Comparison of anti-tumor effects after Taking Ganoderma lucidum Extract vs Chemotherapy
What’s the difference between taking Ganoderma lucidum extract and chemotherapeutics in the face of tumors ? The team of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine published the Research Report of Scientific Reports in August 2018, which may give us some inspiration.
This study manily using two kinds of polysaccharide and triterpene extracts Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma sinense.
The mice were given orally for 28 consecutive days from the next day after implantation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Each mouse was given a daily dose of 11 mg per 10 g body weight (low dose Ganoderma lucidum group), 23 mg (medium dose Ganoderma lucidum group) or 46 mg (high dose Ganoderma lucidum group). The researchers said these dose were converted acccording the adults (60kg) taking 7.5g, 15g, 30g ganoderma lucidum extract per day!
In the chemotherapy group, cisplatin was injected into the abdominal cavity of mice every other day after implantation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells, at a dose of 6 mg/kg every six days. Also have the control group (healthy mice) and the model group (untreated mice with hepatocellular carcinoma) were compared.
There were 12 mice in each group, and there were 6 groups. So 72 mice were used in one experiment. After nearly a month of experiments, what precious messages have these small lives sacrificed to mankind provided us?
Ganoderma lucidum inhibits tumors while maintaining weight
From Fig. A and Fig. B, we can see that the tumors in the chemotherapy group were the smallest, but the mice lost the most weight. On the contrary, although the growth of tumors in the three groups of Ganoderma lucidum was not as inhibited as that in the chemotherapy group, the weight of mice was similar to that of healthy mice in the control group.
Good weight control is very important for the continuation of life and the maintenance of quality of life. How to suppress the growth of tumors while retaining vitality may be the key to successful anti-cancer.
Interestingly, in this experiment, the inhibition effect of Ganoderma lucidum on tumors was not necessarily proportional to the dosage of Ganoderma lucidum. So what dose is the best, may not be “big is good” so absolute.
Comparison of anti-tumor effects after Taking Ganoderma lucidum Extract vs Chemotherapy
Ganoderma lucidum is almost harmless to liver, kidney and bone marrow.
Comparing liver and kidney slices of mice in each group, it can be found that after 28 days of treatment, mice in the chemotherapy group began to show some damage of liver and kidney cells (as indicated by the arrow in Figure C), but there was no such situation in Ganoderma lucidum group.
Comparison of anti-tumor effects after Taking Ganoderma lucidum Extract vs Chemotherapy
Similar results were found in serum AST and ALT reflecting liver function, serum creatinine (Scr) and urea nitrogen (BUN) reflecting renal function, and bone marrow cells reflecting hematopoietic function (leucocyte, erythrocyte, platelet) in the chemotherapy group, but in the Ganoderma lucidum group, the function was impaired and relatively okay.
It is clear that Ganoderma lucidum does not need to the body pay the cost of liver and kidney injury and bone marrow suppression when it plays the role of inhibiting tumors.
Ganoderma lucidum helps boost immunity
As for the immunity most directly related to the inhibition of tumors, we can see that the number of immune cells will be cut in half by chemotherapy, whether using white blood cells, lymphocytes or natural killer cells (NK cells) as observation indicators. We can also see that mice with hepatocellular carcinoma (model group) will lack the ability to rush and sink without any treatment support. Array of natural killer cells (Fig. D).
In contrast, Ganoderma lucidum can help to elevate the number of immune cells, even enhance the activity of natural killer cells, protect the thymus of pregnant T cells, and increase many cytokines such as IFN-gamma, IL-1beta, IL-4, IL-9, IL-12, RANTES and TNF-alpha.
Comparison of anti-tumor effects after Taking Ganoderma lucidum Extract vs Chemotherapy 3
Ganoderma lucidum alters gene expression and signaling pathway in vivo
In order to further understand how Ganoderma lucidum can play an anti-tumor role by regulating immunity after it enters the body through gastrointestinal tract, the researchers also selected three mice from the middle dose Ganoderma lucidum group and the untreated model group as representatives, and used gene chip to detect the differences in gene expression in vivo. One step is to compare the differences in signaling molecules related to the regulation of tumor growth in vivo.
The results showed that there were significant differences in the expression of at least 302 genes between liver cancer mice and mice without Ganoderma lucidum. Ganoderma lucidum increased the expression of 178 genes and weakened the expression of 124 genes. These differences triggered at least four signaling pathways related to “inhibition of cancer cell proliferation” (Fig. E).
Comparison of anti-tumor effects after Taking Ganoderma lucidum Extract vs Chemotherapy 4
Ganoderma lucidum can really help to fight cancer
The above results show us the differences between “eating Ganoderma lucidum for anti-cancer”, “doing chemotherapy for anti-cancer” and “only depending on the body for anti-cancer”. Their purpose is not to judge how to fight cancer, not to encourage you to only eat Ganoderma lucidum for anti-cancer (the regular treatment in hospitals or the most important), but through this comparison. Let us understand what Ganoderma lucidum has done to regulate immune function and inhibit the growth of tumors after being eaten in the stomach.
As the magnifying glass of science becomes thinner and thinner, it becomes clearer and clearer how Ganoderma lucidum regulates immune and anti-tumor activities. The more truth withstands subtle tests. Ganoderma lucidum can be handed down from ancient times to the present, there must be its reason.
Anti-cancer has a long way to go. In addition to regular therapy, patients need more help in order to go a long way. “Ganoderma lucidum” should be a trustworthy supplement, because there is too much scientific evidence that “Ganoderma lucidum really helps to fight cancer”.
Reference: Zhao R. et al. The effect of Ganoderma lucidum extract on immunological function and identify its anti-tumor immunostimulatory activity based on the biological network. Sci Rep. 2018 Aug 23 ;8 (1): 12680.
