatment and potential
prevention of pancreatic cancer. Further research and clinical trials would be
helpful to better understand how effective this plant can be and in what
specific cases. It remains a very promising option that could be explored under
the correct supervision.
Other Uses of Bitter
Melon
Bitter melon has been
used as a traditional medicine for a long time. It has been used to treat:
colic, fever, burns, chronic cough, painful menstruation and skin conditions.
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