Wheatgrass in Cancer preventionEnvi

Wheatgrass in Cancer prevention
Environmental factors play an important role in the multistage process of cancer development, and nutritional intervention has been identified to play a very important role in its prevention. Dietary compounds such as garlic, carotenoids, wheatgrass, etc are important due to their antioxidant properties. These dietary products protect against many diseases because food and degraded products come into direct contact with bowel mucosa, and can influence its physiology and metabolism. Although many dietary compounds have been suggested to contribute to the prevention of cancer, there is a strong likelihood that wheatgrass extract, which contains chlorophyll, an antioxidant, may affect cancer prevention. Additionally, selenium and lactrile present in wheatgrass have anti-cancer properties. Selenium builds a strong immune system, and can decrease the risk of cancer [14]. Wheatgrass contains at least 13 vitamins (several of which are antioxidants) including B12, abscisic acid, superoxide dismutase (SOD), cytochrome oxidase, mucopolysaccharide [15]. SOD converts two superoxide anions into a hydrogen peroxide molecule, which has an extra oxygen molecule to kill cancer cells.
Although most people use wheatgrass as a dietary supplement or as serving of vegetables, some proponents claim that a dietary program commonly called wheatgrass diet can cause cancer to regress and extend lives of people with cancer [16]. The true cause of the cancerous degeneration of cells has been revealed to be from the destruction of a specific respiratory enzyme, cytochrome oxidase [17]. P4D1, a glycoprotein present in wheatgrass, also acts similarly to antioxidants, stimulating the renewal of RNA and DNA. It is also thought to protect the body from the attack of cancer cells by making the walls of cancer cells more open to attack by white blood cells [18]. So, the use of wheatgrass in terminally ill cancer patients should be encouraged [26, 19]. It was determined that chlorophyll is an active component in wheatgrass extract, which inhibits the metabolic activity of carcinogens [20]. Adjuvant fermented wheatgrass extract (Avemar nutraceutical) improves survival of high-risk skin melanoma patients [21]. Karager et al has concluded that wheatgrass extract inhibits proliferation of 32Dp210 (BCR-ABL fusion gene (+) mouse CML cell line) cells through the induction of apoptosis [22].
Wheatgrass juice may also inhibit hematological toxicity related to chemotherapy in breast cancer patients [23]. It is also observed that people undergoing chemotherapy, who are on wheatgrass, have sailed through this treatment, and have not required hospital admission, while side effects such as nausea, vomiting and mouth ulcers have been virtually non-existent [24].
In another study, in vitro cytotoxic and antiproliferation activities of two extracts–the wheatgrass and the mixture of fibers, were tested and demonstrated anti-leukemia potential with less or no toxic effects towards the healthy immune system. Wheatgrass and fiber methanol extracts have successfully exhibited to be cytotoxic towards HL60 cell lines without causing toxicity towards normal human PBMC. Thus, these health products can be a potential alternative supplement for cancer patients [25].