Researchers at the University of Missouri-Colombia wanted to explore the use of blueberry extract as a radio-sensitizer - i.e. non-toxic, natural substances used to enhance the efficacy of cognitive cancer treatments, such as radiation and chemotherapy. Prior to this, this team successfully treated prostate cancer using the boosting effect of radiation resveratrol, a polyphenol in the grape.
In this study, they tried to investigate how to enhance radiation activity in case of cervical cancer, using blueberry extract. And the results they came to have shown that the blueberry extract not only boosts the radiation, but is itself a more effective therapy than the radiation itself!
The research participants were divided into four groups. The first one received only radiation therapy. The other one was just getting a blueberry extract. The third, control group did not receive any treatment. The fourth group received a combination of radiation therapy and blueberry extract. A group treated only with radiation had an average reduction in the amount of malignant cells of 20%. The group that received only the blueberry extract had 25% improvement - which means that the blueberry extract was more effective than the radiation itself. And a group treated with a combination of radiation and blueberry extract had 70% reduction in the proliferation of malignant cells.
An earlier study by the Florida State University has already confirmed that blueberries hinder the production of proinflammatory molecules, which prevents the formation of malignant tumors. And other studies have confirmed that blueberries work anti-cancerous and against raspberries of colon cancer and prostate cancer. This new research only confirmed what was already assumed for blueberries and indicated a simple and natural way to multiply the conventional therapies more efficiently.
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