Could this tribal wildflower be a GAMECHANGER in cancer medicine?
When you’ve got cancer… you’ve got to get TOUGH on the disease.
Because it’s NOT going away without a fight.
That’s why the mainstream pushes such HARSH treatments on cancer patients – ones that are supposed to POISON or BURN the tumors away.
But chemo and radiation don’t always kill cancer ENTIRELY…
And sometimes, they kill the patient in the process!
That’s why we’re STILL looking for alternatives to conventional care…
And why it’s so exciting when an ingredient from nature shows promise in the fight against cancer.
Here’s one that’s piqued the interest of cancer researchers…
And that we’ll be keeping an eye on right here.
Fight fire with fire
Rocky Mountain iris (Iris missouriensis) grows in the American West, where its seeds have been roasted as a coffee substitute…
And Native American tribes have used its root for skin ailments… toothaches… and digestive complaints.
At one time, it was an OFFICIAL part of American herbal medicine…
But over the years, this “prairie plant” has gotten a bad reputation.
You see, its leaves are toxic – and can prove deadly to livestock that tries to eat it.
But that’s not necessarily a BLACK MARK on Rocky Mountain iris…
Because that was the first indication that this medicinal plant may contain substances powerful enough to help KILL cancer cells.
After all, we’ve found promising anti-cancer substances in other flowering plants…
Like the sacred lotus… daylily… periwinkle… desert sand-verbena… and more.
The key to THIS flower’s medicinal action may be the presence of a flavonoid called iridin… first identified in iris root all the way back in the 19th century.
We’ve known for at least 30 or more years that Rocky Mountain iris root extracts could help ENHANCE survival of laboratory mice with leukemia.
A 2015 study revealed how iridin could help fight glioblastoma, a type of brain tumor…
And in a 2017 study, iridin showed anti-cancer activities against lung cancer cells in a lab dish (in vitro).
Unfortunately, Rocky Mountain iris is considered a WEED in parts of this country…
And in Canada, where it’s called the “Western blue flag,” it’s ENDANGERED!
Fortunately, iridin is found in SEVERAL iris species, including…
- leopard lily (Iris domestica)
- purple iris (Iris versicolor)
- Korean iris (Iris koreana)
- Egyptian iris (Iris germanica)
- Kumaon iris from India (Iris kemaonensis), and
- Florentine iris (Iris florentina).
In fact, Traditional Chinese Medicine uses the leopard lily in its practice, calling it “She Gan” or “Belamcanda“…
And German studies are currently underway to investigate its potential against prostate cancer.
But you won’t find iridin at your local pharmacy just yet. More studies… and ones on real people… will be needed for that to happen.
You may be able to find purple iris root in capsule or tincture form… but be sure to consult a certified herbalist before trying it on your own.
To harvesting hope for cancer,
Sarah Reagan
