The American Cancer Society reports that over 200,000 American women develop cancer each year. The disease begins when normal breast cells in either breast ducts or glands become abnormal and begin to grow out of control, forming a tumor that may cause serious, potentially life-threatening illness if cancer cells spread to other locations. Pueraria mirifica is an herbal remedy that has anti-cancer properties and may help prevent or slow growth of breast cancer. Discuss pueraria with your doctor to decide if it might be helpful for your situation.
Causes and Risk Factors
Normal breast cells become cancerous when their DNA is altered, causing the cells to become abnormal and divide rapidly, producing more and more cancerous cells. Some changes in DNA can be inherited while others may happen during a woman's lifetime following exposure to a toxin or other carcinogenic factor. Certain factors may raise your risk of developing breast factor, including being postmenopausal, having a family history of breast cancer, being Caucasian, exposure to breast radiation early in life or having taken the drug diethylstilbestrol. Your risk is also increased if you have not had children or had your children later in life or used certain forms of hormone therapy after menopause.
Pueraria Mirifica
Pueraria mirifica is native to Thailand and a type of kudzu, a woody vine with medicinal properties in its leaves and roots. The plant has been part of Asian herbal medicine for centuries. Practitioners usually recommend pueraria to treat alcoholism, diabetes, fever, cold or flu, symptoms of menopause or neck pain. Topical preparations may also help regrow hair and generally benefit the skin. The plant contains several phytochemicals likely responsible for its properties, including two compounds called tectorigenin and spinasterol that may help prevent or stop growth of cancer.
Breast Cancer
According to laboratory research, one of the compounds in pueraria, tectorigenin, stops division of several types of cultured human cancer cells and activates genes that cause them to become apoptotic, a condition triggering their death. In a study published in "Experimental and Molecular Medicine" in 2005, an extract from pueraria roots suppresses growth of breast, ovarian and cervical cancer cells in culture. Further study identified a phytochemical in pueraria called spinasterol as the compound responsible for these effects. In another paper published in "Maturitas" in 2007, laboratory animals fed pueraria root powder before exposure to carcinogenic compounds had fewer and less aggressive breast tumors than a placebo-fed group. These are encouraging findings, but clinical trials with pueraria and human subjects with or at risk for breast cancer are still needed.
Recommendations
Pueraria mirifica supplements are available as capsules or tablets from health food stores. Although generally considered safe and without significant side effects, pueraria may cause an allergic reaction in some people. Pueraria may also interact with some medications, including diabetes drugs and estrogen-like drugs such as tamoxifen. Do not consume the supplement if you have a hormone-responsive cancer. Consult your doctor before adding pueraria mirifica to your regular regimen.
References
- National Cancer Institute: What You Need to Know About Breast Cancer
- American Cancer Society: Breast Cancer Overview
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Kudzu
- "Maturitas"; Pretreatment with Phytoestrogen-Rich Plant Decreases Breast Tumor Incidence and Exhibits Lower Profile of Mammary ERalpha and ERbeta; W. Cherdshewasart, et al.; Oc*tober 2007
- Drugs: Pueraria
- "Experimental and Molecular Medicine"; Antitumor Activity of Spinasterol Isolated from Pueraria Roots; G. Jeon, at al.; April 2005
