In a study published in Pathology Oncology Research, academic pathologist Dr. Yujiang Fang and a team of University of Missouri researchers found that blueberry fruit extracts can greatly improve the effectiveness of radiation therapy on cancer cells.
Long known for their antioxidant properties, blueberries have exhibited “inherent abilities to prevent carcinogenesis, inhibit the proliferation of neoplastic cells, and reduce the risk of recurrence in patients in remission.”
The study noted that when the researchers reduced the dosage of radiation, the killing effect of blueberry phytochemicals on cancer was even enhanced. “That is because a chemical in the fruit called resveratrol acts as a radiosensitizer,” explained Fang.
He added that as a radiosensitizer, resveratrol “suppresses initiation, promotion and progression of carcinogenesis while reducing the expression of vascular endothelial growth, as well as promoting nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity” – improves cardiac health and healing processes and respiratory response; enhances performance during exercise; and reduces high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as erectile dysfunction. This also means that even with less radiation, doctors can reduce the side effects of chemotherapy on healthy cells.
Using cervical cancer cells in the lab, the researchers found that radiation reduced the number of cancer cells by 20 percent, while over the same period, blueberry extract decreased the number of cancer cells by 25 percent. The synergistic effect of both radiation and blueberry extract decreased the number of cancer cells by a whopping 70 percent – and additionally reduced the growth of new cancer cells.
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