http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-cancer-fighting-garden-herbs.html
5 Cancer-Fighting Garden Herbs
By Veronica Peterson, Editor, Healthy & Green Living
Oh, the lovely bounty of nature. As the weather warms, home gardeners around the country are able to look no further than their backyard for flavorful herbs to add that farmstead layer of taste to their dinner entrees. We’ve always known they’re yummy but now we know they offer a heck-of-a-lot more than just flavor.
Everyday garden herbs possess legions of medicinal properties and, when eaten in conjunction with healthy vegetables and spices, have powerful cancer-preventive properties. “The easiest, least-expensive way to reduce your risk for cancer is just by eating a healthy diet,” says Rachael Stolzenberg-Solomon, PhD, MPH, RD, a researcher at the National Cancer Institute in a recent article. Below are five, easily-found, herbs you might consider eating more of.
Rosemary
Commonly used in cooking, the leaves of this garden herb have a noticeable woody fragrance, thanks to the fatty acids of terpenes, a naturally occurring substance that encourages the cancer cells in tumors to stop reproducing and eventually die.
Today, research has discovered that when the terpene from rosemary is given alongside the chemotherapy drugs Adriamycin and Velban, cancer cells may begin to absorb the chemotherapy that they had previously resisted. In many cases the plant’s natural terpene either brought about the demise of the cancerous cells or helped reduce their spread.
Next: Parsley
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17 comments
add your comment »Thanks. Now let's hope the FDA doesn't start making growing and using herbs illegal.
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thanks...
Kabin
Konteyner
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I do not have cancer, thank God, but I do have dicky coronary arteries. I am going for another Coronary Angiogram on Wednesday 3 June 2009 at the Flora Clinic here in Johannesburg.
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The xanthones contained in Mangosteen fruit are also know to have many cancer fighting properties (www.pubmed.gov). Xango has created a functional health beverage with a patented forumual using the ENTIRE fruit, since most xanthones are found in the rind. The drink is made to be taken 3oz. a day. Most people use it as a daily preventative, but some have started it after a cancer diagnosis. Mangosteen does a lot more than just fight cancer, it's worth the research, and like any natural product, it's not guaranteed to work for everyone. Check out www.mymangosteen.com/north
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One website that I really trust and enjoy is MountainRoseHerbs.com. Mountain Rose Herbs has a huge selection of sustainably harvested, non-irradiated, organic herbs to purchase at a very reasonable price. Also, under each herbs, spice, etc., there is a "more info" option that shows you the properties and benefits of the product. They're a really good company, (they are last year's Green America winner).
You do need quite a bit. You need to work with herbs regularly. Cook with them. Drink tea. All sorts of stuff. But it's so much fun and so healthy.
One book I recently purchased and really enjoy is called "The Magic Teaspoon: Transform Your Meals with the Power of Healing Herbs and Spices" by Victoria Zak. Another book that's proved to be very helpful to me is called "The Little Herb Encyclopedia" by Jack Ritchason N.D.
For a good article with a few recipes:
http://www.westonaprice.org/motherlinda/antioxidantherbs.html
And for some "superfoods" that are generally healthy for everyone to take:
http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/superfoods.html
Have fun!
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How much of these herbs does one need and how often to realize these benefits? Do they interact with chemotherapy drugs? I am battling breast cancer and am receiving chemotherapy and am very interested in countering side effects as well as assisting the process.
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How much of these herbs does one need to utilize and how often to reap their benefits?
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I have a little herb garden and just add herbs in all my salads, they're delicious and make the salad so much more interesting, I also grow edible flowers for my salad and I'm not sure of they have healing qualities, but they sure look pretty in a salad and have such delicate flavours.
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Yes Angeli - dill and fennel are in the same plant family, the Apiaceae
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my mother uses these herbs in a "healing" green soup she makes sometimes, in it she puts also cho cho, and fennel. A lot of caribbean people use herbs for healing, is dill related to fennel?
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