By Jimmy Downs

Sunday Sept 16, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Taking resveratrol supplements may help prevent or even treat breast cancer and prevent the disease from growing and progressing to an advanced stage, according to a new study in Nutrition Research and Practice.

H.S. Lee of Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Dongseo University in Busan, Korea and colleagues conducted the animal study and found the efficacy in preventing metastasis in mice with breast cancer was dose responsive, meaning a high dose provides a better protection.

First, the researchers tested 0-30 umol/L of resveratrol in 4T1 cell culture (mouse breast cancer cells) and they found resveratrol treatment significantly decreased cell adhesion, migration, invasion and MMP-9 activity in 4T1 cells.

Then they conducted an in vivo study in mice.  They injected 4T1 breast cancer cells in mice intravenously and orally administered various concentrations of resveratrol ranging from 0 to 200 mg/kg body weight for 21 days.  For a woman with 150 pounds of body weight, she would need to take 14,000 mg per day.

They found the numbers of pulmonary nodules were significantly decreased in mice supplemented with the resveratrol, compared with those without receiving the resveratrol supplement.   Additionally, the plasma MMP-9 activity was also decreased in mice treated with resveratrol. 

The researchers concluded "resveratrol inhibits cancer metastasis both in vitro and in vivo, and this inhibition is likely due to the decrease in MMP-9 activity caused by resveratrol."

Resveratrol is found high in red grapes and red wine.  It should be noted that women should not try to drink wine to reduce their risk for breast cancer simply because alcohol per se is a carcinogen promoting breast cancer development.  Resveratrol supplements are available.   After all, only supplements can provide a large dose to prevent or treat the disease.

Breast cancer is expected in 230,000 American women in 2012 and the disease is expected to kill about 40,000 in 2012 in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute.

There are many things women can do to reduce the risk.  Two most important things they should do are avoid medical radiation used in diagnostic tools like mammography and hormone therapy such as the one intended to relieve menopause symptoms, according to an authoritative organization.

Comment from Richard B:

your article on resveratrol and breast cancer, I have several points to make: First, a finding in mouse cell cultures that resveratrol "may help prevent" breast cancer is not the same as the headline, "resveratrol prevents advanced breast cancer." While the findings from the study cited and many others are exciting, the clinical usefulness of resveratrol supplements has not been established with scientific studies and much work remains to be done. And since resveratrol is rapidly converted to picetannol in humans, the effects in tissue culture may have no relevance at all. Let's not get ahead of the facts here!

Response:  RB made a good comment.  So the title has been changed.