Ayurvedic herbs for cancer have been used to treat excessive growths and tumors in the body.
These Ayurvedic herbs for cancer are now gaining more acceptance in the scientific community and are being considered an alternative treatment for cancer.
Cancer and tumors are basically the unrestricted growth of cells. A mechanism within the cell no longer tells the cell to rest and this can result in tumors.
Certain compounds found in many plants are being used successfully as part of the movement towards a more integrative and holistic approach to cancer.
Ayurvedic herbs have shown many benefits in this regard.
Ayurveda uses complex combinations of whole herbs to create personalized cures. Just like any effective team or group when herbs are combined together they become more powerful than their individual parts.
READ MORE: Ayurvedic Formulas List + Ayurvedic Formulations
In terms of Ayurveda, the unmediated growth of cancer cells can have many causes depending on the tissue that is affected and the physiological functions that are compromised.
Cancer is an extremely complex process and just like there is no one herb that can cure cancer there is no one basic Ayurvedic concept that can explain how and why cancer develops.
We do however know that there is a strong relationship between free radical damage and cancer. Free radical damage is caused by pollution and stress as well as being the result of metabolic processes within the body.
Pollution creates toxicity. This toxicity is called ama in Ayurveda and is considered to be the breeding ground of disease.
Without ama, rampant cellular growth would not occur because the channels of cellular communication would not be blocked.
Ama is a sticky, gooey substance that flows through the vessels and can become adhered to different parts of the body like glue.
This augments the cellular nutrition in this area and may be one of the contributing factors to cancer.
So if we reduce the effect of free radicals on the body then we also reduce the amount of ama that is able to accumulate. This is done with Ayurvedic herbs for cancer.
Remember that your body is attuned to health. Its primary goal is to maintain balance and so there are many mechanisms that can assist the body in fighting free radicals and the damage they cause.
It is only when this damage goes beyond the natural regulatory activities of the body that damage occurs.
Read More: Top 5 Ayurveda Detox Foods
For example, free radicals are naturally produced during the production of energy in the body. If the body did not have a mechanism for removing them then we would all be in trouble.
Plants have also developed a sophisticated system of protection and maintenance just like humans.
Plants produce antioxidants in response to being exposed to the sun’s radiation and to the oxygen that causes the oxidation like rust on a car. This is the essence of nutrition.
Eating plants that contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants naturally protect us regardless of whether we are a plant or a human. This is the beauty of nature. She does not discriminate.
The main antioxidants that plants produce and that are utilized by humans are vitamins c and e, beta-carotene, polyphenols, and bioflavonoids.
It is these polyphenols and bioflavonoids that are being touted as the next superfood ingredient such as resveratrol in grapes and epigallocatechin gallate (ECGC) in green tea.
Similar less well-known flavonoids are found in a class of Ayurvedic herbs called Rasayanas. The most well-known among these types of herbs are Ashwagandha, Licorice, Shatavari, Amalaki, Guduchi, Nirgundi and Guggulu.
All of these have been shown to have antioxidant properties that are enhanced when they are used in conjunction with other herbs. The sum is greater than its parts.
A specific formulation of these Rasayanas referred to below as ‘AA’ has been well researched in regards to its effect on different types of tumors.
• Breast tumors and carcinomas have been linked to free radical damage. In lab animals who were given AA, there were 60% fewer breast carcinomas and 88% fewer tumors compared to controls (Sharma et al 1990)
• The most malignant type of skin cancer, melanoma, was shown to have inhibited growth when AA was put in contact with human melanoma cells (Prasad, Parry, and Chan 1993)1
• The liver is our main organ of detoxification and when lab animals were given a therapeutic dose of AA there were a 27% reduction in liver cancer and 35% fewer tumor nodules (Penza et al 2007)
Other types of cancer are also being researched to see how they may respond to antioxidant therapies that include Ayurvedic herbs.
Most of this research was compiled using standardized formulations called Amrit Kailash Nectar paste and Ambrosia Tablets which can be found at MAPI.
If you are interested in learning more about how Ayurvedic herbs may be able to assist you in either preventing the growth of tumors or as an adjunct treatment consider contacting The Society for Integrative Oncology.
Please consult your oncologist or primary healthcare provider before considering alternative therapies. Consult your Ayurvedic practitioner before using any of the remedies mentioned in this article.
References
Comments will be approved before showing up.
