Early lab research has shown that resveratrol suppresses the abnormal cell formation that leads to most types of breast cancer, suggesting a potential role in breast cancer prevention. Resveratrol is a natural substance found in red wine and red grapes.
Red grapes are one source of anti-cancer resveratrol.
"Resveratrol has the ability to prevent the first step that occurs when estrogen starts the process that leads to cancer by blocking the formation of the estrogen DNA adducts. We believe that this could stop the whole progression that leads to breast cancer down the road," said Eleanor G. Rogan, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
The formation of breast cancer is a multi-step process which differs depending on type of disease, a patient’s genetic makeup and other factors. However, scientists know that many breast cancers are fueled by increased estrogen, which collects and reacts with DNA molecules to form adducts. Rogan and colleagues found that resveratrol was able to suppress the formation of these DNA adducts.
"This is dramatic because it was able to be done with fairly low concentrations of resveratrol to stop the formation of these DNA adducts in the cells we studied," said Rogan. The current study was conducted in laboratory cultures, and will need to be confirmed in larger human trials, Rogan said.
In an earlier study, German researchers found that resveratrol inhibited pre-fat cells from increasing and prevented them from converting into mature fat cells. Also, resveratrol hindered fat storage. Most interesting, according to the lead author, was that resveratrol reduced production of substances that may be linked to the development of obesity-related disorders, such as diabetes and clogged coronary arteries.
Source: American Association for Cancer Research, Jul 7, 2008; Endocrine Society, Jun 11, 2008
