Jamaica's Allspice and Cancer

Jamaica Pimento

The Jamaicas allspice is known for flavoring cuisines around the world with a blend of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pimento and pepper, but according to a new study by University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine researchers in Florida, United States, (US) the aromatic spice could be known one day for impeding the growth of, or maybe even preventing, prostate cancer, the number-two cancer-killer of men in the US.

In the study published online last month in the Oxford Journal's Carcinogenics and led by Bal L. Lokeshwar, PhD, professor of urology and radiation oncology and co-director of research in the Department of Urology, researchers demonstrated that Ericifolin, a complex compound in the allspice berry, Pimenta dioica, significantly slows the growth of prostate cancer tumors by suppressing the androgen receptor (AR). A molecule central to the growth and metastasis of prostate cancer, AR enables prostate cancer cells to survive even after hormone therapy, which along with surgery and radiation is the standard treatment for prostate cancer.

"Androgen receptor, or AR for short, is the principal drug target for the treatment of prostate cancer, but there is no drug that completely eliminates AR. This complex compound in allspice seems to do that," Lokeshwar said.

"The most interesting data show that it actually kills tumor cells which express the very specific prostate cancer marker, the androgen receptor. That is not to say that people should start eating allspice with every meal, but there exists the potential that the slow and steady consumption of this chemo-dietary agent may slow or even prevent prostate cancer."

For now, Lokeshwar and his study team, including first author Shamaladevi Nagarajarao, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate, and Lei Zhang, a graduate student, have demonstrated that Ericifolin kills prostate cancer cells and reduces tumor growth by more than 50 per cent in animal models, specifically mice that were injected with prostate cancer cells, then, either fed or injected daily doses of an aqueous allspice extract.

"To our surprise, it worked very well," Lokeshwar said. "It was surprising because lots and lots of products kill cells in the test tube, but they are not effective when consumed or injected in animal models. In this case, the tumors did not disappear, but they grew about 50 per cent more slowly with both methods. Further, these mice did not exhibit any obvious toxicity associated with other anticancer drugs."

Exploring anti-cancer activities

Jimmy Cliff - Viet Nam.wmv

Early life and career

Cliff was born in Somerton District, St. James, Jamaica. He began writing songs while still at primary school in St. James, listening to a neighbor's sound system. In 1962 his father took him to Kingston to go to Kingston Technical school where he ended up sharing his cousin's one rented room in East Kingston.

He sought out many producers while still going to school, trying to get his songs recorded without success. He also entered talent contests. "One night I was walking past a record store and restaurant as they were closing, pushed myself in and convinced one of them, Leslie Kong, to go into the recording business, starting with me," he writes in his own website biography.

After two singles that failed to make much impression, his career took off when his "Hurricane Hattie" became a hit, while he was aged 14. It was produced by Kong, with whom Cliff remained until Kong's death from a heart attack in 1971. Cliff's later local hit singles included "King of Kings," "Dearest Beverley," "Miss Jamaica," and "Pride and Passion." In 1964, Cliff was chosen as one of the Jamaican representatives at the World's Fair and Cliff soon signed to Island Records and moved to the UK. Island Records initially (and unsuccessfully) tried to sell Cliff to the rock audience, but his career took off in the late 1960s.His international debut album was Hard Road to Travel, which received excellent reviews and included "Waterfall" (composed by Nirvana's Alex  Spyropoulos and Patrick Campbell-Lyons), which became a hit in Brazil and won the International Song Festival.

"Waterfall" was followed in 1969 by "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" and "Vietnam" in 1970, both popular throughout most of the world. Bob Dylan called "Vietnam" the best protest song he had ever heard.Also during this period, Cliff released a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" as a single, but it was not included on his Wonderful World, Beautiful People album.http://youtu.be/b4V9AYhtKkg

My Wife the Teacher

The 'Middle Wife' by an Anonymous 2nd grade teacher

I've been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself,but
the best birth story I know is the
one I saw in my own second grade classroom a few years back.

When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions
with my students. It helps them get
over shyness and usually,

show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes,
pictures of fish they catch, stuff
like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them.
If they want to lug it in to school
and talk about it, they're welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid,
takes her turn and waddles up to the
front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater.

She holds up a snapshot of an infant. 'This is Luke, my baby brother, and
I'm going to tell you about his
birthday.'

'First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put
a seed in my Mom's stomach, and
Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord.'

She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to
laugh and wishing I had my camcorder
with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.

'Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, 'Oh, Oh,
Oh, Oh!' Erica puts a hand behind
her back and groans. 'She walked around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh,
oh, oh!' (Now this kid is doing a
hysterical duck walk and groaning.)

' My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have
a sign on the car like the
Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this.' (Then Erica
lies down with her back against the
wall.)

'And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case
he got thirsty, and it just blew up
and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!' (This kid has her legs
spread with her little hands mimicking
water flowing away. It was too much!)
'Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push,' and 'breathe, breathe.

They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden,
out comes my brother. He was
covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom's play-center,
(placenta) so there must be a lot
of toys inside there. When he got out, the middle wife spanked him for
crawling up in there.'

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat.

I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it's show-and-tell
day, I bring my camcorder, just in
case another ' Middle Wife' comes along.

Now you have two choices....laugh and close this page or pass this along
to someone else to spread the
laughs. I know what I did!!!

Live every day as if it is your LAST chance to make someone happy!!!!