By Peter Keen | Jun 17, 2019
Study after study confirms the effectiveness of dandelion root extract producing apoptosis in vitro cancer cells – in effect, manipulating them to commit a programmed molecular suicide. However, there is not a single instance of this being confirmed in clinical trials involving human subjects.
In vitro is Latin and translates to “within the glass.” This research method isolates cancer cells in test tubes or uses test animals bred with selected traits, typically mice, to investigate a potential therapeutic compound. The test cells and treatment are thus unaffected by the biological dynamics of the human body: metabolism, side effects, patient safety, nutrition, dosage, pharmakinetics, efficacy, and other factors.
Dandelion root extract has been of interest for biomedicalinvestigation for its high content of the antioxidants believed to be core tothe body’s fighting damaging “free radical” cells and the key element in greentea health benefits. It is rich in nutritional compounds that researchersbelieved combine to make dandelion root a potential cancer fighter. It has a longuse in traditional medicine, especially the thousands of years of recorded Chinesepractice as a digestive aid.
Starting around 2010, lab experimentation generated strikingevidence that dandelion root extract does indeed kill off cancer cells. The“tea” is simply a delivery vehicle for the dandelion root extract. Most of thework was pioneered by a team at the University of Windsor in Canada. It was reportedin well-regarded academic journals and the researchers were enthusiastic aboutthe possibilities it presents.
Here are examples of the in vitro findings:
Colon cancer cells: 95% apoptosis.
Pancreatis: cancer cells killed off with no impact on healthycells.
Stomach cancer: reduction in cell growth.
Leukemia and melanoma: kills cancerous cells in laboratorymice.