Genuine Wasabi Kills Cancer Cells

Brassicas are potent cancer killers

Wasabia japonica is a member of the Brassica, or cruciferous family of vegetables, which includes cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, European and American horseradish, and 10 other plants.

These vegetables add crunch and flavour to meals and have long been recognized as important parts of a healthy diet because of their fibre content.

Long term research has revealed, however, that there is much more to these vegetables than mere fibre.

They contain high levels of glucosinolates, a group of compounds that are converted to isothiocyanates by the enzyme myrosinase when the plant cells are damaged by harvesting, cutting, or chewing. It is these isothiocyanates that give these vegetables their sharp flavours and their cancer killing abilities.

Wasabia japonica is one of the most potent sources of isothiocyanates among all plant species.

Table 1. Glucosinolate Content of Selected Cruciferous Vegetable

Table adapted from: McNaughton SA, Marks GC. Development of a food composition database for the estimation of dietary intakes of glucosinolates, the biologically active constituents of cruciferous vegetables. Br J Nutr. 2003;90(3):687-697.

* Independent Laboratory Analysis Results (Unpublished)

The isothiocyanates do more than add flavour to a meal. A Japanese study⁽¹⁾ found that Allyl Isothiocyanate has significant antioxidant actions, particularly against the superoxide radical which damages DNA.⁽²⁾

According to the authors of the Japanese study, Allyl Isothiocyanate also has an inhibitory effect on the growth of food poisoning bacteria and fungi and showed anti-mutagenic activity against a common carcinogen found in broiled fish and meat.

Allyl Isothiocyanate is the most common isothiocyanate produced by Brassicas and Mustard. There are more potent long -chain isothiocyanates, that are found in individual vegetables, that are the real cancer killers.

6-methylsulfinyhexyl isothiocyanate or 6-MITC

Three other Japanese studies discovered dramatic benefits from 6-methylsulfinyhexyl isothiocyanate or 6-MITC. Researchers at Japan’s Nagoya University found 6-MITC to be a potent inducer of glutathione S-transferase, one of the most important Phase II detoxification enzymes, due to its high reactivity.⁽³⁾

6-MITC has also been shown to inhibit cell proliferation in human leukemia and stomach cancer cells in vitro by promoting apoptosis within 24 hours.^(4,5) This may suppress the growth of pre-clinical tumours and contribute to a decreased incidence of cancer.

Scientists at Japan’s Kanazawa Gakuin College learned that 6-MITC has similar properties against breast cancer and melanoma cells, influencing not only cell growth but also the cells’ survival.⁽⁶⁾ The authors concluded that because of the low dosages required, 6-MITC has the potential to control cancer cells of all types.

The importance of 6-MITC has also been demonstrated in experiments with rats and mice.

Japanese researchers discovered that oral 6-MITC is easily absorbed and rapidly enters the circulatory system, reaching a maximum level within 30 minutes.⁽⁷⁾ Blood levels then decrease relatively slowly, allowing 6-MITC to stimulate higher glutathione S-transferase levels for extended periods.

Additional experiments have found that long-chain isothiocyanates inhibit rat lung, esophagus, mammary gland, liver, small intestine, colon, and bladder tumorigenesis.^(8-10)

These results have led researchers to consider isothiocyanates to be readily available for cancer chemopreventive agents.

Wasabia japonica

Cultivating Wasabia japonica is complex and time-consuming, and fresh Wasabia japonica rhizomes (swollen roots) are very expensive, most restaurants substitute less expensive European horseradish, adding green colour and a touch of mustard for flavour. [A survey carried out by World Wasabi found that 98% of all “wasabi” powder on the international market contains zero genuine Wasabia japonica.]

European horseradish, however, does not contain Wasabia japonica's diversity of long-chain cancer killing isothiocyanates.

While it shares many of the short-chain isothiocyanates, European horseradish lacks longer-chain isothiocyanates, including 6-MITC. Most other vegetables in the Brassica family are also deficient in these longer-chain isothiocyanates, so it is hard to attain all the potential benefits of these phytochemicals from dietary sources. In addition, cooking these vegetables results in substantial degradation of the myrosinase conversion enzyme. This makes Wasabia japonica daily supplementation an attractive option for cancer sufferers.

Protecting your health

It has become increasingly difficult to protect our health from the encroachment of cancer producing products and chemicals, including pesticides, that are part of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Providing the body with defensive agents by regular supplementation with 100% Pure Wasabia japonica can maximize protection against DNA damage and cancer, thus making an important contribution to your optimal health and longevity.

References:

1. Kinae N, Masuda H, Shin IS, Furugori M, Shimoi K. Functional properties of wasabi and horseradish. Biofactors. 2000;13(1-4):265-9.

2. Kay Keyer andJames A. Imlay. Superoxide accelerates DNA damage by elevating free-iron levels, 1996 Nov 26; 93(24): 13635–13640.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.

3. Morimitsu Y, Hayashi K, Nakagawa Y, Horio F, Uchida K, Osawa T. Antiplatelet and anticancer isothiocyanates in Japanese domestic horseradish, wasabi. Biofactors. 2000;13(1-4):271-6.

4. Watanabe M, Ohata M, Hayakawa S, et al. Identification of 6-methylsulfinyhexyl isothiocyanate as an apoptosis-inducing component in wasabi. Phytochemistry. 2003 Mar;62(5):733-9.

5. Xu K, Thornalley PJ. Studies on the mechanism of the inhibition of human leukemia cell growth by dietary isothiocyanates and their cysteine adducts in vitro. Biochem Pharmacol. 2000 Jul 15;60(2):221-31.

6. Nomura T, Shinoda S, Yamori T, et al. Selective sensitivity to wasabi-derived 6-(methylsulfonyl) hexyl isothiocyanate of human breast cancer and melanoma cell lines studied in vitro. Cancer Detect Prev. 2005;29(2):155-60.

7. Morimitsu Y, Nakagawa Y, Hayashi K, et al. A sulforaphane analog that potently activates the Nrf2-dependent detoxification pathway. J Biol Chem. 2002 Feb 1;277(5):3456-63.

8. Morse MA, Zu H, Galati AJ, Schmidt CJ, Stoner GD. Dose-related inhibition by dietary phenethyl isothiocyanate of esophageal tumorigenesis and DNA methylation induced by N-nitroso-methyl benzylamine in rats. Cancer Lett. 1993 Aug 16;72(1-2):103-10.

9. Doerr-O’Rourke K, Trushin N, Hecht SS, Stoner GD. Effect of phenethyl isothiocyanate on the metabolism of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone by cultured rat lung tissue. Carcinogenesis. 1991 Jun;12(6):1029-34.

10. Hecht SS. Chemoprevention by isothiocyanates. J Cell Biochem Suppl. 1995;22:195-209.