Although leukemia, a cancer that attacks blood-forming tissue, is often thought of as a children's cancer, the average age at diagnosis is 66, according to the National Cancer Institute. Between 2004 and 2008, 10.8 percent of those diagnosed with the disease were under age 20. While leukemia has become more treatable in recent years, treatments have serious side effects. Grapeseed extract may kill leukemia cells without the harsh side effects of chemotherapy, but much more research is needed. Don't take grapeseed as a cancer treatment without your physician's approval.
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The ancient Greeks and Romans recognized the potential health benefits of grapes, but the ingredients responsible have been identified only more recently. Oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes, or OPCs, act as antioxidants, substances that reduce cell damage caused by toxins and waste products in your body. Resveratrol, one of the OPCs found in grapeseed, is a powerful antioxidant. Grapeseed provides stronger antioxidant protection than other well-known antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, Creighton University researchers reported in the August 2000 issue of "Toxicology." Antioxidants may reduce the risk of cancer because they search out and destroy potentially damaging cells such as cancer cells.
Studies
No human studies on the benefit of grapeseed extract in treating leukemia have been reported. However, a study conducted by Chinese researchers and reported in the January 2009 issue of "Clinical Cancer Research" found that grapeseed extract induced apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in leukemia cells in the laboratory.
Benefits
Chemotherapy agents can effectively treat cancers such as leukemia in many cases. The National Cancer Institute reported the five-year survival rate for leukemia as 53.9 percent between 2001 and 2007. But chemotherapy for leukemia causes significant side effects, such as hair loss, nausea, vomiting, bleeding and infection. Grapeseed extract has few side effects, although it may act as a blood thinner and could enhance bleeding in people taking other anti-coagulants.
Considerations
Research into the benefits of grapeseed extract for treating leukemia and other cancer has just begun. Benefits seen in laboratory studies do not always produce the same results when taken by people with the disease. Do not substitute grapeseed extract for conventional medical treatment for leukemia or other cancers without your doctor's knowledge and approval. No effective dosage for leukemia treatment has been established. Look for supplements containing 40 to 80 proanthocyanidins percent or an OPC content of at least 95 percent if your doctor approves. Do not give grapeseed extract to children.
References
- "Clinical Cancer Research"; Induction of Apoptosis in Human Leukemia Cells by Grape Seed Extract Occurs Via Activation of C-Jun NH2-Terminal Kinase; N. Gao, et al.; January 2009
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Grape Seed; August 2010
- National Cancer Institute: SEER Stat Fact Sheets: Leukemia
- "Toxicology"; Free Radicals and Grape Seed Proanthocyanidin Extract: Importance in Human Health and Disease Prevention; D. Bagchi, et al.; August 2000
- Kids Health: Leukemia
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