Welcome to My World – A Weed May Aid in Cancer Treatment

Hello World!  As I was walking through my backyard yesterday, I noticed

Nettles will actually help your kidneys, urinary tract & your bones stay strong, but you must be careful when handling them. I learned this the hard way. Their sting hurts & lasts a good 24 hours. I have a love-hate relationship with this herb that I always thought of as a weed.

Nettles will actually help your kidneys, urinary tract & your bones stay strong, but you must be careful when handling them. I learned this the hard way. Their sting hurts & lasts a good 24 hours. I have a love-hate relationship with this herb that I always thought of as a weed.

that after the freeze we had, the stinging nettles are back. I thought they were gone as I didn’t see any last summer. Now, I have a serious love-hate relationship with this weed.

I learned the hard way what it does to your skin, even through garden gloves. The pain doesn’t go away for a good 24 hours no matter what you do, so I wasn’t overjoyed to see them back.  They have a pretty little purple flower on them when in bloom, but don’t let looks deceive you. Be careful!

I really don’t know how to handle them without getting stung, so I’ve never used them for anything beneficial. I wish I knew how. Does anyone out there use stinging nettles to their benefit, and if so, how do you do it? Please let me know…

New Discovery Finds Garden Weed Offers Hope for Cancer

While stinging nettles may be the bane of all of us gardeners across the

Stinging Nettles: You must handle with care or buy them at the farmers market so you won't be stung.

Stinging Nettles: You must handle with care or buy them at the farmers market so you won’t be stung.

land, new research found that they offer hope in your treatment of cancer. Traditionally used for your allergy relief and as a way to boost your dietary nutrition, a substance in the weed identified as JPC11 was found to fight cancer in two ways.

New research published in the medical journal Nature Chenmistry found that these nuisance weeds may offer hope in your treatment of cancer. The researchers identified a substance called JPC11 which appears to interfere with cancer cells’ ability to divide rapidly—a process necessary to the survival of cancer in your body.

Current medical treatments for cancer,

such as chemotherapy and radiation, have a lengthy list of serious side-

Traditional cancer treatments have so many harsh effects on your body

Traditional cancer treatments have so many harsh effects on your body.

effects, and can even be life-threatening, so any natural advancements on the battle against cancer is welcome. Some of the side effects include: hair loss, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, anemia, low white blood cell count, susceptibility to infections, blood clotting problems, inflammation of your mucous membranes of the digestive tract, loss of appetite, reduced fertility, diarrhea or constipation, cognitive and memory problems. Platinum-based drugs like cisplatin are a common type of chemotherapy used to treat cancer.

Chemotherapy and radiation destroy cells and they do not differentiate between your healthy and cancerous cells, however, the researchers at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom found that this natural substance in stinging nettles targets cancer cells to kill them while leaving healthy tissue alone. JPC11 in stinging nettles seems to have an innate intelligence to differentiate between your healthy and cancerous tissue, leaving healthy tissue unharmed.

While the research on JPC11 as a potential treatment for cancer,

prostate and ovarian cancer in particular, is still in the preliminary stage, it could offer you a more effective and focused cancer treatment. Researchers concluded that their findings “offer a new approach to cancer therapy.”

In an interview with Medical News Today, Professor Peter Sadler, a medical

Stinging nettles may even help your precancerous conditions.

Stinging nettles may even help your precancerous conditions.

chemist at the University of Warwick indicated: “Platinum compounds (like cisplatin) are the most widely used drugs for cancer chemotherapy, but we urgently need to respond to the challenges linked to this treatment, and the side-effects.” Research at the University of Warwick has been focused on the discovery of novel anti-cancer treatments that kill cancer in new and different ways. Considering their focus, it’s not surprising that such novel research on stinging nettles would originate from the school.

Earlier research found that stinging nettles may also be helpful for your precancerous conditions. In one study researchers found that nettles was superior to the drug treatment finasteride for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is a condition in which the prostate becomes enlarged and is often a precursor to prostate cancer.

HOW TO BENEFIT FROM THE RESEARCH

Stinging nettles rears its head every spring in most gardens and lawns but

You need to wear thick garden gloves if you'll be handling nettles. They will sting you thru thin gloves; they did me.

You need to wear thick garden gloves if you’ll be handling nettles. They will sting you thru thin gloves; they did me.

that doesn’t mean you should grab them without knowing a few things first: (Trust me when I say you really don’t want to do so. I know first hand & all I can say is “ouch”.)

 

  • First, only pick stinging nettles if you are confident you have identified the correct plant or have an experienced herbal guide with you.
  • Only pick stinging nettles if you are wearing gloves. The name will give you a clue as to why I’m suggesting gloves. (and they sting through some gloves)
  • Only pick fresh stinging nettles in areas that have not been sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals and that are far from high traffic areas.
  • Many farmer’s markets are now selling stinging nettles so you can buy them fresh there.
  • You can also purchase dried stinging nettles (which no longer sting) along with teas, tinctures and capsules containing the herb from many health food stores. While not as good as fresh nettles, they can still be highly beneficial to you. Follow package instructions for the product you choose.
  • If you are using fresh or dried nettles, you can add them to your soups, stews and other savory dishes to enjoy their anti-cancer benefits as well as their many nutrients and anti-inflammatory properties.

This is excellent information for you; but I can’t stress enough how careful you need to be when handling these weeds. Their sting hurts!

I hope you enjoyed the read and got some good information in the process. Have a great healthy day!

Enhance Your Life with Mother Nature. Great for Mind, body & Spirit!

Enhance Your Life with Mother Nature! Great for your Mind, Body & Spirit!