According to preliminary studies, Manuka honey reduced breast cancer cell growth by 84% without harming healthy cells or causing major side effects. The findings open the door to developing a natural, non-toxic supplement or potentially a stand-alone anticancer treatment.
Nutraceuticals – a combination of the words ‘food’ and ‘medicine’ that, let’s be honest, smells like marketing speak – are products that not only provide nutritional value but also have health-enhancing properties. Ginseng, green tea, Echinacea and omega-3s are common examples. The same goes for Manuka honey, which is produced from the nectar collected by honeybees that pollinate the mānuka, a type of tea tree native to New Zealand and south-eastern Australia.
Manuka honey has been shown to have antibacterial, antioxidant, and healing properties, which are thought to be due to its unique composition that sets it apart from other types of honey. Now, preliminary studies by researchers at UCLA have found that this nutraceutical may aid in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
“The findings give hope [the] “Developing a natural, less toxic alternative to traditional chemotherapy is a challenge,” said Dr. Diana Márquez-Garbán, an assistant professor at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and lead author of the study. “While more research is needed to fully understand the benefits of natural compounds in cancer treatment, this study provides a strong foundation for further research in this area.”
In people diagnosed with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer (about 60% to 70% of people diagnosed with breast cancer), the cancer cells have receptors that allow them to use the hormone estrogen to grow. Although treatment with antiestrogens or endocrine therapy can inhibit tumor growth in most patients, some become resistant to treatment, often leaving potentially toxic chemotherapy as the only alternative.
The researchers first grew ER-positive and triple-negative breast cancer cells, one of the most common types of breast cancer, in the lab. They observed a significant dose-dependent inhibition of cancer cell proliferation in ER-positive cells treated with Manuka honey or dried Manuka honey powder compared to those treated with controls. The antitumor effect was more modest for triple-negative cells. When Manuka honey was combined with tamoxifen, a drug commonly used as an anti-estrogen therapy, ER-positive cell proliferation was significantly suppressed, and significantly less than either treatment alone.
Examining the cells more closely, the researchers found that honey caused a decrease in blood estrogen levels and estrogen receptors in tumors, triggering apoptosis, or cell death, in tumor cells, further inhibiting cancer progression.
They then moved on to testing Manuka honey in animal models. Manuka honey was given orally to mice that had been implanted with human ER-positive breast cancer cells and developed tumors. The honey-treated mice showed significantly suppressed tumor growth compared to controls. Overall, it inhibited the growth and progression of an established human breast cancer tumor by 84%, without affecting healthy cells.
“These findings suggest that natural compounds such as Manuka honey, which have significant antitumor activity and selectivity against hormone receptor-positive breast cancers, may be further developed as a supplement or potential alternative to cytotoxic anticancer drugs with less selective side effects,” the researchers concluded.
The study was published in the journal Nutrients.
Source: UCLA Health