According to the results of a recent study conducted by expert Korean researchers, the resveratrol content of red wine can actually cause the death of malignant mesothelioma cancer cells. Does this sound interesting enough for you? Well, if you or any of your friends or family members are affected with this disease or at a risk of contracting the condition, it should really be a welcome treat.
Understanding Mesothelioma
To better understand the importance of this breakthrough, you may need to understand a little more about mesothelioma and its impact on a lot of people’s lives.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), approximately 11 million people were exposed to asbestos between 1940 and 1978. As you may very well know by now, exposure to asbestos and other asbestiform minerals such as erionite is the leading cause of mesothelioma. Now, if you consider that there is a latency period of 25 to 50 years before the first symptoms manifest themselves, you can expect the number of mesothelioma patients to peak by 2020.
Here are some other facts and figures that you may need to know about this condition:
- According to expert estimates, there will be more than 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma per year.
- Males are more susceptible to the condition. It was observed that men are about four times more likely to develop the disease as compared to their female counterparts.
- Aside from personal exposure to asbestos, those who are living with someone who worked with asbestos are also at risk of developing the condition. A family history of the disease may likewise increase a person’s risk of developing the condition.
- The disease may also be caused by an exposure to thorium dioxide, a radioactive substance used along with X-rays between the 1920s and the 1950s.
- Some research also suggests that there may be a link between mesothelioma and the simian virus (SV40), a virus originally found in monkeys.
- Mesothelioma is more commonly diagnosed in people between 50 and 70 years of age.
- Mesothelioma comes in many forms. However, about 75% of all cases develop in the lungs or pleural area while 10% to 20% develops in the abdominal area. This condition may also affect the tissues surrounding the heart and the testicles but only in very rare cases.
About 50% of all mesothelioma patients will have a life span ranging from 8 to 18 months after treatment while 30% can expect to live for another five years or more.
Research Reveals that Red Wine Can Be Good for Mesothelioma Patients
Mesothelioma can be very difficult to treat. No matter what treatment is used, the cancer seems to persist due to its apoptopic defect. As such, the cancer cells continue to grow and multiply despite any treatment.
However, researchers at the Soonchunhyang University in Korea stumbled upon an amazing discovery. They observed that injecting laboratory mice with resveratrol resulted in the suppression of the development of mesothelioma cancer cells. This effect is achieved by inhibiting the Sp1 protein, a kind of protein that plays a significant role in tumor development. Isn’t that quite amazing? You bet it is! This study was published on the July 2012 issue of the International Journal of Molecular Medicine.
Well, there you have it – another great reason why you need to adopt the healthier Mediterranean diet. Do you need any more reasons to make the switch? If you do, be assured that there are still a lot of reasons why you should but please don’t hesitate for too long since your health and well-being is what’s at stake.
I hope you make the right choice,
Ray Baker