Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
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07.08.2014 |
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Pau d'arco speeds up oestrogen breakdown
Supplements manufacturers sell Pau d'arco - an extract made from the bark of the South American tree Tabebuia avellandae - as an immune booster, but according to researchers at the Strang Cancer Prevention Center in New York, Pau d'arco also has an antioestrogenic effect. And this anti-oestrogenic effect could enhance that of blueberries we talked about yesterday...
Pau d'arco
Molecular oncologists have been examining Pau d'arco's potential as a medicine against cancer. The researchers at the Strang Cancer Prevention Center exposed MCF-7 breast cancer cells, which grow faster the more estradiol they get, to a water-based extract of Pau d'arco. The stronger the extract, the more deadly it was for the cancer cells.
Mechanism
CYP1A1 is, as far as estradiol is concerned, a 'good' enzyme. It converts estradiol into the harmless 2-hydroxy-estradiol. CYP1B1 is a 'less good' enzyme, and converts estradiol into 4-hydroxy-estradiol. 4-hydroxy-estradiol is also less active than estradiol, but it is an oncological worry, as it can attach itself to the DNA, causing damage and turning a healthy cell into a cancer cell.
If you still smoke, you're better off not using Pau d'arco: smokers with extra active CYP1A1 genes develop cancer more frequently than other smokers.
Speculation
Blueberry phenols downregulate the gene for CYP1A1. If you are looking for a natural anti-estrogenic strategy, this is less favorable. But what if you'd combine Pau d'arco and blueberries (and perhaps GLA)? Then you might have an effective anti-oestrogenic powerhouse...
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