Cancer
Good health begins with good nutrition, regular exercise and a positive attitude to life, constructed upon a strong spiritual base. Since so many modern foods, we ingest are so depleted of vitamins and nutrients, we have taken a closer look at nutritional food supplements that can boost both proactive and reactive health measures, especially when it comes to diseases like cancer.
The fruit of Noni was frequently used by natives to control pain, from which practice comes the names “Pain Fruit” or “Headache Fruit.” At least six ingredients within Noni are anti carcinogenic. There are six different compounds within the body that play an important role in activating the immune system against cancer. These compounds are believed to be modulated or in other words regulated, by Noni.
The twelve substances are discussed in detail to enhance resistance against the proliferation of some cancer cells. Before doing that, what cancer actually is, what it does in the body and the modern methods used to treat it are discussed.
What is Cancer ?
Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, invades and destroys body tissues. Cancer occurs in almost any organ or tissue in the body. It is the leading cause of death. There are ways to fight back but to understand them we need to know how cancer cells develop.
As cells wear out, they replicate themselves. When cells divide they pass on their genetic information. This genetic code, the DNA, determines what the cell will be and what it will do. One portion of the DNA contains encoding for a process called “apoptosis.” Apoptosis is the time limit of a cell. It contains the information for self destruction of cell after it served its useful purpose. Normal cell growth includes death of old cells (apoptosis) and the controlled reproduction of new cells. Cancerous cell growth does not include that process.
How does Cancer Kill ?
There are two phases to cancer. The first phase involves damage to DNA, which can be caused by any number of factors, including carcinogens. The most widely known carcinogens are chemicals. While many carcinogenic chemicals are accidentally introduced to the body, a few such as tobacco are self induced. Other carcinogens include radiation. Of course, genetics is a very powerful determinant of cancer. Some viruses have also been linked to certain cancers. When introduced to the body, carcinogens attack DNA of the exposed cells. The damage results in cancer. Not everyone who is exposed to carcinogens contracts cancer; however, greater the exposure greater the risk.
The second phase of cancer involves uncontrolled growth. Damaged DNA alone does not cause cancer because body cells actually have a mechanism in place that counteracts damaged DNA. When a cell detects damaged or defective DNA, it cuts out the bad part and replaces it with the correct sequence. If everything go well, the cell is repaired and normal function can be resumed. However, if the damaged DNA sequence is not cut out, or is improperly repaired, the cell can turn cancerous. When a cell becomes cancerous, it passes on damaged DNA. The cycle continues until a tumor develops. Eventually, a tumor starts to spread in a process called metastasis. Metastasis is when cancerous cells move from one part of the body to another. Originally, it was thought that metastasis was random. However, current research showed that certain cancers tend to metastasize to certain body parts. Breast cancer, for instance, often metastasizes to the skeletal system.
Once the cancer has metastasized, it is usually considered very serious. However, there is still hope. For example, in November 14, 2002 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Khandan Keuomarsi reported preliminary findings that a growth protein, Cyclin E, is the most powerful predictor of cancer survival rate. Cyclin E prediction was reported six times more powerful a predictor than current methods and could have possible future use to determine who needs the cancer cut out, or who needs it cut out and also have chemotherapy.
A great deal of emphasis is being placed on the second phase of uncontrolled growth. Doctors and researchers have observed that if the fueling forces to cancer are removed, the growth is stopped, or significantly slowed down, and the cancer goes into remission. Additionally, if the cells can be induced into apoptosis, then the cancer will be stopped or significantly slowed down again.
Common Cancers
1. Bladder Cancer
2. Bone Cancer
3. Brain / Central Nervous System (CNS) Cancer
4. Breast Cancer
5. Cervical Cancer
6. Colon and Rectum Cancer
7. Endometrial Cancer
8. Hodgkin’s Disease
9. Kidney Cancer
10. Leukemia
11. Liver Cancer
12. Lung Cancer
13. Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
14. Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer
15. Ovarian Cancer
16. Pancreatic Cancer
17. Penile Cancer
18. Pituitary Cancer
19. Prostrate Cancer
20. Sarcoma Soft Tissue Cancer
21. Skin Cancer
22. Stomach Cancer
23. Testicular Cancer
24. Thyroid Cancer
25. Tounge Cancer
26. Uterine Sarcoma
27. Vaginal Cancer
How to Kill Cancer
While there is no universal cure for cancer, there are four common treatments used with measured success. The main four types of treatment are surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and biological therapies. There are also some advances being made in experimental molecular biology. Let’s briefly review these methods of treatment.
Surgery requires locating and then removing the entire cancerous growth. Another surgical technique is the removal of gland that the cancer depends upon. By removing the hormone that the cancer responds to, cancer can be stopped or retarded in its growth and progress. Removing the testes or ovaries, for example, can be an effective part of treating prostate or breast cancer.
Radiation therapy involves killing cancerous cells by bombarding them with X-rays or gamma rays. This stops their growth. The tumor can then be removed surgically, if possible. Radiation therapy can also be achieved by internalizing the radioactive substance. For instance, radioactive iodine can treat thyroid cancer.
Chemotherapy is the treatment most often implemented. By introducing powerful medicines into the body, the cancerous cells can be killed. Chemotherapy actually originated with chemical warfare studies conducted during World War II. Researchers noticed that mustard gases inhibited cell growth. By applying the gas to cancerous cells, their growth was stopped or significantly slowed down. Unfortunately, chemotherapy medicines do not differentiate between healthy and sick cells. The medicines will attack any cells to which they are introduced.
Biological therapies involve boosting the body’s natural defenses. Cells have natural defenses against cancer, and the body’s immune system will also attack cancerous growth. By introducing chemicals or plant extracts into the body that boost these responses, some cancers can be successfully treated. The introductions of interferon and interleukin 2, both naturally occurring chemicals in our body, are two such treatments in use. It is believed Noni juice modulates production of both of these natural chemicals.
Some of the most successful treatments by doctors are those that include a combination of these four treatments. Since cancer can be such a pervasive intruder, many medical professionals feel it is the best to attack it from several different angles.
An Alternative Choice
As research continues, new substances are being discovered that help fight cancer. Plant extracts are growing in popularity. Extracts from the red periwinkle used for leukemias and lymphomas and etoposide, from the American Mayapple and Morinda citrifolia (noni) are a few examples of current plant based biological therapies. In 2001, at the 92nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, Noni was listed as one of the top ten alternative cancer treatments used in conventional settings.
Research shows that more and more people are using alternative therapy in addition to, or in place of conventional cancer treatments. According to cancer researcher Dr. Ralph W Moss, Ph.D, surveys from the American Cancer Society done in 1989 found that 9 %of cancer patients were using one or more alternative treatments. Surveys done only ten years later, in 1998, showed that 31 % of American cancer patients used alternative therapy. This means, in these ten years, use of alternative methods increased more than three fold.
Dr. Moss also lists five main instances when alternative treatment is usually used in the case of cancer. These are :
1) Primary prevention. People use diets and natural supplements to try and ward off the disease in the first place. Noni itself contains over 150 nutraceuticals important to the body, some of which are known anti cancer agents.
2) Secondary prevention. Cancer survivors often use diet and supplements to prevent a recurrence.
3) Reduction of side effects. During the course of conventional treatment, many patients suffer negative side effects. Some natural products, such as Noni, can be used to reduce those side effects.
4) Modulation of immunity. Many cancers disrupt the immune system. Some people use natural methods of trying to boost the body’s immune system to ward off disease and to combat the cancer itself. Dr. Anne Hirazumi focused much of her published work on this aspect of Noni.
5) Treatment of advanced disease. Many patients turn to non - conventional methods, once it appears that conventional medicine has nothing further to offer them.
We believe that the most important time to use a natural supplement to fight against cancer is during prevention stage. Meanwhile, visit your doctor on a regular basis. Sooner a cancer is detected, greater the chance of remission. Be aware of some of the more common symptoms of cancer like changes in bowel movements, fatigue, fever, continuous coughing or hoarseness and expulsion of blood. Avoid things that are known to be carcinogenic, such as asbestos and smoking.
Boosting the immune system and possibly warding off secondary cancers with a natural supplement also makes good sense. And lastly, the practice of incorporating Noni into an existing cancer treatment may also be a good idea, and its usefulness is supported by various cancer related studies that have been conducted in the last decade.
Noni in the Research Lab
Although Noni is used by folk and traditional healers for centuries to help ward off diseases, including cancer, it was not until the early 1990s that it began to be studied in scientific laboratory. Currently, one researcher at the University of Hawaii is doing a two year study that involves Noni and humans. During this study, Dr. Brian Issell is monitoring the CAT scans of patients who use Noni to see if there are any significant changes in the scans. This study could be extended to examine the known anti cancer substances in Noni and the immune system agents believed to be modulated by Noni.
Boosting the Immune System
In 1994, Dr. Anne Hirazumi, Ph.D. and others published their findings from laboratory studies in which Noni appeared to slow and even stop cancer in mice suffering from Lewis Lung carcinoma. Later, she wrote a dissertation on how the anti tumor characteristic of Noni might work.
She continued her research throughout 1990s, publishing another work on the subject in 1999 from the University of Hawaii. In this work, Dr. Hirazumi and co researcher Furusawa published data that suggest that Noni may suppress cancerous tumor growth by activating the host’s immune system. In other words, through modulation, Noni boosts the immune system of the animal suffering from cancer to the point that the immune system is able to ward off some of the mutating cells. The study showed that the cancer survival time in mice improved when Noni was added to a “sub optimal dose” of standard chemotherapeutic agents like Adriamycin, Cisplatin and Vincristine. The researchers believed this data strengthened Noni’s position as a supplemental agent in cancer treatment.
RAS Cells
Also in the early 1990s, scientists in Japan were doing independent Noni research. In 1993, a handfull of scientists published an article in Cancer Letters that validated the theory that Morinda citrifolia shows cancer fighting abilities. In this study, the scientists injected ras cells (cells that are precursors to many malignant growths) with a substance called damnacanthal, which they obtained from Noni. They observed that the injection of damnacanthal significantly inhibited the ras cells from reproducing.
Cancer Prevention and Adduct Markers
Dr. Mian Ying Wang, MD, researcher from the Medical School University of Illinois published a few remarkable works on the anti cancer properties of Tahitian Noni Juice. Before specifically studying Noni’s effect on cancer, Dr. Wang did considerable work with cytokinetics of cancerous cells and how anti cancer drugs affected them. She has also studied chemical and hormonal carcinogenesis and cancer prevention at the initiation stage of cancer development.
During the past a few years, Dr. Wang is aggressively studying the impact Noni Juice has on cancer. Dr. Wang recently published an intriguing article that pointed to Noni’s possible preventive effect on cancer. This study showed that mice who as given a solution of 10 % Tahitian Noni juice for a week and then injected with DMBA (a known cancer causing agent) had significantly lowered DNA adduct markers (a test for abnormal mutant cells) than mice who were fed only water and then injected with DMBA. The noni fed mice had 50 % fewer DNA markers in the lungs than the water fed mice. In addition, the noni fed mice had 60 % fewer markers in the heart, 70 % fewer markers in the liver, and 90 % fewer markers in the kidneys. (See Figures 1 and 2.) The Noni fed mice had more protection against the cancer causing agent than the water fed mice did.
Autoradiographic density pattern of DNA adduct markers (single nucleotide) from two dimensional thin layer chromatography.
These figures show that density of markers of the group of rats who took Noni as seen on the right side (B and D) is significantly lower than the density of markers of the group on the left (A and C) who did not drink Noni. Lower the density, more the prevention and protection against cancer.
Autoradiographic density pattern of DNA adduct markers (single nucleotide) from two dimensional thin layer chromatography.
These figures show that density of markers of the group of rats who took Noni as seen on the right side (B and D) is significantly lower than the density of markers of the group on the left (A and C) who did not drink Noni. The lower the density, more the prevention and protection against cancer.
Dr. Wang continued with this research, and in 2001, she published her study results in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. A summary of another study with rats completed by Dr. Wang and her associates is given below. This study addressed the hypothesis that Tahitian Noni Juice possesses a cancer preventative effect at the initiation stage of carcinogenesis. Preliminary data suggest that pretreatment for one week with Tahitian Noni Juice in drinking water at a concentration of 10% was able to reduce DMBA DNA adduct formation (marker for developing cancer) in rats.
Pretreatment with rats drinking 10% Tahitian Noni® juice
Males Females
Cancer Reduction (%) Cancer Reduction (%)
60 Heart 30
50 Lungs 41
70 Liver 42
90 Kidney 80
Dr. Wang’s studies in rats suggest that Tahitian Noni Juice prevents cancer at its initiation stage by blocking or decreasing carcinogen induced DNA adduct formation. In addition, she believes Tahitian Noni® Juice has other cancer preventing qualities as well. She showed in vitro (test tube) and in vivo (body) that Tahitian Noni® Juice reduces cancer growth through its scavenging reactive oxidative species (ROS), its quenching lipid peroxides (LPO) and its anti inflammatory effect.
Dr. Wang also completed a small, one year pilot study of a double blind human clinical trial on how Tahitian Noni® Juice may decrease the DNA damage caused by smoking cigarettes in current smokers. This damage is a pre cursor to some of the cancers that smokers are known to develop with greater frequency than non smokers. Results from the pilot study were positive and now Dr. Wang is continuing this line of research with an even larger number of participants.
COX 2 Enzyme
There is an interesting link between the COX 2 enzyme, cancer and Noni. In the 1950s, Dr. John R. Vane discovered that the COX enzyme converted body acids into prostaglandins that can cause inflammation around joints. This discovery led to extensive research on the COX enzyme and its relationship to arthritis. It also led to a later discovery (in 1991) by Dr. Daniel L. Simmons, Professor of Chemistry, Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah. He discovered there are really two COX enzymes, COX I and COX 2. The gene for the COX 2 enzyme is found on chromosome 1. It is only the COX 2 enzyme that aggravates inflammation. Interestingly enough, the COX 2 enzyme also plays a role in cancer formation.
Scientists found increased amounts of COX 2 enzyme in an ever-increasing list of malignant tumors. For example, COX 2 frequently shows up in a common form of stomach cancer. In addition, cancerous tumors in the colon, pancreas, breast, lung, liver and prostate all have increased amounts of COX 2.
In the July 2001 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, Finnish scientists reported that they examined tumors from 43 patients with a type of stomach cancer that resembles colon cancer. Of these 43 patients, 25 showed evidence of the increased COX 2 enzyme. Some researchers believe that a new critical avenue to study may be how to combat cancer using COX 2 inhibition.
Now let’s review Noni’s role in all of this. Tahitian Noni Juice is very effective at inhibiting or stopping the body’s production of the “bad” COX 2 enzyme. Dr. Chen Shu, Jarakae Jensen, and others at the Tahitian Noni International Research Laboratory in Provo, Utah, compared the COX 2 inhibition ratio of Tahitian Noni Juice to the COX 2 inhibition ratio of prescription medications.
They found that Tahitian Noni Juice compared “very favorably” to the prescription medications. Next, researchers compared the COX2 inhibition ratio to the COX 2 inhibition ratio of over the counter NSAIDs (anti inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen). In this category, Tahitian Noni® far out performed the over the counter medications.
These studies suggest that Tahitian Noni Juice is multi faceted in its approach to fighting cancer. Noni, when used in rat experiments, seems to help with the prevention aspect, with tumor shrinkage and with boosting the immune system to help the body heal itself. It seems to reinforce the notion of fighting cancer on several levels, both traditional and non traditional, in both animals and humans.
Six Known Anti-Cancer agents in Noni
There are over 150 known nutraceuticals in Noni Juice. Of these, at least six are shown in scientific studies to fight cancer. The six substances are : 1) Polysaccharides, 2) Anthraquinones, 3) Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), 4) Monoterpenes, and 5) Terpenoid compounds and 6) Proxeronine.
1) Polysaccharides
Monosaccharides are simple sugars (glucose). A disaccharide consists of two linked monosaccharides (table sugar or sucrose). Polysaccharides are chains of monosaccharides or disaccharides (glycogen). Polysaccharides are found abundantly in Noni. There has been an enormous amount of research done on the anti cancer effects of polysaccharides.
When it comes to fighting cancer, polysaccharides block the adhesion of mutated cells to other cells, as in metastasis. How well they block adhesion depends on the density of polysaccharides’ sulphate groups, their molecular weight, and their carbohydrate structure. Sulphated polysaccharides destabilize the interaction between glucosaminoglycan and certain proteins. This helps block the mutated cell’s ability to adhere to new cells, stopping, metastasis.
In a study at the Medical Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan, researchers injected rats with colonic carcinogens. Four weeks after the cancerous injection, researchers began injecting the mice three times a week for eight weeks with polysaccharides. They found that the polysaccharide treated rats had 44% fewer colonic tumors than the control rats and their survival rate increased 150%.
2) Anthraquinones
The known biological activity of the anthraquinones found in Noni includes fighting inflammation, bacteria, parasites, and tumors. Anthraquinones are also used to boost the body’s immune system. Damnacanthal, an anthraquinone found in Noni, inhibits formation of tumors by interfering with the growth of ras cells. It is believed that other anthraquinones, such as alizarin that is also in Noni, cut off the blood supply to tumors, depriving them of their nutrients. This slows down growth of tumors.
The anti cancer effects of anthraquinones, including alizarin and damnacanthal, are extensively studied. Most researchers agree that anthraquinones have unique features that make them a strong adversary to cancer growths.
In a 1998 study, researchers found that quinones significantly inhibited or stopped growth of malignant cells from human colon carcinoma. Alizarin was used in this experiment as well as other quinines. Another study tested quinones for in vitro anti tumor effects and in vivo effects of mouse skin carcinogenesis. Results from the test showed that indeed these compounds have “potent” anti tumor promoting activity. In an earlier study in 1996, Polish scientists studied anthraquinones effect on cytochrome c (a cancer causing agent within the body). They concluded that the quinones reduced cytochrome c without causing formation of any new free radicals.
3) Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg)
EGCg is a polyphenolic flavonoid antioxidant found in abundance in Noni, blueberry and grape (all of which are found in Tahitian Noni Juice). During a meeting of the American Society of Cell Biology held in San Francisco, Dr. Dorathy Moore and Dr. (Mrs.) Moore (a husband and wife research team) from Purdue University reported that EGCg was extremely successful at killing tumor cells. Dr. Dorothy Moore reported that in cancer cells, the enzyme NOX is active all the time. In a normal cell, NOX is only active when the cell is dividing in response to growth hormone signals.
The Moore’s findings suggest EGCg interferes with NOX (the tumor associated activity of NOX) but not with normal NOX. They also reported that EGCg limits the activity of breast cancer tumor cells grown in the laboratory, but that it does not affect normal healthy breast cells. They concluded that, “In the presence of EGCg, the cancer cells literally failed to grow or enlarge after division, then presumably because they did not reach the minimum size needed to divide, they underwent programmed cell death, or apoptosis.”
4) Monoterpenes
The noni fruit contains significant amounts of Monoterpenes. Monoterpenes are studied extensively in the laboratory and are shown to have several cancer fighting properties. In general, monoterpenes prevent the carcinogenic process at both the beginning, and at the progression stages, In addition, monoterpenes are effective in treating early and advanced cancers. One of the most exciting facts about monoterpenes is that when used with humans (even in large quantities) they exhibit no toxic effects on the body.
In a laboratory setting, researchers found that monoterpenes inhibit the isoprenylation of small G proteins. This could, theoretically, help the body resist cancer by stopping proliferation and inducing of apoptosis. Other studies indicate that monoterpenes act in multiple ways in cancer chemoprevention and chemotherapy.
One of the most common monoterpenes, scientists examined is limonene (found in lemons and in noni juice). The monoterpene limonene prevents mammary, liver, lung, and other cancers. It is used to treat a variety of rodent cancers, including breast and pancreatic carcinomas. In addition, in vitro data suggest it may be effective in treating, some forms of leukemia. One particular study showed that limonene was a major factor in specifically resisting breast cancer.
Some researchers declared limonene and limonene related monoterpenes be considered as “a new class of therapeutic agents for treating breast cancer.”
5) Terpenoid compounds
Related to monoterpenes, terpenoid compounds or terpenes, are also found in Noni. The specific terpenes in Noni are eugenol, beta carotene and ursolic acid.
Eugenol is an active germicide and a smooth muscle relaxer. It is also involved in various studies on breast cancer. In one study, eugenol was tested using pigskin. Researchers found eugenol significantly increased permeability of breast cancer drug tamoxifen.
Beta carotene, another terpene in Noni, is associated with reducing cancers of lung, skin, cervix, prostate, respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. Beta carotene functions by boosting the thymus gland. The thymus gland distributes T cells that destroy invading cancers. One study, conducted by the National Cancer Institute in Finland, found that long term use of a moderate dose of beta carotene substantially reduced prostate cancer incidence and deaths from it in male smokers. Results of this study showed that 50 to 69 year old men who took beta-carotene daily for five to eight years had 32 % fewer diagnoses of prostate cancer and 41 % fewer prostate cancer deaths compared to men who did not receive the supplement. Nearly 30,000 men were used in the study. Beta carotene should be used in moderate amounts.
Ursolic acid is also found in Noni. It has positive effects on treating cancer both externally and internally. It was effective as both an anti inflammatory and as an anti tumor agent. In a study using mouse skin, ursolic acid exhibited remarkable inhibitory activity against skin tumors. In fact, comparable to the known tumor inhibitor retinoic acid, ursolic acid was more effective after a single application.
From this result, researchers believe ursolic acid stops tumors in a more different way than retinoic acid. They suggest that pretreatment of the skin with ursolic acid may inhibit the first dramatic cellular event in tumor creation.
6) Proxeronine
Dr. Ralph Heinicke, Ph.D., an expert on Pineapple and Noni, crystalized an ingredient in Noni that he subsequently named, “proxeronine.” Dr. Heinicke believes that proxeronine, when converted in the body into a critical alkaloid, he named xeronine, can be a great defense against cancer by boosting cellular health. According to Dr. Heinicke, proxeronine is the critical element of the xeronine system, a system in the body that he believes consists of proxeronine, proxeroninase and xeronine.
In his book, The Xeronine System, Dr. Heinicke theorizes that proxeronine, when combined with the enzyme proxeroninase forms xeronine. Xeronine is delivered to cells that are sick or somehow compromised. As such, he maintains that xeronine positively affects nearly every function of the body.
Dr. Heinicke’s xeronine theory, based on research conducted for more than forty years, postulates that proxeronine travels to specific parts of cells like mitochondria, microsomes, Golgi apparatus, reticuloendothelium, electron transport system, DNA, RNA and so forth. Within these structures, proxeronine combines with other natural biochemicals and building blocks (i.e. hormones, proteins, enzymes, serotonin, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants). The Golgi apparatus and the reticuloendothelium then assemble all the necessary compounds into a specific “package” and deliver the “package” to the sick parts of the cell, or they may carry the “package” via the blood stream to other sick cells. As the receiving sick cell opens the “package” sent by the Golgi apparatus and the reticuloendothelium, the packaged proxeronine combines with another cellular enzyme called proxeroninase. This combination converts into xeronine, which is then used by the body to help rebuild the damaged cells. Since both cancer and xeronine work on the cellular level one tries to destroy the cell while the other tries to restore health.
Boosting Anti-Cancer Defenses in the Body
Research showed that in addition to containing cancer fighting agents, Noni may also have the ability to modulate production, activity and effectiveness of some immune system agents, most of which are directly responsible for warding off diseases like cancer. Some of these immune system agents are nitric oxide, interleukins, interferon, tumor necrosis factor, lipopolysaccharide and natural killer cells.
1) Nitric Oxide
Dr. Anne Hirazumi’s work with Morinda citrifolia shows that Noni extract is able to promote the body’s biosynthesis of nitric oxide. The benefits of nitric oxide are being loudly touted in the medical world today. One of nitric oxide’s abilities is to ward off cancer attacks on the cells. In her published work, Dr. Hirazumi stated, “Nitric oxide produced by activated macrophages plays a role in the host protection against pathogens as well as tumors.” She also states that nitric oxide kills pathogens by destroying the DNA synthesis of such cells and by poisoning them.”
2) Interleukins
Another immune system agent which Noni may modulate is interleukins. Interleukins are hormones that carry messages from one immune cell to another, informing the receiving cell to speed up its multiplication when in danger of invading pathogens. There are several different types of interleukins and they are usually classified by numbers, such as interleukin 2. Interleukin 2 is closely tied to the body’s anti cancer mechanisms. Interleukins also enhance production of B cell antibodies, and promote cytotoxicity of Natural killer (NK) cells. They also can play a role in activating T- lymphocytes.
3) Interferon
Interferons are another component of the body’s immune system. As with interleukins, there are several types of interferons. The type of interferon that Noni modulates is interferon y. Interferon- y was originally thought to be anti viral. More and more, it also shows up in the body during immune system’s fight against cancer. It helps in the activation of macrophages and the overall process of cell mediated immunity.
Dr. Hirazumi’s research also mentioned interferons in connection to Noni and its immune boosting properties.
4) Tumor Necrosis Factor
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a substance secreted by various macrophages (which may be modulated by Noni) to kill tumors. The tumor necrosis factor plays a principal role in the immune system’s fight against cancer.
5) Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
Certain bacteria have an outerlayer, composed mainly of lipopolysaccharide. Consequently, presence of LPS in the blood stream usually means a bacterial infection. The immune system reacts to the presence of LPS and tries to eliminate assumed invading organism. If LPS is able to get into bloodstream in ways other than through bacteria, (such as by ingesting noni which may modulate LPS production) the body may increase its immune system activity.
6) Natural killer Cells (NK)
Noni modulates another vital component of the body’s immune system natural killer cells. These cells are deadly to many invaders. The NK cells recognize and destroy virally infected cells, as well as tumor cells.
Within our bodies, there are many mechanisms at work trying to safeguard our health. Why not boost these mechanisms with a natural food supplement that contains important ingredients for promoting healthy cell function.
