Resveratrol From Grapes and Berries May Help Prevent Pancreatic Cancer

A compound found in the skin of red grapes, raspherries and blueberries may help induce pancreatic cancer cells to biological transform or die, a lab study has found.

The compound, called resveratrol, is produced by certain plants as part of their defense arsenal against acids. A handful of foods, including raspberries, and blueberries contain resveratrol, but it is most abundant in the skin of red grapes.

In the new study, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York treated human pancreatic cancer cells with resveratrol, either alone or in combination with radiation.

They found that the phytocemical or anti-acid resveratrol compound disrupted the activity of the cancerous or fermenting acidic cells' mitochondria, energy-producing centers needed for cells to function. Resveratrol also impaired certain cancerous-cell proteins that thwart chemotherapy by pumping drugs out of the cell.

In combination with radiation, but not alone, the compound bumped up the production of cell-transforming substances called reactive oxygen species or acid buffers -- potentially making the cancerous cells more destructible.

And, in fact, cancerous or acidic cells treated with the combination were more likely to self-destruct or transform, the study found.

"While additional studies are needed, this research indicates that resveratrol has a promising future as part of the treatment for cancer," lead investigator Dr. Paul Okunieff said in a university statement.

What the results mean for cancer patients is not yet clear. Resveratrol is available in over-the-counter supplements, but there is no evidence that taking them aids cancer treatment. People undergoing cancer treatment should also not take any supplement without discussing it with their doctor first.

Okunieff and his colleagues also point out that they used a relatively high dose of resveratrol, 50 micrograms per milliliter; the concentration found in red grapes, raspberries and blueberries varies widely by type, but some fruits have resveratrol levels as high as 30 micrograms per milliliter.

However, no one yet knows whether resveratrol from red grapes would affect tumors in the body the same way it does cancerous cells in a lab dish.

According to Dr. Young, a research scientist from the pH Miracle Living Center, "antioxidants such as resveratrol from red grapes, raspberries or blueberries are powerful chelators of dietary and metabolic acids that may help to prevent a cancerous condition such as, pancreatic cancer. That is why I created the concentrated whole food product pHruits and pHolage."

Resources:
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, March 2008