Indian Researchers Discover Lemongrass To Kill Many Kinds Of Cancer Cells
Lemongrass as an herb has been used for centuries for its positive health effects. In Ayurvedic medicine, it has been used for relief of menstrual discomfort and nausea. The fresh grass is used in indigenous medicine systems around the world. Recently, the essential oil has been the subject of scientific studies regarding its effects on cancer cells. One of the features of cancer cells is the upset of natural cell death. Lemongrass appears to be effective as a form of chemotherapy, causing cell death to occur as it should: “Our results indicate that the oil has a promising anticancer activity and causes loss in tumor cell viability by activating the apoptotic process”. These studies indicate that Lemongrass essential oil, with its low toxicity, has the potential of being an inexpensive ‘alternative’ treatment in the future.
Several therapeutic grade essential oils have been investigated for their anti-cancer effects, most notably Frankincense, Lemongrass, and the common constituent “linalool”, which adds a sweetness to many essential oil varieties. In two publications released in the Feb 2008 and May 2009 Journal of Chemico-biological interactions, studies were performed at the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine in Jammu were summarized. The investigations centered around the causes and concentrations required for Lemongrass essential oil to bring about cell death in otherwise flourishing cancer cell lines. Rather unlike classic chemotherapeutic agents, Lemongrass initiated normal cell death by eliminating protection from naturally-occurring free radicals, and a loss of membrane integrity of the mitochondria of these cells. Surrounding normal cells were not affected.
Under examination, it was found that HL-60 Leukemia cancer cells treated with lemongrass essential oil lost their surface projections, indicating a loss of normal cell function. Surface projections in these cells normally implies the cells can interact with their environment, taking in nutrients and making adjustments per their environmental conditions. The cancer cell death was attributed to the main constituent of Lemongrass oil, isointermedeol, a sesquiterpene naturally present in the oil. The IC50 of the oil itself was 30 micro grams per ml, whereas for the isointermedeol, the IC50 dropped to 20 grams per ml. — it is important to recognize, however, that this is not a huge difference in efficacy, and in many cases the complete oil is the better choice of treatment.
Lemongrass oil amazingly was effective against all 12 cancer cell lines tested, though some were more susceptable than others. And although isointermedeol was implicated in these first studies as the ‘active’ agent, Israeli researchers reported in the May 2005 publication of Planta Medica that common Citral — a lemon-scented component of MANY essential oils — also induced apoptosis in several cancer cell lines.
Here, it is important to recognize that reductionist science will have a hard time in isolating just which components of natural essential oils will impart an anti-cancer effect, and if in some cases the whole oil will be more effective than a single compound itself. It is crucial to recognize the importance of true, authentic essential oils, such as those from aromatic botanical extracts and other manufacturer’s dedicated to the craft, as the foundation of these natural healing compounds. Single chemicals can simply be manufactured in the laboratory, but it is the plant-based complete medicine that can create a harmony within the organ systems and psychology that may in-fact have the greatest healing effect.
As the body of evidence continues to grow, essential oils are finally moving out of the ‘aromatherapy’ realm and into the medical realm. At last count, over four hundred results were returned when searching Pub Med for Essential Oils and Cancer. Almost ten thousand results are available from the U.S. National Library of Medicine in all areas of essential oil use. Embracing essential oils as medicine in the U.S. is a practice that has the potential to save many lives, and is especially warranted now in these times of escalating health care costs and dwindling returns. Have a look at the fine essential oils and great information available at Ananda Apothecary for more information on using essential oils as medicine.
January 12 2010 09:47 pm | natural cure for cancer