Daffodils - The New Battle Axe Against Cancer

rickie (64)in #health • 6 years ago (edited)

It is popularly said that;

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned

But when it applies to our body and health, that statement can easily be rephrased as;

Hell hath no fury like a cancerous cell

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This is because, the plague known as cancer has, over the years, destroyed countless lives via its voracious activity within the human body.

The malevolent activity of cancer in the body makes is seem like a jealous ex-lover of man, intent on exerting fatal revenge on man, for perhaps ignoring it, or divorcing it and getting married to “good health”.

The above analogy may be twisted, but the point is that cancer cells have no caution, they have no regard, they spread rapidly, and in their wake, they leave only devastation, and ultimately; death.

What exactly is Cancer?

The very popular health and medical-related term refers to a group of diseases emanating as a result of the activities of unusual and unhealthy cell growth in the body, with the capacity of spreading and invading virtually every space, tissues, and organs within the body.

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In recent years, the cancer scourge has been ‘beyond crazy’. The rate, at which people come down with cancer, has been quite alarming. And while, most experts and medical practitioners attribute the spread of cancer to bad habits, bad health practices; the case of people born with cancerous cells and various forms of malignant cancer, begs to differ on that notion.

How the world suffers from cancer

The high rate of occurrence of cancer often bedazzles medical experts and still eludes clear understanding. According to cancer.gov stats, the next two decades will witness the rise of 22 million new cases of cancer – a gobsmacking statistic. It is currently projected that over 60% of the new occurrences of cancer cases in the world are within the regions of Africa, Asia, Central and South America. And the same region is responsible for 70% of the world's cancer deaths.

How can we fight cancer as quickly as it attacks human cells?

Several drugs, fruits, procedures (chemical, medical, herbal, and even unorthodox), therapies, etc, have been said, at one point of the other, to be effective in dealing or fighting cancer cells. Yet, despite all the medical, scientific and technological advancement, cancer still seems to be winning the race in claiming millions of lives annually

A new, effective and sustainable solution or procedure is highly needed to combat cancer

In various parts of the world, the daffodil plant is considered to be effective in fighting and combating cancer. But then, how can science leverage on the flower to assume a more effective and proactive role in the fight against cancer?

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Researchers from Belgiums’ Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), have disclosed through a recent study that the daffodil can now assume an active role in “the battle against cancer”. The scientists discovered an alkaloid gotten from daffodils, with the potential to shut down and disrupt the nano-matter that cancer tumours and cells leverage on to grow exponentially.

Nature still packs a punch, when it is needed

Over the last couple of decades various procedures in cancer management and treatment have had obvious side effects on the body, and recent alternatives now seem to hinge on our natural world and vegetative resources.

Our vegetative resources such as grapes, berries, annatto seeds, olive oil, sea snail eggs, etc, have at one point yielded various compounds and molecules which contain powerful arsenals and potential cancer-killers.

The latest scientific discovery to join the growing list of natural compounds and arsenals for fighting cancer is the “haemanthamine”; which is an alkaloid found in daffodils.

How do cancer and tumours grow and how can the daffodil's “haemanthamine” help?

First of all, tumours are, in simple terms, cells that grow out of control – (tumours can also be regarded as cells that are on steroids or on some hard drugs). Tumours, owing to their abnormal growth, boost their protein production by hijacking ribosomes.

Ribosomes are known as molecules of complex nature which are present in all living cells. These ribosomes are often regarded as nanomachines due to the fact that they synthesize all proteins needed by our cells.

The procedure of tumour or cancer growth has now been revealed to also be its own weak point; as the new study shows that it can be exploited to slow and disrupt the growth and spread of cancer.

The all-powerful “Haemanthamine” could become judge, jury and executioner of cancer

The research revealed that after extracting haemanthamine from our lovely daffodils, the haemanthamine compound attacked cancer in more ways than one, at once. Haemanthamine shows its superiority by first, stopping ribosomes from producing proteins. This resulted in a slowed tumour growth.

Next, the haemanthamine stopped the ribosomes themselves from even being produced (talk about, “the punisher”, or “the equalizer”, or even “the nemesis”…..lolz). Stopping the production of ribosomes not only stops the growth of cancer, but it also initiates a reaction from a protein known as p53, which is an anti-tumour surveillance pathway. The protein, p53, which normally degrades away due to lack of use in the body, becomes suddenly stabilized owing to the action of the haemanthamine, and begins to cause quick cell death, aiding the destruction of tumour and cancer.

Conclusion

While this discovery may seem like an amazing and intriguing news, with regards to the fight against cancer, it does represent another scientific advancement and breakthrough in the search for a more efficient, sustainable and perhaps affordable method of combating cancer.

Eventually, a lot of work and further studies would have to be carried out to ensure that any treatment based on this new procedure will not target healthy cells in the body, while killing cancerous cells.

In a bid to pick the most suitable alkaloid candidate for the procedure and to determine if the effects are going to be similar, the researchers have also planned to widen their tests to four other alkaloids derived from daffodils, just to ascertain if their effects in cancer demolition would be the same.