Could a simple supplement be the key to beating cancer?

Has the cure for diabetes and cancer been sitting in our back yards all along?

When I first told you a decade ago about resveratrol — a powerful compound in red wine, grapes (and another surprising source I’ll share in a moment) — most in the mainstream had no idea what it was. Or even how to spell it.

Well, they’re sure catching on fast now, as study after study proves that resveratrol could help keep you free from diabetes, heart disease and even high blood pressure.

But the latest study on resveratrol is going to set decades of cancer research right on its head.

A new study out of the UK has proven that a simple resveratrol supplement may be able to save your life by stopping deadly cancer in its tracks.

And you’ll never believe how little it takes.

Less is moreBig Pharma has spent years trying to poison the cancer out of us with toxic treatments like chemo and radiation that kill healthy cells — and can even cause more cancer down the road.

But what if Mother Nature has already provided us with everything we need to safely beat cancer — and to live our lives free from fear of one of the biggest killers we face today?

You see, resveratrol fights inflammation and helps plants survive tough conditions like disease or too little sunlight. And scientists have been proving for years that it can protect our lives as well, and maybe help conquer everything from heart disease to cancer.

The problem is that lots of studies have used massive quantities of the supplement — amounts that would be difficult for most of us to get.

And that’s what makes these new findings so extraordinary.

Researchers from the University of Leicester in England gave mice with cancer extremely low doses of resveratrol — around the same amount you would find in a glass of your favorite red wine — and the supplement cut bowel tumor growth in half!

It literally slowed cancer to a crawl. And that seems to be because resveratrol activates an enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) that keeps tumors from growing. In fact, scientists have thought for years that AMPK may hold the secret to a permanent cure for cancer.

The lead researcher, Professor Karen Brown, said this study turns on its head the notion that, where cancer-fighting substances are concerned, high doses are always better.

Let’s make sure chemo docs start getting that memo.

And while this study should open a lot of eyes in the cancer research community, other trials about resveratrol and diabetes have been equally astonishing.

For example:

• An Indian study three years ago found that resveratrol improves blood sugar control and helps lower your risk of developing diabetes-related complications.
• A 2013 international study revealed that the compound “significantly decreased” fasting blood sugar and insulin resistance. Researchers said the results were similar to what patients experience on heavy duty (and often dangerous) diabetes drugs.
• An animal study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that regularly taking resveratrol may prevent you from ever getting diabetes in the first place.

Now, while this research might have lots of us toasting with a glass of red wine this Labor Day (and every day after), that’s not an option for some people.

Taking a high-quality supplement is still the easiest way to get all the resveratrol you need — and when you hear what these supplements are made from, I bet your jaw will drop.

You see, most resveratrol supplements don’t come from food sources, but from a very common weed — one that grows just about everywhere — called Japanese knotweed.

So it could turn out that despite all the years and billions spent on cancer and diabetes research, the answer may have been in our own back yards.

Sources:

“Resveratrol, in red wine, may fight cancer in small doses, study says” Lynne Terry, August 3, 2015, The Oregonian, oregonlive.com