Origanum vulgare (oregano), a plant already known to have many benefits for your health and to exert anti-cancer properties in many types of human cancers, as for example human chronic myelogenous erythroleukaemia (K562) and bladder carcinoma (RT112) [7], has been recently the subject of a study, permformed by Long Island University, on the effects of an active constituents found on oregano, namely carvacrol [9], for the treatment of prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in American men.

The results of this research, presented at the Experimental Biology 2012 conference in San Diego on April 24, an annual gathering of six scientific societies and draws more than 13,000 scientists and exhibitors from around the world, are explained in this article and are amazing. Image: Bluemenbiene, under (CC BY 2.0) license.

ORIGANUM VULGARE 

Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Origanum 
Common names: Oregano. Italian: Herba acciuga, origano. English: Wild marjoram, oregan. French: Marjolaine bâtarde, Marjolaine sauvage, Origan.

In 2008, approximately 900,000 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer [2]. Some of them got joyfully cured after treatment and surgery while some others experienced a recurrence, an incidence of prostate cancer after this one was treated, these were patients diagnosed with the so-called recurrent prostate cancer.

In the search for active constituents and phytochemicals, medical industry and biochemists tried many herbs and plants, some of them with very good results as Apigenin [3,4], a natural flavonoid found in many herbs and fruits, as for example Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis), apples, celery and also some spices as oregano, tarragon, cilantro, basil, parsley, onions, oranges, tea, chamomile and wheat sprouts. Vitamin D is another example of one of those elements tested for the treatment of recurrent prostate cancer.

However not many of this herbs and active constituents have been used together as an anti-prostate cancer cocktail, but now in the 2012 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, a new herbal cocktail containing some of these herbs and vitamins have showed incredible results on the treatment of recurrent prostate cancer. Do you want to know which herbs does this cocktail contain?

Phytochemicals from herbs, fruits and vegetables have been the source of multiple active molecules used in medicines by the medical and pharmaceutical industry under fancy and very suggestive commercial names. The medical industry realized many years ago that what it would take them ages to find nature had already found it. Think for example about how long did nature took to discover propolis, a natural antibiotic and antibacterial product with which bees sealed the beehive to protect it from external bacterial infections managing to keep beehives sterile and clean.

Or how for example, some Ginkgo biloba trees managed to survive more than 2500 years!, or for example Apigenin, a natural flavonoid found in many herbs and fruits, as Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) used primarily in research as a protein kinase inhibitor that may suppress tumor promotion and that has anti-proliferating effects, or epigallocatechin gallate (from green tea leaves), delphinidin (a primary plant pigment responsible for the red grape color) and genistein (an isoflavone from soybeans) all associated with a lower incidence and risk of cancer [15], all that without even mention Resveratrol from red wine, able to stop breast cancer cell growth in mouse and has cardioprotective, neuroprotective and a natural anti-aging properties [16], and these are only a few examples.

THAPSIA GARGANICA

Family: Apiaceae
Genus: Thapsia
Common name: Deadly carrot.