Healthy for Life
Newsletter July/August 2012 Vol. 9 No. 4 from Dr. Ray D Strand MD ,The author of the famous book "What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You"
High Doses of Multiple Antioxidants Essential Ingredients in Improving
the Efficacy of Standard Cancer Therapy: A Review of the Medical Literature
This newsletter is
going to challenge the conventional medical wisdom when it comes to the use of
nutritional supplements in patients who are receiving traditional cancer
therapy. This comes up every time I consult a patient who has just been
diagnosed with cancer or asked whether they think they should be taking
nutritional supplements while they are receiving chemotherapy or radiation. I
would venture to guess that less than 10% of the radiation therapists and
oncologists support the use of nutritional supplements by their patients.
However, this number appears to become less and less. This obviously leaves me
in the minority and it always leaves me in a difficult situation trying to
explain why everyone who is in this situation needs to be on the most potent
antioxidant combination they can find. I hope that this newsletter, which is
solely devoted to presenting my arguments about this situation, will give you
more confidence in sharing my recommendations on nutritional supplements with
those patients who have cancer. Why are the oncologists and radiation
therapists concerned about the use of nutritional supplements in their patients
who are receiving standard cancer therapy? They argue that their treatments use
oxidative stress (free radicals) to destroy the cancer cells. They feel that if
patients build up their antioxidant defenses via supplementation in order to
protect themselves from the treatments that it could also build up the
antioxidant defense system of the cancer cells and reduce the effectiveness of
their treatments. They do not have any medical studies to support their
concern; however, it is theoretically a legitimate possibility. So again, I
turn to the medical literature to present my case for nutritional supplements
in this situation. The efficacy of standard therapy for those patients who have
cancer involving surgery (whenever possible), chemotherapy, and radiation
therapy has reached a plateau, and for most solid tumors it remains relatively
ineffective. This is why early detection of cancers is the becoming so
important. Physicians are looking for better and more effective ways to treat
their cancer patients. Obviously, these treatments carry a tremendous amount of
morbidity and mortality for our patients. Wouldn’t any oncologist and radiation
therapist want to be able to enhance the effectiveness of their standard
therapies, while at the same time protecting them from their horrible and
sometimes life threatening side effects? Well, as you will see as you read this
article, 2 nutritional supplements offer both of these possibilities.
Individual antioxidants have been studied for their anti-cancer properties. The
most studied antioxidants are vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, and carotenoids.
I will review these studies.
Anti-Cancer Properties
of Vitamin A:
The effectiveness of vitamin A depends on the type and
amount that was used. It has been shown to inhibit the growth of some cancers.
At high doses, variable extents of tumor size reduction have been reported.
Vitamin A, however, has been shown to have very little or no effect on several
human tumors, which include melanoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, prostate
cancer, and breast cancer. Some of the variants of vitamin A have been shown to
produce extreme toxicity, especially when used in higher doses. Most
researchers in this area agree that the use of single antioxidant vitamins,
which require very high doses for its effectiveness, has no value in the
treatment of cancer.
Anti-Cancer
Properties of Vitamin C:
Vitamin C has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer
cells in both animal and human studies. There are other studies, which show
that vitamin C at lower doses can actually stimulate the growth of cancer
cells. Linus Pauling has shown that the use of 10 gms of sodium ascorbate can
prolong and improve the quality of life in cancer patients. Other researchers
have disputed these studies; however, they used straight ascorbic acid. There
has been no significant toxicity related to these higher doses of vitamin C
except for occasional GI upset. Medical studies are now showing us that calcium
ascorbates are actually safer and more effective in patients with cancer.
However, there is still a concern of using vitamin C alone in cancer patients.
Anti-Cancer Properties of Vitamin E:
There have been several studies that have shown that vitamin
E used in supplementation will inhibit the growth and increase the cell death
of various cancers. Research studies are showing that d-alphatochopherol
succinate is the most potent form of vitamin E in inhibiting the growth of
cancer cells and causing increased cell death of these cancer cells. The higher
antioxidant and biological effect of this natural form of vitamin E has also
been demonstrated in several different studies.
Anti-Cancer Properties of the Carotenoids
There are over 1000 different carotenoids. However, the most
common ones are betacarotene, lycopene, and lutein. Most of the studies have
been done using these carotenoids. They have been shown to inhibit the growth
of cancer cells and, in the case of leukoplakia (a pre-cancerous tumor), a
dramatic reversal was shown. Lycopene has been shown to decrease the risk of
prostate cancer. Beta-carotene has also been shown to decrease the damage to
normal cells by radiation therapy. It is felt that a combination of carotenoids
is the best recommendations for patients with cancer.
Anti-Cancer
Properties of B Vitamins:
There have not been any studies showing major benefits with
the B vitamins and cancer treatment. Vitamin B3 may enhance the radiation response
of some tumors. However, all in all most of the studies show that
supplementation with a single vitamin could actually be harmful.
Anti-Cancer
Properties of CoQ10
Exciting new research is showing the CoQ10 is able to
program cancer cells to self-destruct. This finding was one of several 3 from
recent studies conducted by researchers at the University of Miami (FL) using
CoQ10 in supplementation. CoQ10 was found to change the genetic makeup of the
cancer cell, which allowed the cancer cell to kill itself without harming
normal cells. Essentially, CoQ10 set of a natural process of cell death of the
cancer cells called apoptosis. The genetic makeup of normal cells was not
affected. I have observed this phenomenon clinically in many of my cancer
patients. This is why I have always strongly recommended high dose CoQ10 in all
my cancer patients. Dr. Peter Langsjoen who is the head of the CoQ10 Society
International has reported case studies of women who were sent home to die
because of metastatic breast cancer to bone and liver went into spontaneous
remission just using CoQ10. Every cancer patient needs to be taking high dose
CoQ10 (500 to 600 mg of powder form or 180 to 200 mg of gel form) along with a
complete and balanced antioxidant and mineral tablets.
Efficacy of a Mixture
of Antioxidants
The use of individual antioxidants in cancer patients
produces varying results and only at very high levels, which in the case of
some may cause significant toxicity. The lower doses of single antioxidants
have been shown to actually increase tumor growth. However, when researches
looked at combining these antioxidant nutrients, they were able to demonstrate
a marked inhibition of cancer cell growth. These antioxidants were given at
levels that if used alone would produce no results or even enhance the cancer
growth. When individual antioxidants were increased within the mixture, there
was further reduction of the cancer. These studies and others are leading
clinicians like me to recommend mixtures of optimal doses of several
antioxidants and minerals and to push some of the more potent antioxidants like
Coquinone and Proflavanol. Higher doses of vitamin E in the form of
d-alphatocopherol succinate and Usana’s new Eprime may actually increase the
effectiveness of my recommendation for cancer patients.
The Effectiveness of
Antioxidants in Combination with Standard Cancer Therapies
Most of the studies that have been performed with single
antioxidants both in the lab and within the body have shown an enhancement of
the chemotherapeutic medications. However, there is an occasional study which
has shown a negative effect when a single antioxidant is used with a particular
chemotherapeutic drug, i.e. synthetic beta-carotene and 5-FU. When these same
antioxidants are used in combination with several other antioxidants, there is
only enhancement of the effectiveness of the drugs. Most oncologists and
radiation therapists remain skeptical of using antioxidant vitamins with their
patients who are receiving standard cancer therapies. Since both the
chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation use the production of excessive free
radicals to destroy or inhibit the growth of the tumor, they are worried that
the cancer cells will be more resistant to their treatments. However, except
for a rare situation where only a single antioxidant is used, this does not
hold true when you examine the medical studies that are available. In fact,
just the opposite occurs. Those cancer patients receiving standard cancer
therapies who are also taking a combination of antioxidant vitamins and their
supporting nutrients actually have significantly better results than those
patients who simply take the standard therapies. In other words, the effect of
a mixture of antioxidants in combination with tumor therapeutic agents will
greatly enhance the 4 survival rates of these patients. Now this is the exact
opposite result than all of these physicians would expect. Why is this
happening? The medical literature is showing us that antioxidant supplements
actually protect the normal cells while at the same time making the cancer
cells more vulnerable to the traditional cancer therapies. These findings can
be attributed to the fact that cancer cells accumulate these antioxidants at
very high levels because of the cancer cells altered feedback mechanism that
has gone awry. This excessive intracellular accumulation of these antioxidant
vitamins affects many of the biochemical events in the cancer cells: 1.
Suppressing many of the growth stimulating signals of these cancer cells 2. Cell
differentiation 3. Enhancing affect on synthesis and secretion of growth
factor-Beta and protein-21, both of which are powerful inhibitors of cell
growth 4. Setting off natural cell death (apoptosis) as in the case of CoQ10 In
lay terms, the cancer cells just keep taking up the antioxidants to very high
levels. So instead of protecting these cancer cells, they actually inhibit
their growth and proliferation, which at the same time leads to increased cell
death. When they are used with standard chemotherapeutic treatments, they
actually enhance the effectiveness of these therapies.
The Other Great
Benefit of Antioxidants: Reduction of the Toxicity of Standard Cancer Therapies
Normal cells are
actually protected from the toxic effects of these standard cancer treatments
because normal cells will not take excessive amounts of antioxidants. They
will, however, be able to build up their natural antioxidant defense systems so
that they are performing at optimal levels. Here are just a few of the positive
benefits found in the medical literature:
1. Vitamin E reduces bleomycin-lung
fibrosis, adriamycin-induced cardiac toxicity, and skin necrosis. Vitamin E
also has been shown to protect normal cells from radiation damage.
2. Coenzyme
Q10 has also been shown to protect against adriamycin-induced cardiac toxicity.
3. Beta-carotene reduces the adverse effects of radiation and some
chemotherapeutic drugs.
Since most of the side effects caused by the standard
cancer therapies are caused by the excessive free radicals they produce, it
only makes common sense that cancer patients would tolerate these medications
better and recover from their treatments quicker. This has truly been my
clinical experience. When patients follow my nutritional supplement
recommendations for cancer found on my web site, they have had very positive
experiences. I remember when a 21 year old girl told me that she had gone into
remission after receiving her standard cancer therapy. Her oncologist came over
to her and said, “What are you taking?” She asked "Why?" He said, “I
have been watching you for weeks, and you are over here reading your magazines
when all of my other patients are vomiting out their guts. Not only are you now
in remission, but you did so well throughout the treatments.” She informed him
that she has been on a high-quality, complete and balanced nutritional
supplement. I have heard this kind of story dozens of times with my patients.
The review of the medical literature has just convinced me even more now that
what I am recommending is correct. 5 This is a very emotional topic among
physicians and patients alike. Many patients will blindly follow their doctors’
recommendations because they are dealing with a life-threatening disease. I
have focused this newsletter solely on the decision of whether patients with
cancer should take supplements while receiving standard cancer therapies. My
advice to my patients is to start the recommended nutritional supplements as
soon as they have been diagnosed with cancer. This allows them time to begin to
build up their own antioxidant defense system (even a week or two prior to
starting treatments is beneficial). They should not take single antioxidants.
They need to take a product that is complete and balanced. Then they can push
the amount of CoQ10 and grape seed extract that they take. I personally believe
that someday in the future (it may take 10 to 15 years) everyone who is
diagnosed with cancer will be encouraged by their physician to take highquality
complete and balanced nutritional supplements. They not only help their bodies
fight the cancer, but will enhance their therapies and help protect the patient
from the treatments' horrible side effects. If you are trying to help a family
member or a friend who has been diagnosed with cancer, I would encourage you to
show them this newsletter and my specific nutritional recommendations for
cancer patients found on my web page. If they want the medical references on
which I based this newsletter, have them get a copy of the following review
article from their local medical library, usually found in their hospital.
High
Doses of Multiple Antioxidant Vitamins: Essential Ingredients in Improving the
Efficacy of Standard Cancer Therapy Kedar N. Prasad, Ph.D., Arun Kumar, M.D.,
Vinod Kochupillai, M.D., and William C. Cole, Ph.D. Center for Vitamins and
Cancer Research, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of
Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO Journal of the American College Of
Nutrition, Volume 18, Number 1, 13-25 (1999) This article lists an additional
71 articles that support their conclusions in its bibliography
During my maintenance phase, I shifted from one
Nutrimeal at noon and ate a regular meal twice a day. By now, I was getting
used to eating Nutrimeal daily. The desire for food started to diminish and I
began to enjoy Nutrimeal with fruit at lunch times and took USANA supplements
daily. I was still consistently monitoring my weight to see if changes in
weight were due to certain foods or not. Some days I would attend a party, and
for that whole week, I would do more exercise to burn out those extra calories.
The extra effort to exercise was not intriguing to me. I wasn’t hopeless
because my weight slowly dropped. By deciding to double my exercise and
maintaining a positive mindset of change, this strong desire sparked me towards
my goal. My life had been completely changed through this challenge.
