Vy David Liu, PHD

Wednesday Sept 5, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Taking rosemary extract supplements or its component carnosic acid may help prevent and treat estrogen receptor negative breast cancer, according to a study recently published in Fitoterapia.

L. S. Einbond  of  Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, New York, USA. and colleagues conducted the study and found the anticancer effect of rosemary extract against ER-negative breast cancer was even stronger when the rosemary extract was used along with curcumin, another natural anticancer agent.

For the study, the researchers treated human ER negative breast cancer cells with carnosic acid, an ingredient found in rosemary extract for six hours.

A low dose of 5 ug/mL (15 um) carnosic acid activated 3 genes including genes involved in glutathionine biosynthesis and transport.  A high dose of 20 ug/mL carnosic acid activated antioxidant and apoptosis genes and suppressed the inhibitor of transcription and cell cycle genes.

Additionally, carnosic acid exhibits synergy with turmeric/curcumin against breast cancer cells. These two compounds inhibited the activity of the purified Na-K-ATPase, which may be involved in this synergy.

The researchers concluded "Rosemary/carnosic acid, alone or combined with curcumin, may be useful to prevent and treat ER-negative breast cancer."

Breast cancer is expected to be diagnosed in more than 230,000 women each year in the United States and the disease and its complications and treatment kill about 40,000 a year in the country, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Breast cancer in many cases are preventable by following a healthy lifestyle including a healthy diet.