A new study, recently published in the medical journal Journal of Xenobiotics , has discovered the anti-cancer properties of virgin coconut oil, particularly from lauric acid – a key component of coconut oil.
An international study conducted by Liverpool John Moores University (UK), Wuerzburg University (Germany) in collaboration with scientists in India, Nigeria, and Egypt evaluated existing research to elucidate the anti-cancer mechanisms of virgin coconut oil (VCO) and lauric acid and their potential to mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy.
Virgin coconut oil is extracted by cold-pressing coconut milk, without refining, to preserve the oil's natural components, including its lauric acid content.
Pure coconut oil, especially from lauric acid - a key component in coconut oil with anti-cancer properties - Photo: AI
The anti-cancer effects of virgin coconut oil and lauric acid.
The researchers found that coconut oil has effects on many types of cancer, including: Lung, breast, colon, oral, liver, adrenal, uterine, and skin cancers.
Specifically, pure coconut oil has been found to have the following effects:
- There is promise in treating many types of cancer, including lung, breast, colon, oral, and liver cancer.
- It has the potential to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, especially in oral and liver cancer.
- It causes cell death in lung cancer tumors and neuroblastoma (adrenal gland cancer).
- Compounds from coconut oil also enhance the effectiveness of the lung cancer chemotherapy drug methotrexate against lung cancer cells, while reducing side effects.
- It inhibits the proliferation of breast cancer cells and enhances the effectiveness of the breast cancer chemotherapy drug trastuzumab.
- It has antiproliferative effects and promotes apoptosis (programmed cell death) in endometrial and breast cancer cells.
- It affects 17 proteins and pathways related to cancer.
- Coconut oil moderately inhibits the growth of skin cancer cells. Rich in lauric acid, coconut oil significantly inhibits the growth of colon cancer cells and supports the integrity of the intestinal barrier.
- Lauric acid has an inhibitory effect on the growth of several cancer cell lines. It exhibits a time- and dose-dependent cytotoxic effect, activating anticancer mechanisms.
- Lauric acid at doses of 30 and 50 µg/mL reduced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) levels and decreased EGFR concentrations in a colorectal cancer model, leading to apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Importantly, EGFR signaling plays a crucial role in cancer cell survival and progression.
Pure coconut oil and lauric acid reduce the side effects of chemotherapy.
Pure coconut oil contains naturally occurring bioactive compounds that help counteract the toxicity of chemotherapy, including ferulic acid, gallic acid, rutin, caffeic acid, and quercetin. In a mouse model, pure coconut oil helped reduce the side effects of the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin by reducing nerve damage, liver damage, and heart damage.
Pure coconut oil also reduces liver and kidney toxicity from chemotherapy and improves quality of life in breast cancer patients. In a mouse model, oral glucose and lauric acid combinations improved myocardial damage caused by cancer.
Researchers have concluded that virgin coconut oil and lauric acid have anti-cancer effects, enhancing the effectiveness of standard chemotherapy drugs against cancer, according to News Medical.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phat-hien-dot-pha-dau-dua-co-kha-nang-chong-duoc-8-loai-ung-thu-185250811210754201.htm
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