Cancer treatment without side effects? Apple extract and its natural ability to inhibit cancer metastasis

Abstract

People often laugh whenever they hear someone utter the common saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, as it is usually accompanied by a parent or care provider urging them to include more nutrients into their diet through the consumption of more fruits and vegetables. What these people may not know is that apples have the potential to do a lot more than just reduce the frequency of one’s visits to the doctor due to increasing the likelihood of remaining in good health. In fact, researchers have estimated that a healthy and well rounded diet can potentially prevent 30% of all cancers (1).¶

While there have already been studies conducted to ascertain the relationship between apples and cancer prevention, more research needs to be done to analyze the relationship between apples and the actual treatment of cancer and metastasis. Perhaps there are treatment methods that are more efficient, more affordable and not damaging to non cancerous cells. Additionally, perhaps some populations of cancer patients will be more compliant to cancer treatment if the mode of treatment had a more natural and safe approach. This essay will discuss the commonly used treatment methods for metastatic cancer and will highlight the research I conducted under the auspices of Dr. Alyssa Schuck in which I studied a possible new and natural route to effectively treat metastatic cancer cells without impacting one’s healthy cells, namely through the use of nutraceuticals, specifically apple extract from the species Malus pumila mill.