Medicinal Plant Series 3 - Pineapple

We are talking raw pineapple here . I always believe it has some potent chemicals and antioxidants. Mum eats alot She got a different idea like to cleanse the intestine. Too much fibre and acid is not good I always say but she not listening..................

Fighting Cancer with Pineapple
According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer has now
surpassed cardiac disease as the largest killer in the United
States. The incidence of cancer increases with age, with
approximately 80 percent of cancers occurring in people over the
age of 55.
However, according to researchers at the Queensland Institute of
Medical Research, preventing cancer may be as simple as eating
pineapple.

Pineapple Fights Cancer Growth
While analyzing bromelain, an extract of crushed pineapple stems,
researchers found that two molecules isolated from the extract
showed promise in fighting cancer growth:
·
One molecule, known as CCS, blocks a protein called Ras,
which is defective in approximately 30 percent of all cancers.
·
The other, called CCZ, stimulates the body's own immune
system to target and destroy cancer cells.
Researchers discovered these two molecules work simultaneously to
block the growth of a broad range of tumor cells including breast,
lung, colon, ovarian and melanoma.

And while CCS and CCZ are protease enzymes (usually associated
with breaking down proteins, as in the digestive process), the
above findings distinguish the molecules as a new way of treating
disease and potentially a whole new class of anti-cancer agents.

What's more, bromelain, a rich source of enzymes, has also been
found to modulate immunological responsesand has been proposed to
be of clinical use.

BBC NewsJuly 22, 2005