Ashwagandha root and leaf extracts contain components like Withanone, which prevent cancer, enhance the effectiveness of cancer therapies, and alleviate the side effects of treatment procedures. Ashwagandha selectively inhibits cancer cells using five signaling pathways. Ashwagandha has proven effective against multiple types of cancers including brain, prostate, skin, renal, and breast cancer.
Ashwagandha
(Withania somnifera), is a widely used medicinal herb in Ayurveda. It is
considered to be a rasayana herb, an adaptogen, and is
commonly referred to as ‘Indian ginseng’. In addition to leaves and roots,
other parts of the Ashwagandha plant, including shoots, seeds and berries, have
also been used in daily tonics and various home remedy recipes to increase
health and longevity.
Many
recent studies have provided evidence for its antistress, antioxidant,
analgesic, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective adaptogenic, antispasmodic,
immunomodulatory and immunostimulant activities.1
How Is Cancer Caused?
Cancer
is a hyperproliferative disorder that involves transformation of healthy cells
or benign tumors to malignant ones, dysregulation of normal cell death
processes (apoptosis), proliferation by unrestricted cell division, invasion of
other cells, creation of new blood vessels to support the growth of cancer
cells (angiogenesis) and spread of cancer from one organ or part of the body to
another not directly connected with it (metastasis).
The
causative factors in formation and development of cancerous conditions can be
multifactorial, including:
- physical, chemical,
biological and emotional stress
- viral infections
- low immune syndrome
- environmental
chemical toxins
- drug resistance and
side effects
- pesticide infected
food with heavy metals
- genetic processes
and factors
How Does Ashwagandha Act Against Cancer?
Ashwagandha
has been found to be effective in cancer treatment in multiple ways:2
- It reduces tumor
cell proliferation while increasing overall survival time
- It has been shown
to enhance the effectiveness of radiation therapy while potentially
mitigating undesirable side effects.
- It also reduces the
side effects of chemotherapeutic agents without interfering with the
tumor-reducing actions of the drugs.
These
effects have been demonstrated in vitro on human cancer cell lines, and in vivo
on animal subjects, but human trials have been limited.
Anticancer
effect of Ashwagandha is generally attributable to steroidal lactones
collectively referred to as withanolides. Withaferin A (WA) appears most active
against cancer among structurally divergent withanolides isolated from the root
or leaf of Ashwagandha.
Ashwagandha
selectively kills cancer cells.
A
2008 study found that the leaf extract of Ashwagandha effectively killed a
large variety of human cancer cells (bone, breast, lung, colon, skin, cervical,
fibrosarcoma, pancreas, and brain tumors). The selective cancer cell killing
activity was assigned to one of its components, Withanone, also called tumor
inhibitory factor.
The
key component of Ashwagandha leaf extract and its components kill cancer cells
by at least five different pathways, viz. p53 signaling, GM-CFS signaling,
death receptor signaling, apoptosis signaling and G2-M DNA damage regulation
pathway.3
Naturally
occurring withanone (Ashwagandha) has also been found to bind with and cause
inactivation of the TPX2-Aurora A complex, which plays a critical
role during mitosis and cytokinesis and is found upregulated in several cancer
types.4
Ashwagandha
acts as a radiosensitizer (a drug that makes tumor cells more sensitive to
radiation therapy) and as a chemotherapeutic agent (toxic to cells with high
proliferation rates).
The
alcoholic extract of the dried roots of the plant as well as the active
component withaferin A isolated from the extract showed significant (sensitizer
enhancement ratio of 1.5) antitumor and radiosensitizing effects in
experimental tumors in vivo, without any noticeable systemic toxicity (at a non
toxic concentration of approximately 2 microM).
5 Ashwagandha Action Against Different Types Of Cancer
5 Ashwagandha Action Against Different Types Of Cancer
Brain Cancer
Ashwagandha
is an important candidate for the therapeutic treatment of neurodegenerative
diseases, as it’s constituents are able to reconstruct neuronal networks and
synapses, regenerate axons and dendrites and improve memory deficits.
6 Glioblastoma is the most common and difficult malignant brain tumor to treat. Despite the use of different treatment strategies, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, most patients die within a year of diagnosis. Differentiation therapy (treating malignant cells so that they stop dividing and resume the process of maturation) is an attractive alternative therapeutic approach.
6 Glioblastoma is the most common and difficult malignant brain tumor to treat. Despite the use of different treatment strategies, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, most patients die within a year of diagnosis. Differentiation therapy (treating malignant cells so that they stop dividing and resume the process of maturation) is an attractive alternative therapeutic approach.
Ashwagandha
and its components have the potential to induce senescence-like growth arrest
and differentiation in glioma cells. Ashwagandha extract and its constituents
therefore, offer a differentiation-based milder and effective glioma therapy.
7 Breast Cancer
7 Breast Cancer
An
open-label prospective non-randomized comparative trial was conducted on 100
patients with breast cancer in all stages undergoing either a combination of
chemotherapy with oral Withania somnifera or chemotherapy alone. Patients who
consumed Ashwagandha experienced lower fatigue as compared to those who did
not.
8 Prostate Cancer
8 Prostate Cancer
Ashwagandha
modulates several functionally important classes of genes and molecular
signalling mechanisms, which are associated with immune response, inflammation,
signal transduction, cell signaling, transcriptional regulation, apoptosis and
cell cycle regulation. This makes it an effective chemopreventive agent
relevant to prostate cancer progression.
9 Renal cancer
9 Renal cancer
Ashwagandha
has been found to induce cell death in Caki human renal cells by
down-regulating the STAT3 signalling pathway, inhibiting JAK2 phosphorylation
and suppressing the expression of harmful proteins.
10 Skin Cancer
10 Skin Cancer
A
study was conducted on Swiss Albino mice with induced skin cancer. Treatment
with Ashwagandha root extract resulted in a significant decrease in incidence
and average number of skin lesions; biochemical parameters were also returned
to near normal. The researchers inferred that the antioxidant/free
radical-scavenging constituents and the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory
properties of Ashwagandha extract might be responsible for its chemopreventive
action.
11 Conclusion
11 Conclusion
It
has been suggested that Ashwagandha is able to control cancer, as well as help
reduce adverse effects of other cancer treatment approaches such as radio and
chemotherapy, because of its unique combination of beneficial effects that work
on multiple cancer-causative factors.12Ayurveda has always extolled
Ashwagandha’s virtues as a wonder herb that improves the body’s immunity and
vitality. With backing from age-old traditional medicine as well as modern
research, Ashwagandha presents itself as a herb that holds great promise for
integrative cancer care.
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