A study published in 2012 suggests that carrot juice can be used to fight leukemia.
Traditional medicine has suggested that carrots or specifically carrot juice has a potentially therapeutic effect against leukemia and have been studied as potential sources of anticancer ingredients.
The study tested five fractions derived from carrot juice extract on human lymphoid leukemia cell cultures. Tested were also five purified compounds from Daucus carota L (carrots) including three polyacetylenes (falcarinol, falcarindiol and falcarindiol-3-acetate) and two carotenoids (beta-carotene and letein).
Results of the study show that the fraction containing polyacetylenes and carotenoids was more cytotoxic to the leukemia cells than other four fractions of carrot juice. Further experiments indicated that it was polyacetylenes, but not carotenoids that are responsible for the cytotoxicity.
The study further found after testing individual compounds that falcarinol and falcarindiol-3-acetate were more effective than falcarindiol at killing leukemia cells. These compounds induced apoptosis and arrest of cell cycles in the lymphoid leukemia cell cultures.
The study suggests that carrot juice may be enlisted to treat leukemia.
Falcarinol, falcarindiol and falcarindiol-3-acetate are known antifungal agents. Interestingly, some researchers believe that cancer is a disease of fungal infections, specifically, Candida albicans. If this theory holds true, then the therapeutic effect of polyacetylenes against cancers like leukemia is not a surprise. (David Liu)
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