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| Credit: www.natures-health-foods.com |
Each
stalk of celery, along with its seeds and leaves, contains 3-n-butylphthalide, which has shown to enhance cognitive
function in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.
Incorporating
celery into your daily diet can provide numerous health benefits, from treating
gout to safeguarding against cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Celery
(and artichokes and oregano) also contains the flavinoids apigenin
and luteolin that kill human pancreatic cancer cells in
the lab by inhibiting an important enzyme, according to two new University of
Illinois studies.
Pancreatic cancer is a relatively rare
form of cancer. According to the Malaysian Cancer Registry’s latest report in
2006, there was a total of 253 cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed in that
year. This is in comparison to the total of 21,773 cancer cases. Pancreatic
cancer is usually detected late and has a high mortality rate.
The
scientists found that apigenin inhibited an enzyme called glycogen synthase
kinase-3β (GSK-3β), which led to a decrease in the production of anti-apoptotic
genes in the pancreatic cancer cells. Apoptosis means that the cancer cell
self-destructs because its DNA has been damaged.
“But
we received the best results when we pre-treated cancer cells with apigenin for
24 hours, then applied the chemotherapeutic drug gemcitabine for 36
hours," said Elvira de Mejia, a U of I professor of food chemistry and
food toxicology.
"That
happens because flavonoids can act as antioxidants. One of the ways that
chemotherapeutic drugs kill cells is based on their pro-oxidant activity,
meaning that flavonoids and chemotherapeutic drugs may compete with each other
when they're introduced at the same time," she explained.
The
topic is still controversial.
Prevention
of this frightening disease is another story. "If you eat a lot of fruits
and vegetables throughout your life, you'll have chronic exposure to these
bioactive flavonoids, apigenin and luteolin,
which would certainly help to reduce the risk of cancer," Dr de Majia
noted.
###
The
above story is based on the August 15, 2013 news release by University
of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
and
the following references.
Johnson
JL, de Mejia EG. Interactions between
dietary flavonoids apigenin or luteolin and chemotherapeutic drugs to
potentiate anti-proliferative effect on human pancreatic cancer cells, in vitro.
Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2013; 60:
83 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2013.07.036
Johnson
JL, de Mejia EG. Flavonoid apigenin
modified gene expression associated with inflammation and cancer and induced
apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells through inhibition of GSK-3β/NF-κB
signaling cascade. Molecular
Nutrition & Food Research, 2013; DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201300307
Tan
Shiow Chin. Pancreatic cancer: A silent
killer. The StarOnline, November
6, 2011
###
WebMD
lists these Special Precautions & Warnings on celery oil and celery seeds:
Pregnancy
and breast-feeding: Celery oil and celery seeds are LIKELY UNSAFE when used during
pregnancy. Large amounts of celery might make the uterus contract and cause a
miscarriage. The safety of using celery while breast-feeding is unknown. It’s
best to avoid celery in medicinal amounts if you are pregnant or nursing.
Allergies:
Celery can cause allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to certain
other plants and spices including wild carrot, mugwort, birch, and dandelion.
This has been called the “celery-carrot-mugwort-spice syndrome.”
Kidney
problems: Don’t use celery in medicinal amounts if you have kidney problems.
Celery might cause inflammation.
Surgery:
Celery can affect the central nervous system. There is some concern that
celery, in combination with anesthesia and other medications used during and
after surgery might slow down the central nervous system too much. Stop using
celery at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
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