Study
In the most spectacular part of this animal study, the Canadians used nu/nu immunocompromised mice as test subjects. These mice lack functioning T-cells and do not reject cells containing foreign DNA.
The researchers injected these mice with two types of human colon cancer cells, HT-29 and HCT116. The first type of colon cancer cell no longer has a functioning p53 gene, whereas HCT116 still does. If the p53 gene is still functioning, cells can detect DNA damage, stop their cell division, and commit suicide. Colon cancer cells with functional p53 are more sensitive to cancer therapy and a healthy lifestyle.
After the cells had taken hold, the researchers divided the mice into a control group and an experimental group. The control group received regular food and drinking water, while the experimental group received drinking water to which the researchers had dissolved an extract of dandelion roots.
The supplementation period lasted 75 days.
Results
After 75 days, the volume of the average tumor in the mice in the experimental group was approximately seven times smaller than in the control group.
The graph below shows this. Click on it for a larger version.
The effect was just as great in the relatively easy-to-combat colon cancer cell type HCT116 as in the more aggressive type HT-29. From their in vitro studies, the researchers concluded that the extract increases free radical activity in colon cancer cells and disrupts mitochondrial function. This did not occur in healthy cells.
Dosage
If the mice had been adult humans, they would have received approximately 250-300 milligrams of extract daily.
The researchers do not say much about their extract, but they do mention that it is a water-based extract of dandelion roots. Usually, such extracts have a yield of 5-10 percent. Assuming the lowest yield, one could theoretically eat 6 grams of fresh dandelion root daily instead of using an extract.
Dandelions are edible. The same applies to the roots.
Active substances
It is not entirely clear what exactly the active substances in dandelion roots are. The researchers suspect that it is primarily the triterpenes in dandelion. These substances were found to be able to kill cancer cells in vitro.
If the extract was produced as we suspect, the content of those triterpenes is likely less than 1 percent. The extract consists mainly of inulin, other soluble saccharides, phenolic acids, flavonoid compounds, and sesquiterpenes. The mice ingested all those substances.
The uncertainty regarding exactly what the active substances in this extract are has likely led to nothing being done with this animal study. And that is truly a great pity.
