Cancer is a group of diseases wherein cells grow and divide uncontrollably. This interferes with normal body processes. Cancer can originate in many different organs in your body, including the bone, lung, liver, breast, ovary and prostate. It occurs in both men and women at all ages. Your risk for cancer increases with age. Herbal supplements have long been used as therapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer. Before you decide to take herbal medications, consult your doctor first.
Garlic
Garlic may be potentially useful in the prevention and treatment of cancer. It has powerful antioxidant compounds such as allicin that battle free radicals. Free radicals can damage cells and possibly lead to cancer. Moreover, garlic contains substances that strengthen your body's immune system to fight against cancer. Garlic may be consumed for its therapeutic effects but should not be thought of as a curative therapy. Current recommendations suggest a daily intake of 4 g per day for adults, according to the University of California-San Diego Moores Cancer Center.
Green Tea
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, many population-based clinical studies have demonstrated that green tea consumption is protective against cancers in humans. It exerts anti-tumor effects through its potent free-radical-scavenging activity. Green tea contains robust antioxidants called catechins, which have been suggested to block the initiation of cancer or to suppress its development.
Maca
Several years ago, scientists discovered that glucosinolates found in maca roots are able to inhibit the growth and proliferation of cancers in animal models. This discovery made maca root a focus for possible cancer treatment. Modern scientific studies have confirmed that benzyl glucosinolate, the main glucosinolate found in maca, exhibits anticarcinogenicity by blocking the formation of endogenous or exogenous carcinogens and thereby preventing the initiation of cancer, according to the University of California-Davis Department of Plant Sciences.
Milk Thistle
The UMMC, based on the results from animal studies, proposes that milk thistle and its active ingredients, particularly silymarin, can help prevent cancer by interfering with cell division and by disrupting DNA replication of cancer cells. But, more human trials are needed in order to confirm milk thistle's potential benefits as a cancer preventive.
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