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Dandelions: The Next Cancer Killer?
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Most people simply consider dandelions a nuisance, a weed that drains nutrients from their garden and hinders their vision of what a perfect yard should look like. But little do they know that these pest plants have valuable medicinal applications, and they may offer a powerful treatment for serious illnesses.
In the United States, one of the most common type of cancer is among young people is treatment-resistant skin cancer. This could be due to the prevalence of artificial tanning or a number of other factors, but regardless of the cause, it presents a troubling challenge for the health care system.
Fortunately, scientists in Canada may have discovered hope for a new cancer treatment in the form of dandelion root extract. This article will explore their research, and its potential to help those battling cancer, as well as other healing qualities of this humble weed.
Conventional Treatments versus Dandelion Root Extract
“Curing cancer” is an audacious claim, and there have been many snake oil solutions proposed over the years. So before making the argument for the healing potential of dandelion, let’s explore the conventional treatments in order to provide a context for comparison.
Standard treatments for common cancers like breast and prostate cancer, as well as melanoma (skin cancer) consist of either chemotherapy or radiation treatments, and where applicable, surgical removal of the tumor(s). These treatments are effective in a great many cases, but they have serious and very unpleasant side effects. Nausea, hair loss, and constant exhaustion are common symptoms.
What happens with radiation and chemotherapy is that you are essentially poisoning your own body. It does kill the cancer cells, but it also makes the rest of your body terribly sick in the process. It is somewhat analogous to using a nuclear weapon on a city to get rid of a few enemy soldiers (the cancerous tumors). Yes, the enemy was neutralized, but it also destroyed the city that you were trying to save.
There are also unfortunate cases where the conventional treatments simply don’t work. With treatment-resistant forms of cancer like melanoma on the rise, new forms of treatment will be needed.
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Dandelion Root Extract: The Cancer Study
At the University of Windsor, Dr. Siyram Pandley of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry received a $275,000 grant to conduct a study on the the effectiveness of dandelion root extract as a possible remedy for treatment-resistant melanoma. Dr. Pandley’s research was based on the idea that natural sources could offer a promise for curing diseases like cancer, and he even gave a TEDx talk on the subject.
Dr. Pandley and his team used dandelion root extract to make a tea which they had their study participants drink. According to Dr. Pandley, the results were incredible. He claims that the dandelion root tea was able to kill off the cancer cells in only two days. Amazingly, healthy cells seemed to be left unaffected.
A statement issued by the university described the effectiveness of dandelion root extract against other forms of cancerous cells as well: “Since the commencement of this project, we have been able to successfully assess the effect of a simple water extract of dandelion root in various human cancer cell types, in the lab and we have observed its effectiveness against human T cell leukemia, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, pancreatic and colon cancers, with no toxicity to non-cancer cells. Furthermore, these efficacy studies have been confirmed in animal models (mice) that have been transplanted with human colon cancer cells.”
This is not quackery. This has the potential to be a real game changer in the battle to eliminate treatment-resistant instances of cancer.
Other Benefits of Dandelion Tea
Dandelion tea is rich in vitamins, containing 55 percent of the daily recommended dose of vitamin A, and 110 percent of vitamin K. It has also been shown to help lower blood cholesterol levels and help alleviate allergy symptoms, as well as assist in bile secretion and improve liver health.
READ ALSO: Green Tea Can Reduce the Risk of One Type of Killer Cancer
This is one new remedy to keep an eye on. More clinical trials are underway, and dandelion root extract truly seems to have the potential to usher in a whole new chapter of effective cancer treatment without horrible side effects.
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