A natural substance’s secret potential revealed …
The natural medicine I’m about to reveal seems more fitting for a spy novel than a health newsletter. So of course, I couldn’t resist sharing the news…I love a good story!
Turns out the “invisible ink” George Washington used to write letters to spies during the Revolutionary War has been hiding an impressive secret for centuries. In fact, the organic acid found in many plants—including gallnuts, sumac, witch hazel, tea leaves, and oak bark—has a history dating back to the Roman empire.
Gallic acid, made from growths on oak trees (galls), was an important part of ink for centuries in Europe. It also was used to reveal secret messages in manuscripts—clearing off the top “decoy” layer and revealing hidden manuscripts underneath.
But now its own hidden messages are being revealed. Science suggests that gallic acid has antifungal and antiviral properties. It also acts as an antioxidant.
Even more impressive, gallic acid may be toxic to cancer cells, but it doesn’t harm healthy cells. New research sheds more light onto how gallic acid is able to act against cancer. In experimental cell research, gallic acid inhibited tumor cell growth, facilitated the “programmed cell death” of cancer cells, and prevented the growth of new blood vessels to supply tumor cells.
Perhaps gallic acid’s most interesting history is yet to come…
Gallic acid supplements haven’t yet become mainstream, but it is abundant in a number of foods. Tree nuts (walnuts, for instance), raspberries, hot cocoa, and both green and red bush tea all provide solid doses of gallic acid. There would be no harm in adding more of those to your diet while we wait to see what more science shows us about this intriguing substance.