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04/09/2006: "Supplements for Fighting Cancer"
Morning and night, I take a fist full of supplements that I have chosen based on my readings. These are designed to compliment my diet and put my body in the best condition for fighting off cancer. Here is a list of what I am taking and why.
Beta-Carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body. Gives food their colors. Study after study is showing the importance of beta-carotene in fighting cancer. Best source: Raw Carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, chard & broccoli
Folic Acid (Folate) is one of the B vitamins. This combined with vitamin B-12 helps provide correct duplication of DNA. Studies show low Folate and B-12 lead to cancer. Vitamin B12 is great for warding off allergies. You can buy B-12 lozenges in health food stores. Supplementing Folic Acid is best in a B Complex. You also get it in green leafy vegetables, brewer’s yeast and legumes.
Lycopene gives tomatoes their red color. Not only does it go after free radicals, it also has anticarcinogenic properties. The best source is cooked tomatoes. I try to eat lots of tomato sauces and use tomatoes as a base for my soups. I take a supplement as well.
Selenium works to prevent free radical damage to cell membranes. It also enhances your immune system. It has been highly studied to reduce cancer deaths and increase the body’s ability to kill tumor cells. If your body has high levels of heavy metal, it can cancel out the selenium. Look into heavy metal detoxification.
Vitamin C is huge for fighting cancer. Two-time Nobel Prize winner, Linus Pauling found that every cancer patient lived longer when given 10 grams of Vitamin C a day (this is a large amount that needs to be built up to). It helps support the liver, scavanges nitrates, rejuvenates vitamin E, and so much more. Foods high in vitamin C include peppers, kale, parsley, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, strawberries, papaya and spinach. All of these are higher in vitamin C than oranges and orange juice. Best to avoid oranges when battling cancer because of sugar content and acidity.
Vitamin E protects cell membranes from heavy metals, drugs, radiation, toxins and free-radical damage. It has been found to be the premier antioxidant and anticarcinogen. If you supplement, choose d-alpha-tocopherol with mixed tocopherols. You can also get good vitamin E from sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, oatmeal and brown rice.
Contrary to what some health care professionals tell us, taking antioxidants together like vitamins C & E, plus beta-carotene and selenium, actually supports cancer treatment by protecting healthy cells and reducing side effects like hair loss, nausea, diarrhea and fatique.
Whey Protein helps increase the level of glutathione, which aids in liver detox. Whey protein is easy to digest and better on your system than animal products. In powder form, it can provide all of the essential and nonessential amino acids. I add Whey To Go brand powder to my morning fruit smoothie. I was able to find it online at the Vitamin Shoppe.
Zinc is necessary for cell division, growth, wound healing and immune system function. It is important for vitamin E levels in the blood and aids in absorption of A and B-17 (or Amygdalin). There have been a lot of studies looking at vitamin B-17 as a cancer cure. This is a vitamin not found in the American diet but is prevalent in cultures that have little or no cancer. It is found in bitter almonds and the seed of apricots. Neither of these are easy to come by in the U.S.
Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP) is considered a natural anti-angiogenesis factor. These keep cancers from metastasizing. Researchers published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that MCP was a “potent inhibitor of spontaneous cancer matastases.” Metastasis is when a cancer cell travels through the lymph system, its galectins on the surface of the cell grab onto the galactose receptors on a blood vessel. Here it forms a new tumor successfully spreading to another organ. MCP is rich in galactose (sugar) that cancer cells love. It binds with the cancer cell’s galectins and ties them up so they can’t attach to a blood vessel. MCP can be found as a supplement in health food stores.
Wheatgrass juice is the king of all juices. This juice contains the highest beta-carotene and chlorophyll as well as selenium, vitamins A & E, and most known essential minerals. It directly assists the liver, lungs and colon and helps the body eliminate heavy metals. I take a about 8-10 Wheat Grass pills a day (5 grams total) but it is best as a juice. The next time you are in Jamba Juice, order an ounce of wheatgrass juice. It is nasty tasting and they usually give you a slice of orange to chase it with, but it is one of the best things you can do for your body.
Here is to your health!
Just catching up on your blog since we were away on vacation. My sister in Florida turned us on to some of the same suppliments before Christmas. Interesting to note, when I had a physical in Feb. the doctor told me they were actually working!