Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Seaweed Versus Cancer

From an article in the PakTribune about Seaweed and it's nutritional benefits.....

Can Seaweed Battle Cancer?

" However, most of the studies in recent years that have been done regarding the effects of seaweed, are against cancer. Hoping to find the ability to shrink tumors with algae, many researchers have devoted years to observing the patterns and data surrounding this important compound.

A 2005 study conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology found a small strain of red algae off the coast of Fiji called Callophycus serratus, that looks promising for a new, natural cure for cancer. With ten new natural compounds from the strain to work with, researchers found that some of the compounds were born antibacterial fighters and have held up in the lab against known diseases that resist antibiotics. It was said that the natural germ-killers were made by the seaweed to ward off predators and disease. Another compound was able to kill tumor cells in the lab by being able to turn on the suicide switch in the individual cells, which scientists call a head start to a new possible line of anticancer drugs. Georgia Tech biochemists insist that they are only in the “test tube level” and many more studies will be conducted. "

read the full article here:
http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=214448

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