Leukemia accounts for one-third of cancer cases in children up through age 14, with 43,050 new cases and 21,840 deaths in 2010 alone, according to the Leukemia Research Foundation. The typical treatments, such as chemotherapy, can be harsh, so the search is on for new drugs and therapies that will work as effectively with fewer side effects. There is some evidence that a compound in black raspberries holds promise for helping fight this deadly disease.
Identification
Leukemia is a cancer of bone marrow, lympth nodes and other blood-forming tissues, and it usually starts in white blood cells. Leukemia can be acute and aggressive or slower growing and more chronic. Different types of leukemia affect both children and adults and can include symptoms such as fever, fatigue, frequent infections, weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, easy bleeding or bruising, tiny red spots in your skin, night sweats and bone pain or tenderness. You may have the disease for years without knowing.
Black Raspberry Effects
Blackberries contain beneficial compounds like ellagic acid, gallic acid and rutin. Black raspberries also contain chemicals that could provide cancer protection by blocking DNA mutations and the blood supply to tumors. These chemicals are called anthocyanins and are the same chemicals that give flowers and autumn leaves their colors. Anthocyanins are found in fruits and vegetables, but dark red, blue or purple fruits, such as black raspberries, tend to have the highest levels. Anthocyanins also appear to inhibit compounds that weaken the immune system and cause tissue inflammation.
Expert Insight
Research at Louisiana State University in 2005, published in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry," studied black raspberry extracts on cancer cells in the lab related to angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels that is necessary for cancerous tumors to keep growing and spreading. They found that gallic acid in black raspberries was able to completely inhibit angiogenesis and tumor vessel growth in vitro. A study at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, published in the "Journal of Biological Chemistry" in March 2007, also reported that black raspberry extract killed leukemia cells in cultures while sparing healthy cells.
Considerations
As of May 2011, there had been no clinical trials to study the effects of black raspberry extracts on animals or humans. Due to the lack of scientific evidence and information regarding dosages or side effects, you should not try consuming black raspberries or black raspberry extracts to cure your leukemia instead of seeking traditional medical treatments. Black raspberries are also high in vitamin C, with 50 percent of the recommended daily allowance in just one cup, and a study published in "Cancer Research" in 2009 showed that vitamin C may reduce the effectiveness of many cancer drugs.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Leukemia; April 2010
- "Journal of Biological Chemistry"; Cyanidin-3-rutinoside, a Natural Polyphenol Antioxidant, Selectively Kills Leukemic Cells by Induction of Oxidative Stress; Rentian Feng, et al.; March 2007
- "Columbus Dispatch"; Fighting Cancer by the Bramble; Mike Lafferty; May 2007
- "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry"; Black Raspberry Extract and Fractions Contain Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Z. Liu, et al.; May 2005
- Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission: Black Raspberry Characteristics
- Leukemia Research Foundation: Statistics
