Osage Orange: Exploring its Potential in Cancer Treatment

@ Madelyn (Idaho)

Here are my notes on OSAGE ORANGE.

A few of the links have disappeared since I was studying this fruit and it's health benefits (15 years ago). I personally have used OSAGE ORANGE to treat my mother for stage 4 colon cancer that metastasized into other surrounding organs. Mom did 10 rounds of hot chemo but the chemo had NO EFFECT on the cancer. The only thing she got was vomiting, chronic diarrhea, the chemo burned a hole from her colon and her uterus, lost weight (she shrank down to 80 lbs total weight). The damage done by the chemo was horrible. After all the chemo, the doctors gave her 2 months to live. That when I stepped in and told mom she needed to try a different approach to treating her cancer. Actually I was against the chemo from the beginning but your patients never listen to you.

That's when I started her on the OSAGE ORANGES along with OTHER HERBS. I had processed the Osage into a tincture in liquid form to administer it in a liquid her could drink (lemon-aid). The Amish use too sell Hedge Apples in tincture form (Pure Herbs LTD.).

I brought her a drink everyday. To make a long story short, she lived another 5 years until the damage done by the chemo finally took her. I turned a 2 month death sentence into 5 more years. Even her doctor's were asking her “how the hell are you still alive”? Rule number one, we don't talk to lab coats… Never tell doctor's what you are doing because if you do, they will get together with their Big Pharma friends and find a way to make it illegal.

Here are my notes:

Osage Orange – FOR ALL TYPES OF CANCERS - Scientific studies using a chemical found in Osage Orange called "Tetrahydroxystilbene." The seeds of the Maclura Pomifera have high protein, carbohydrates, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iodine, carotenoid, chlorophyll, linoleic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, palmitic acid, triacylglycerols, and rich in tocopherols.

Modern researchers are scrutinizing many of the compounds in the Osage Orange. One of the active compounds is Tetrahydroxystilbene (THS) which shows significant antifungal activity and probably the one we are most interested in. It is also known as an analog of Resveratrol. That name should ring a bell with most of you. Resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stibene), a phytoalexin present in grapes, peanuts and pines has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The TV show, 60 Minutes did a piece on this exciting new compound as featured in wines a few years ago and set off the craze. However, it should be noted that no one herb or tree is simply one isolated compound. An herb is a sum of its many parts and the Osage Orange tree should be considered in that light. You can take out of it tetrahydroxystilbene but there are far too many other synergistic compounds to only relegate this tree to just a tetrahydroxystilbene source. It was found in a study below that tetrahydroxystilbene was not very effective against combating the common fungus, Candida albicans. I guarantee one thing! The Osage Orange is very resistant to Candida infections! So there is much more to this tree than just tetrahydroxystilbene! The Osage Orange is a soup of many anti-microbial chemicals working together to protect this tree in a way that few trees have ever been protected. It is just not about tetrahydroxystilbene, but because so much research has been done on this one compound, we will concentrate on it below.

There are a number of herbalists and alternative health researchers that will tell you that fungi in its many forms is the true general cause of cancer and other chronic diseases. It may or may not be, but I am sure of one thing, fungi is absolutely underestimated by the medical community in the havoc it can cause in both human and animal pathology. There are few really good, nontoxic antifungals out there for one to use. Osage Orange is one plant that can bring you a very effective non-toxic, antifungal component. There isn't much out there on the Internet on the value of Osage Orange for medicinal purposes. You will run across some people using the Osage Orange fruit as the main part of the tree to fight cancer, used by the Amish for memory loss, etc.

There has been quite a bit of research done on Tetrahydroxystilbene found in Osage Orange as a tumor inhibitor. Here we find this wonderful analog in the Osage Orange.

Here is an interesting study on Tetrahydroxystilbene as an antifungal:

http://www.scienceasia.org/1976.02.n4/v02_202_205.pdf

Here is an interesting study on Tetrahydroxystilbene as a tumor inhibitor:

http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/61/22/8164.full

And the role of Tetrahydroxystilbene in the treatment of cancer: (link gone)

http://www.createbalance.net/support/science/resveratrol_cancer_prevention.pdf

Testimonials by people using Osage Orange to treat their cancers: (link gone)

http://www.mullinslogcabin.net/hedgeapples__cancer

Anchor Hedgeapple is incorrectly referred to as a Hedge Ball, Horse Apple, Green Brains, Monkey Balls or Mock Orange. In Texas, they call them Horse Apples. The hedge tree has several names, Osage Orange (most popular) and Bodark (French) and Maclura pomifera (scientific name). Not all of the Osage Orange trees will have fruit because hedge trees are either male or female. In fall, the fruit color turns a bright yellow-green. Despite the name "Osage orange, " it is not closely related to the orange but looks like a green round cauliflower or brain.

Folklore provides numerous claims that Osage Orange are repellent to snakes, insects and spiders. The fruit of the osage orange has been placed in households for ages.

The Osage Orange average lifespan in an air-condition environment is 2-3 months. Although some can develop spots at an early stage, Osage Orange should only be discarded once most of the green has disappeared.

Warning and Side Effects : The Mulberry, Fig, and Hedgeapple are all in the same family, and as it states, so is the Rubber Tree. So, if you are a person who has an allergy to latex, it would be best not to use the Osage Orange. I cannot be responsible for any adverse effects, or problems that might arise by using or ingesting the Osage Orange.

Also, Don't apply the sap of the Osage Orange directly to your skin. It can cause a burn in some people. Always eat something and drink a glass of water if you are taking it internally.

Note: If you are currently taking chemo, Osage Orange will not work if you are currently taking chemo treatments. They counteract each other.

Preparation Methods & Dosage:

First of all, wrap the Osage Orange in freezer paper, or newspaper, than put it in a plastic bag. Put in freezer, and freeze solid.

Get your slaw grater, just like you are going to make coleslaw. Grate off the amount you want to eat. Or remove the Osage Orange from the freezer. Put it on your counter, get a sharp knife, and just shave off a teaspoon or so. It comes off in little pieces, sorta like, if you were slicing off brocolli. Mr. Hedge, just swallows the shavings down. He doesn't chew it, and follows with a glass of water. This makes it real mushy and you don't even have to chew it. Next I drink a glass of water, and wash my hands. The white sap can burn your eyes if you should put your fingers near your eyes. Most people that I have talked to are eating a tablespoon twice a day. There is no certain amount, or magic portion that you take. It's up to the individual. Some people just eat a teaspoon, others a tablespoon, and others even several whole Osage Orange in a few weeks time (4 weeks). The only side effect that I have heard of, some people get loose bowel movements. I'm not a doctor, but my theory is, that's just your body getting rid of the toxins.

I personally don't think it has a bad taste at all. It's hard to describe, maybe something like a cucumber or green tomato. A cousin just recently stated that he thinks it tastes like watermelon rind. It doesn't have an unpleasant taste. It doesn't burn your mouth, or your hands, as some people might think. However, some people don't like the taste. If you are one of those people, then mix it with something you do like, for instance cottage cheese or applesauce. There is no guarantee that Osage Orange work for everyone, but for the majority of people it does work, and they are telling me that they can see a reduction of tumors within a month. Again, everyone is different. There are many things a person can do to slow down the growth of cancer. Some people go on an all alkaline diet, others drink baking soda water, and still others drink food grade peroxide. PS: I use the whole Osage Orange, peeling, inside, seeds and all. I don't waste any of it.

Caution : The milky sap inside the hedge apple may cause skin irritation. Wear gloves when slicing to prevent contact with the sap.

Are Osage Orange poisonous:

This is for the folks who insist that Osage Orange are poisonous. My dad always told me to never eat a Osage Orange because they were poison. After eating the Osage Orange now for several years, I have come to realize that all the old folks were wrong. My theory is this. Farmers used to find dead cows and horses in the fields. They found them with Osage Orange in their throat. The animals didn't die from poison. They died from suffocation. The Osage Orange were lodged in their throats. If Osage Orange were poisonous, I would have been dead years ago. You will see squirrels, deer, and other animals eating the Osage Orange. Animals know what they can eat, and what's good for them. So, please don't worry about being poisoned by eating the Osage Orange or taking the capsules. You cannot overdose on them either. I know of people who used to eat a slice a day. another man that my husband knows ate 18 Osage Orange in just a few weeks, and guess what? He no longer has cancer

Hi Rob, thank you for another one of your amazing posts! I really appreciate you taking the time to share your wealth of knowledge, research, and experience. I had never heard of this fruit prior to reading the original post. How amazing is nature?!