What Is Vitamin P and How Can It Help Prevent Cancer?

You may have heard reference to “Vitamin P” and might even have wondered if and how it

could help your health. Actually, “Vitamin P” is not a vitamin at all. It was the term given to a group of super-healing plant substances from the 1930s to the 1950s. Today these substances are better known as flavonoids (or sometimes bioflavonoids) and they can be found in thousands of plant species. Researchers continue to discover both sources for them and how they can be used to support healing − including for various forms of cancer.

What Are Flavonoids? (Vitamin P)

The phytonutrients we now call “flavonoids” were first referenced by 17th century scientist Robert Boyle, who discussed them in terms of their ability to provide pigmentation to plants. Fast-forward to the 1930s − this was when the term “Vitamin P” was coined by Nobel Prize-winning physiologist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, who also discovered vitamin C.

Thus far, scientists have identified between 4,000 and 6,000 different kinds of flavonoids. For plants, flavonoids not only provide appealing color, flavor, and smell − they also protect from pathogens such as fungi, pests, and bacteria.

For human beings, to say that they are important to our health would be an understatement. Flavonoids are super-concentrated packets of nutrition for the human body and are essential for the functioning of virtually every cell and organ. Some common flavonoids you may have heard about include myricetin, apigenin, hesperidin, quercetin, rutin, luteolin, and catechin.

Each type of flavonoid plays a different role in your body. In general, however, flavonoids are crucial for two specific reasons. First of all, they all are essential to the absorption of Vitamin C − the key nutrient responsible for tissue growth and repair. They are also essential for the maintenance of bones and teeth and for the production of the protein collagen used to create blood vessels and muscular tissues. Without the help of flavonoids, none of this would happen!

Second of all, flavonoids are powerful antioxidants. Besides Vitamin C absorption, which also helps the immune system, preventing and reversing oxidative stress is the key element in how flavonoids help prevent and heal cancer.

The Healing Power of Rutin, Quercetin and Curcumin

Three flavonoids in particular have been shown to pack a punch when it comes to healing cancer:

#1: Quercetin

Quercetin has often been called “the anti-cancer flavonoid” and can be found in apples, onions, berries, and citrus fruits, amongst other natural foods. According to Dr. Matthias Rath, pioneering cancer researcher and founder of the Matthias Rath Research Institute, combining quercetin with green tea extract can provide an extremely powerful healing cocktail. In a study conducted by Rath and his research team published in Oncology Letters (2010), mammary tumors in rats were treated with a mixture of green tea extract and quercetin. At the end of 8 weeks, only 6 carcinomas of “grade II severity” remained while the control group had 24 carcinomas of “grade III severity.”

#2: Rutin

Rutin is a healing “partner” to quercetin since they both work hand in hand to protect sensory neurons. They are both strong antioxidants that can have an anti-inflammatory effect as well. Rutin in particular has been the focus of several studies for the reduction of painful inflammation that accompanies rheumatoid arthritis. A study from December 2016 on the cancer benefit of the stocky Vietnamese healing plant Xao tam phan (Paramignya trimera) found that the high antioxidant and cytotoxic (cancer-killing) properties of flavonoids rutin and catechin had a noticeable effect on pancreatic, ovarian, lung, skin, prostate, brain, and breast tumors.

#3: Curcumin

Finally, there is curcumin, a powerful flavonoid that has been the subject of over 3,500 documented researcher studies. Curcumin, the main substance in the Indian spice turmeric, has proven itself as a cancer-healer time and again. As with many flavonoids, curcumin works best when combined with other healing substances. In particular, piperine (from black pepper) combined with curcumin creates a cancer-healing duo that has an effect on many different forms of cancer. Studies on ovarian cancer in vitro has shown that curcumin can stamp out cancer stem cells as well.

Why Aren’t We Getting Enough Vitamin P From Food?

Flavonoids are in so many common foods out there, not only those mentioned above. They are also found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, as well as in nuts, seeds, peppers, cacao, green tea… and the list goes on. It may seem odd that most of us are still deficient in these vital nutrients. It is a sad state of affairs that most people still choose to stick to the Standard American Diet, with its high sugar load and reliance on fast food. Reliance on addictive substances such as cigarettes, alcohol, and prescription drugs also will strip the body of the vital nutrients that flavonoids provide.

The reality is that if we eat a healing diet and follow a healing lifestyle that includes lots of organic veggies and fruits, plenty of clean water, stress management techniques, and moderate exercise, we certainly should be able to reap all the wonderful benefits that flavonoids have to offer us. In fact, the miraculous healing power of phytonutrients is just one reason that eating for health and vitality will reward you with energy and vibrant life for years to come!

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