Overview of Guggul's Cancer Fighting Benefits

Preliminary lab and animal study evidence suggests that guggul may have a role in the fight against some types of cancer, including:

• Breast cancer
• Colon cancer
• Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
• Leukemia
• Ovarian cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Skin cancer (including melanoma)

Tumor formation is a process in which normal cells undergo rapid cell division (compared to normal cell division). In addition, changes in how cells bond to each other, cellular structures, and increased migration of cells to other parts of the body are typical characteristics associated with tumor formation and the spread of cancer.³³

The increased rate of cell division also results in an oxygen and nutrient deprived environment for the tumor cells. In order to restore access to oxygen and nutrients tumor cells over-activate a normal cell’s machinery to make new blood vessels. These mechanisms include numerous cytokines (hormone-like proteins required in very small quantities) and proteins that stimulate growth and cell differentiation (growth-factors), which together ensure the survival of the tumor mass.³³

Guggulsterones have been shown to exert a number of anti-cancer effects:^34-35

• Antioxidant protective benefits on normal cells
• Enhanced effectiveness of conventional cancer treatments (e.g., chemotherapy and radiation)
• Increased production of cell-damaging free radicals only in cancer cells
• Inhibition of inflammatory and other pro-cancer proteins that encourage cancer to grow and spread