Millions of women around the world take combined hormonal drugs, which combine the hormones estrogen and progestin, as a replacement therapy to combat unwanted symptoms that appear during menopause. However, recent studies show that the use of such hormonal drugs increases the risk of breast cancer.
At the same time, new information has emerged that luteolin, present in certain types of vegetables, such as celery, may counteract this danger.
Combined hormonal drugs contribute to the development of breast cancer
Scientists at the University of Missouri at Columbia claim that luteolin, which occurs naturally in certain herbs and vegetables, may indeed interfere with the development of breast cancer caused by the combination of synthetic estrogen and progestin used in hormone replacement therapy.
The study was led by Salman Haider, professor of tumor angiogenesis and biomedical sciences at the Dalton College of Veterinary Medicine and the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center. Haider explains that most menopausal women usually have benign breast masses, but these masses, usually do not form tumors until a certain trigger is triggered - in this case it is a combination of estrogen and progestin, which really contribute to the onset of malignancy of a benign neoplasm.
Heider's team discovered that cancer cells in the human breast acquire the regenerative qualities of stem cells as they develop, making them much less amenable to radiation and chemotherapy.
Origin and benefits of luteolin found in vegetables
Luteolin— is a substance found in certain types of vegetables and herbs (olive oil, rosemary, parsley, pepper, lemon, mint, artichoke leaves, celery). Luteolin has a whole range of useful properties: it has an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antitumor and immunomodulatory effect.
Luteolin is also a very strong hypoglycemic agent, as it increases the sensitivity of cell receptors to the hormone insulin. Eating enough foods containing luteolin in your daily diet helps maintain normal blood glucose levels and control weight, reduces allergic and inflammatory manifestations in the body.
The essence of the study of the effect of luteolin on cancer cells
In a study by Dr. Haider's team, breast cancer cells were exposed to varying concentrations of luteolin in vitro for 24 or 48 hours. According to the results, it was found that the viability of cancer cells was markedly reduced.
The number of blood vessels supplying blood to cancer cells was significantly reduced, as a result of which the latter died off, and the properties characteristic of stem cells decreased in viable breast cancer cells. Overall, it has been found that luteolin does have an antitumor effect. After reviewing the results of the study, Dr. Haider tested luteolin on laboratory rats with breast cancer and found that they also had a similar effect: the viability of cancer cells was significantly reduced.
Luteolin can be used as a dietary supplement
Dr. Haider's team has proven that luteolin does indeed have some potential in preventing the development of breast cancer. Haider's team hopes that further research, if successful, could lead to a new drug that could be used in the future in the treatment of aggressive forms of breast cancer.
Luteolin can be taken as a supplement that is injected directly into the bloodstream. Meanwhile, Dr. Haider encourages women to actively adopt a healthy diet that includes fresh vegetables in large quantities.
After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer and the second leading cause of death among women of reproductive age. A drug that would allow women to continue taking highly effective treatments like hormone replacement therapy without potentially fatal long-term side effects would certainly be welcome.
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