150 years ago cancer was almost non-existent, but with the inclusion of processed foods, low-quality meat and dairy, and refined sugars into the standard diet, disease and sickness sprung up in the body, and quickly became a human epidemic. To this day, most mainstream medical doctors and pharmaceutical companies dispel the notion that diet and lifestyle choices are related to Cancer, and it is for this reason almost 600,000 still die from the largely preventable disease.
But on the forefront of natural means to combat already developed cancer and allow the body to heal itself, a new derivative of the wormwood plant has made headlines. In a recent study published by Life Sciences, it was found that artemisinin (the derivative), coupled with Iron, can kill 98% of breast cancer cells in 16 hours.
Alone, the herb caused a 28% reduction in breast cancer cells, but partnered with Iron, the duo almost completely eliminated cancer. What may be even more interesting, normal cells were not negatively affected in this experiment by the treatment.
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The issue with mainstream cancer treatment is that it attacks all the cells, which are essential for life. In hopes of ‘destroying’ certain mutated cells, all of the body is blasted with radiation. Unfortunately this method is not counteracting the cause of a sick body, but only inhibiting its regenerative properties even more. Simply put, an acidic system with a stagnant lymphatic system (from poor dietary and lifestyle choices) is the best environment for cancer to thrive in. By consuming a predominantly plant-based, live food, and unprocessed diet, it is easy to alkalize and flood the body with vital nutrients needed for healing.
But using Chinese herbs also seems an optimistic route to stunt the growth of cancerous cells. Artemisinin has been used in the past as a powerful anti-malarial herb, but has now been shown to be helpful against cancer, as well. In the study, when subjects were given an iron supplement (which often accumulates in breast tissue, but especially so in cancerous cells), the artemisinin was effectively able to target ‘bad’ cells and leave ‘good’ cells alone.
“Taken together, our results demonstrate that the artemisinin disruption of E2F1 transcription factor expression mediates the cell cycle arrest of human breast cancer cells and represents a critical transcriptional pathway by which artemisinin controls human reproductive cancer cell growth.”
Iron accumulates in cancerous cells due to special receptors that help them in cell division, called transferrin receptors. Iron is essential to the equation, then, because normal cells likely have these receptors, but cancerous cells have them in great abundance, and thus can be targeted by the iron-artemisinin combination.
Many studies have now been conducted to prove the sweet wormwood extract can effectively eradicate disease in the presence of iron. In fact, its use dates back thousands of years in China where it was used to treat malaria. Like cancerous cells, the malaria parasite cannot live in the presence of artemisinin because they are iron-rich.
Scientists Henry Lai and Narendra Singh from the University of Washington were the two to make the initial discovery. This is just one example of the many herbs that have been found to cause cancerous cell apoptosis.
Because the sweet wormwood herb is difficult to find, biotech companies are now on their way to mass produce the medicinal plant. The future will show its effectiveness when produced at such a large volume.
“It’s the volatility that really makes the supply chain for this life-saving drug just a complete wreck,” said Jack Newman, chief scientific officer of the California-based biotech firm Amyris. “When we first started talking about this,” he continued, “we gave it 1,000 to 1 odds of ever working.”
Other entrepreneurs feel optimistic about their ability to supply the herb, however. French drugmaker Sanofi is expected to make 50 to 60 tons of Artemisinin each year, aiming to supply enough for global market demand.
If the herb can retain quality, life force, and be transported around the world where it is so essentially needed, there is high outlook for its ability to aid cancer patients and their path of healing.
*Article originally appeared at Complete Health and Happiness.
