Someone one once asked me “What do carrots do?” I absolutely couldn’t answer, I’ve never gotten to the end of what carrots do!
Here is my best attempt to explain.
For starters, three compounds found in carrots: falcarinol, luteolin, and beta-carotene, can all cause apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells.
Luteolin and beta-carotene are very anti-angiogenic, which means they help stop blood vessels supply to tumors.
Luteolin upregulates the tumor supressor gene p53 that is normally downregulated in cancer. It also down regulates the WNT-beta catenin, which is normally over-expressed in many cancers.
Luteolin and Beta-carotene down regulate VEGF pathways that are over expressed in many cancers. VEGF pathway stimulates cancer cell growth.
Luteolin down regulates MUC1; a sticky protein that coats cancer cells in a protective layer, making it difficult for anti-cancer substances and medicines to permeate the cancer cell.
Beta Carotene, luteolin, and falcarinol help repair normal function to the PPAR pathway, which regulates how certain genes are expressed and how fats and glucose are used in the body. It plays an important role in regulating cell proliferation and tumor growth.
Luteolin down regulates P13k pathway. P13k regulates cell survival, proliferation and increased expression is associated with tumor progression. When over expressed it reduces apoptosis (cell death) and allows proliferation.
Beta-carotene and luteolin down regulate MMP. MMP (matrix metalloproteinases) contributes to angiogenesis or blood supply to the tumor.
Falcarinol, betacarotene and lycopene lower inflammatory pathways by effecting TNF-A, IL-1, IL 6, and Cox-2.
Falcarinol suppresses the Notch pathway and shows the potent antiproliferative activity by selectively killing colorectal cancer cells and repressing tumor growth, without affecting normal colon epithelial cells! The study can be found here!
Falcarinol is a POTENT immune stimulator. Beta carotene and luteolin also stimulates the immune system.
Luteolin activates AMPK . AMPK inhibits MTOR another pathway related to cancer progression.
Luteolin and Beta-carotene enhances insulin sensitivity!
Falcarinol, Luteolin activates PTEN, a major tumor suppressor gene.
Here’s a great article on retinoids in carrots potently repairing common dysregulated pathways in colorectal cancer, even the APC “genetic” polyp disorder associated with some colorectal cancers!
Falcarinol induced a gut bacteria change in rats that led to a decrease in chemically induced neoplasms. Study here!
Falcarinol is antifungal and antibacterial!
Endocannabinoid system- THC binds with CB1, so does carrots! Study here!
Carrots and terpenes. Carrots have 31 terpenoids! Terpenoids have been shown to potently inhibit cancer cancer! I started searching the compounds below and found information on many different cancer types, what fun!
1 α-thujene
2 α-pinene
3 Sabinene
4 β-pinene
5 β-myrcene
6 α-phellandrene
7 o-cymene
8 Limonene
9 Ocimene
10 γ-terpinene
11 Terpinolene
12 Linalool
13 Borneol
14 Terpinen-4-ol
15 α-terpineol
16 β-cyclocitral
17 Bornyl acetate
18 δ-elemene
19 α-longipinene
20 α-cubebene aCUBE
21 β-caryophyllene
22 Geranyl acetone
23 β-farnesene
24 α-caryophyllene
25 Germacrene D
26 α-farnesene
27 β-bisabolene
28 α-bisabolene
29 Caryophyllene oxide
30 Linalyl isovalerate
31 α-bisabolol aBISol
Carrots are high in pectin surprisingly! Pectins make it hard for cancer cells to adhere therefor, help prevent metastasis. Pectins can also cause direct cancer cell death for some types of cancer.
If you want more pectin, Modified Citrus Pectin is a supplement some people take. I recommend looking up what pectin source is best for your type of cancer. Potato pectin can work differently than citrus pectin!
And if you’ve made it all the way through this article to ask “What about all that sugar?” Casey’s fasting blood sugar was pre-diabetic at 110 prior to diet change. Averaging about 5 lbs carrots a day plus a fruit smoothie, it’s now around 70 NON-FASTING!
Natural sugar is processed differently and each molecule of fruit/veggie sugar contains a plethera of anti-cancer substances!
I highly recommend the book Killing Cancer with Carrots!
