Healing Power of Withanolides
The primary compound in golden berries that seem to do the healing are a group of naturally occurring steroidal lactones called “withanolides.” The entire plant, not just the fruit, contains withanolides. Four main withanolides have been isolated from the plant, along with the discovery of nine previously unknown withanolides.
Withanolides are also what gives Ashwagandha its value as an adaptogenic healing plant. Considerable research has been conducted on Ashwagandha, often termed Indian ginseng, because of its benefits to the endocrine system. The withanolides in golden berries are considered to have similar effects including anticancer benefits.
Though beating cancer with plants alone is controversial, those like golden berries that contain withanolides can be useful in adjunctive therapy. Research suggests that the powerful inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha is suppressed in the presence of withanolides. This suppressing effect turns on genes that enhance cancer cell death, called “apoptosis.” They also help prevent metastasis—the spreading of cancer throughout the body.