Healthy Living (2)
Increased Vitamin D in Blood Adds Years to Life and Helps Prevent Colon Cancer
Written by John Phillip
Just in case you needed more proof that low blood levels of vitamin D represent a significant health concern, researchers publishing in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrate that small increases in the sunshine vitamin can add precious years to your life. For nearly a decade scientific evidence has been mounting to show that the vast majorities of adults (and many children) are grossly deficient in circulating blood levels of vitamin D. Further proof is documented in the PLoS One journal to show the precise cellular mechanism that helps vitamin D dramatically lower the risk of colon cancer. The bottom line is simple: check your vitamin D blood saturation with an inexpensive test and make the necessary adjustments to live a healthier and longer life.
Using epidemiologic studies, Dr. W.B. Grant of the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center in San Francisco found that doubling the serum blood concentration of vitamin D could increase average life expectancy by two years. Dr. Grant and his team identified the major diseases that responded to increased levels of vitamin D. They then compared mortality rates to six identified regions around the country, and contrasted serum blood levels of the sunshine vitamin with disease occurrence.
After compiling all the data, the researchers found that conditions and diseases responsive to vitamin D that account for over half of the world's mortality include cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, tuberculosis and respiratory diseases and infections. It was determined that doubling the circulating level of vitamin D would lower the mortality rates of diseases that are sensitive to vitamin D by approximately 20 percent. Dr. Grant concluded: "several ways to raise serum vitamin D include food fortification, supplementation and increased ultraviolet B exposure."
Researchers have known for some time that low vitamin D levels are associated with a significant increase in colon cancer cases, but they have not understood the specific mechanism responsible. Now, scientists have discovered how a lack of vitamin D promotes DNA damage and colon cancer risk. Specifically, low vitamin D status instigates the development and progression of this devastating form of cancer.
Researchers have focused on a protein in intestinal epithelial cells called beta-catechin that normally helps epithelial cells bond together with other cells to form a protective barrier between the contents in your gut and the physical structure of your digestive tract. They found that when vitamin D is lacking, DNA synthesis is disrupted and beta-catechin builds up in cells, dramatically increasing the risk of colon cancer initiation.
There should be no doubt remaining that one of the most critical foundations to vibrant health is maintaining proper vitamin D blood saturation levels. Prevention is worth a pound of cure. So have your family physician run the simple and inexpensive 25 (OH)D blood test (alternatively, mail-in home testing is now a viable option), and be certain your level runs between 50 and 70 ng/mL to add years to your life and dramatically lower colon cancer and chronic disease risk.
John Phillip is a Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. John is the author of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan', a comprehensive EBook explaining how to use Diet, Exercise, Mind and Targeted Supplementation to achieve your weight loss goal.
Of the mainstream methods, surgery is the preferred treatment and usually the most successful - but even then the cancer often re-occurs time after time, eventually spreading to other parts of the body and most often resulting in eventual death, though many people are able to live with ovarian cancer for many years.
"A Natural Anti-Cancer Protocol"*, which features oleander as a main centerpiece, has been extremely effective with cancers of all kinds, NO treatment has been found anywhere that is 100% effective for all cancers for all people - and some cancers may require additional measures when they prove resistant to the protocol. For some people, ovarian cancer may be one such cancer.
Following are some additional supplements and information which may be helpful in fighting ovarian cancer in addition to the information in "A Natural Anti-Cancer Protocol"*:
The Agaricus Blazei Murrill Mushroom (ABM Mushroom)
Known as "The Mushroom of God", the Agaricus Blazei Murrill mushroom is well known in the natural health world as a powerful cancer fighting mushroom. Many, many people have beaten cancer through use of this mushroom alone. Large studies in both Great Britain and Japan found that the ABM mushroom had the highest amount of beta glucans of any other mushrooms in the world. Studies have also shown the ABM to stimulate the immune system and promote natural mechanisms to battle infectious disease and cancers. ABM stimulates lymphocyte T-cell and Helper T-cell production. The polysaccharide contained in ABM stimulates production of interferon and interleukin that indirectly function to destroy and prevent the proliferation of cancer cells. Additionally, ABM turned out to be a very powerful antiviral agent preventing viruses from entering tissues.
Normally, the polysaccharides found in fungus only affect solid cancers, however the polysaccharide in ABM is effective against Ehrich`s ascites carcinoma, sigmoid colonic cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and liver cancer as well as against solid cancers.
In Japan, ABM, in an injectable form, was found to eliminate all cancerous tumors in 90% of the experimental mice. Additionally, when the mice were fed ABM as a preventative and then injected with a very powerful cancer causing agent (Sarcoma 180), 99.4% of them showed no tumor growth. Conventional medicine has no preventive this powerful.
Bindweed (Convolulus arvensis)
Available in capsules and tincture forms bindweed is a potent angiogenesis inhibitor for all forms of cancer, including ovarian cancer. Bindweed was brought to the attention of alternative cancer advocates when a woman ovarian cancer survivor told her story of survival to a well known cancer clinic:
Following diagnosis, the woman, concerned with orthodox therapies, independently sought an alternative treatment. The decision to look elsewhere was not difficult because the woman`s mother had died 7 years earlier with the same disease and doctors felt the daughter`s chances of survival equally bleak (giving her less than one year to live).
The woman traveled to Oklahoma where a shaman gave her a tincture of Bindweed with instructions to use the substance daily. (Bindweed, a common garden weed, is a bane to farmers.) The woman testified that after using Bindweed for 1 year, her abdomen returned to a normal size. Asymptomatic, she returned to her physician, who after a battery of tests pronounced her cancer-free.
The clinic`s team began assays to determine the beneficial properties of Bindweed. Its mode of operation was puzzling because it appeared ineffective at killing tumor cells and only modestly efficient at improving immune function. After nearly 4 years of searching, it was determined that Bindweed bestows its antitumor advantage by inhibiting angiogenesis, a process that restrains (tumor) blood vessel formation. A chaotic vascular system is a common property of malignant tissue. So important is the blood vessel network, tumor cells participate in their own survival by secreting cytokines that develop and sustain the vascular pipeline. Tumor growth requires an adequate supply of blood vessels; robbed of its vascular system, the tumor starves and shrinks and, in some cases, completely disappears. It was determined that Bindweed was about 100 times more effective than shark cartilage (by weight) at inhibiting angiogenesis (Meng et al. 2002).
Selenium (in the form methylselenocysteine)
Selenium is a powerful cancer fighter that also protects the liver and is essential for proper iodine utilization. Most women who get ovarian cancer are deficient in selenium, The generally recommended dose without medical supervision is 200 to 400 mcg daily, although nutritionally-oriented physicians may use as much as 900 to 2,000 mcg selenium from methylselenocysteine daily as part of a comprehensive cancer treatment protocol.
Turmeric/Curcumin
Tumeric (found in the common spice Curcumin) has been shown to be effective against a wide variety of cancers, including ovarian, and is meriting more and more attention among alternative cancer advocates as well as mainstream medicine - which it well deserves. Among many anti-cancer benefits, it activates gene p53 and prevents inflammation. To fight cancer, 2500 to 3000 mg per day is recommended, divided into two to three doses and taken either with meals or with bromelain as described below. To help with absorption, take with 10 mg of bioperine or else with coconut oil and a bit of ground black pepper.
Vitamin K (Best when taken in the natural form Vitamin K1)
Vitamin K is found in many foods. Leafy, dark green and deep yellow vegetables are the best sources. Tests have shown that Vitamin K can stop and sometimes shrink tumor growths in many forms of cancer, including breast, ovary, colon, stomach and kidney as well as primary and squamous cell carcinomas of the lungs. Vitamin K causes ovarian cancer cells to self destruct when used in a combination with high dosages of Vitamin C. The generally recommended dose amounts for adult women are 35 mg or more along with 3000 mg or more of vitamin C in divided doses.
Note: Since Vitamin K is a blood clotting agent (the K comes from the German "koagulation") people who are on blood thinners such as Warfarin (aka coumadin) or otherwise have concerns about blood clotting should not supplement with Vitamin K without consulting a medical professional.
Quercetin
Quercetin is a powerful anti-cancer agent which stops chemical signals that give ovarian cancer cells a growth advantage over healthy cells. Green peppers are full of quercetin. In supplement form, the generally recommended dose is 125-250 mg 3 times daily, between meals. Note: the centerpiece of the oleander extract contains small amounts of quercetin. Do not take quercetin with cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimunne) or nifedipine (Procardia).
Astragalus
Increases production of immune-system chemical interleukin-2 (IL -2), which fights cancer and the human papilloma virus (HPV). Activates gene pS3. The generally recommended dose is 500-1,000 mg 3 times daily.
Espinheira Santa
Espinheira santa is a small, shrubby evergreen tree native to many parts of South America and southern Brazil which has an extensive history of use in tribal and herbal medicine. Among it`s reported actions are: inhibits tumors, kills cancer & leukemia cells, cleanses blood, reduces acid, prevents ulcers, kills germs, relieves pain, aids digestion, increases urination, detoxifies, promotes menstruation, and is mildly laxative. It has specifically been shown to slow the growth of ovarian tumors. As a decoction (tea) the usual amount taken is 1 cup 2 to 3 times daily. As a capsule extract, the generally recommended dose is 1 to two grams daily or as directed on the label.
Milk thistle
Milk thistle extracts inhibit growth of ovarian cancer cells and prevent angiogenesis. Also helps protect and regenerate the liver. The generally recommended dose is from 400 to 1000 mg or more per day.
Green tea Catechin Extract
Deactivates plasmin, which helps tumors spread. The generally recommended dose is 250-500 mg daily.
Caretenoids
Carotenoids are a large group (up to 800 carotenoids) of fat soluble pigments widely distributed in plants and animals, expecially in orange, red, yellow and green plants and fruits. Forget the mainstream studies warning of beta carotene, which used a synthetic form in their tests. To quote one study conducted in Poland: "Carotenoids act as chemopreventive agents, irrespective of whether they are finally transformed into vitamin A, and may represent a potentially powerful alternative to present chemotherapeutic approaches to the treatment of ovarian cancer." Best when taken as a naturally derived multiple caretenoid product such as noted Dr. Ray Sahelian`s Caretenoids Complex supplement available from Physician Formulas.
Other Supplements to Consider:
- Mistletoe loranthus or mulberry mistletoe. Greatly increases survival time in advanced ovarian cancer. Use only under professional supervision.
- PSK tablets. Simulates production of immune agent IL -2. From the Turkeytail mushroom (coriolus versicolor mushroom). The generally recommended dose is 6,000 mg daily.
- Plant polyphenols such as resveratrol in tablet/supplement form. Resveratrol is a type of polyphenol called a phytoalexin, a class of compounds produced as part of a plant`s defense system against disease which is produced in the plant in response to an invading fungus, stress, injury, infection or ultraviolet irradiation. Resveratrol has been shown to reduce tumor incidence in animals by affecting one or more stages of cancer development, including ovarian cancer. Red wine contains high levels of resveratrol, as do grapes, raspberries, peanuts and other plants.
- Though I am no fan of soy, soy isoflavone has been shown to interrupt multiplication of ovarian cancer cells. The generally recommended anti-cancer dosage is 3,000 mg daily.
- Artemisinin is effective against a wide variety of cancers as shown in a series of successful experiments. The most effective is leukemia and colon cancer. Intermediate activities were also shown against melanoma, breast, ovarian, prostate, CNS and renal cancer.
Herbs to Avoid:
People who have ovarian cancer should avoid cordyceps, dan shen, fennel, licorice, and peony.
Dietary and Other Considerations:
For ovarian cancer, one should be sure to avoid milk and dairy products (other than the cottage cheese used with flaxseed oil in the Budwig diet), especially egg yolks, and be sure to consume healthy oils and fats to enable the other supplements and dietary items to work best. For other dietary advice, do`s and don`t`s, as well as other cancer fighting supplements and advice, see A Natural Protocol for Beating Cancer*.
*The above information is in addition to the information contained in "A Natural Anti-Cancer Protocol" and it is highly recommended that anyone with ovarian or any other form of cancer also take a good look at the protocol and follow it as completely as possible. If you are following the protocol, the information in this article is not intended to substitute for anything in the protocol, but instead should be considered as items to add to the protocol. Though some of the above items are included in the suggested overall protocol, they are repeated here to emphasize their potential usefulness for ovarian cancer.
"A Natural Anti-Cancer Protocol" may be found at http://www.tbyil.com/anticancer.htm
Sources included:
The Life Extension Foundation
The Townsend Letter for Doctors
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/025402_cancer_ovarian_natural.html#ixzz1UYfqejuo
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