Many chemotherapy drugs have nasty side-effects. Given a choice, I’d rather spend on immune-boosting and protective health supplements rather than costly, depressing and draining cancer treatment. Wouldn’t you choose the same? Chemotherapy can cause nausea, diarrhea, lack of appetite, vomiting, fatigue, mouth-sores and damage to the gastrointestinal tract, just to name a few horrors. Nutritional deficiencies are also common.

If you’re undergoing chemotherapy, taking high-potency antioxidants, multivitamins and minerals is absolutely essential to protect against deficiencies and improve your prognosis. Remember, chemotherapy drugs are POISON and they usually do not discriminate between cancer cells and healthy cells. You need to protect and build up your healthy cells. What are some antioxidants, vitamins and minerals which may be helpful during chemotherapy or radiation?

Vitamin A
In a study of mice with vitamin A deficiency, vitamin A supplementation enhanced the anticancer action of cyclophosphamide, a chemo drug (Ghosh J, Das S. Role of vitamin A in prevention and treatment of sarcoma 180 in mice. Chemotherapy 1987;33:211-8.). A controlled French trial reported that when postmenopausal late-stage breast cancer patients were given very large amounts of vitamin A (350,000–500,000 IU per day) along with chemotherapy, remission rates were significantly better than when the chemotherapy was not accompanied by vitamin A. Similar results were not found in premenopausal women (Israel L, Hajji O, Grefft-Alami A, et al. Agumentation par la vitamine A des effets de la chimiotherapie dans les cancers du sein metastases apres la menopause. Ann Med Interne 1985;136:551-4).

Beta-carotene
Chemotherapy frequently causes mouth sores. In one trial, people were given approximately 400,000 IU of beta-carotene per day for three weeks and then 125,000 IU per day for an additional four weeks. Those taking beta-carotene still suffered mouth sores, but the mouth sores developed later and tended to be less severe than mouth sores that formed in people receiving the same chemotherapy without beta-carotene (Mills EED. The modifying effect of beta-carotene on radiation and chemotherapy induced oral mucositis. Br J Cancer 1988;57:416-7).

Vitamin E
In a study of chemotherapy-induced mouth sores, six of nine patients who applied vitamin E directly to their mouth sores had complete resolution of the sores compared with one of nine patients who applied placebo. Others have confirmed the potential for vitamin E to help people with chemotherapy-induced mouth sores (Wadleigh RG, Redman RS, Graham ML, et al. Vitamin E in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced mucositis. Am J Med 1992;92:481-4); (Lopez I, Goudou C, Ribrag V, et al. Treatment of mucositis with vitamin E during administration of neutropenic antineoplastic agents. Ann Med Intern [Paris] 1994;145:405-8).

Preliminary human research found that adding antioxidants (beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E) to cyclophosphamide therapy increased the survival of people with small-cell lung cancer treated with cyclophosphamide (Jaakkola K, Lahteenmaki P, Laakso J, et al. Treatment with antioxidant and other nutrients in combination with chemotherapy and irradiation in patients with small-cell lung cancer. Anticancer Res 1992;12:599-606).

Vitamin C
An animal research report indicated that vitamin C may increase the effectiveness of cyclophosphamide without producing new side effects (Taper HS, de Gerlache J, Lans M, Roberfroid M. Non-toxic potentiation of cancer chemotherapy by combined C and K3 vitamin pre-treatment. Int J Cancer 1987;40:575-9).

Selenium
Patients being treated with cyclophosphamide and cisplatin for ovarian cancer were given a multivitamin preparation, with or without 200 mcg of selenium per day. Compared with the group not receiving selenium, those receiving selenium had a smaller reduction in white blood cell count and fewer chemotherapy side effects such as nausea, hair loss, weakness, and loss of appetite (Sieja K, Talerczyk M. Selenium as an element in the treatment of ovarian cancer in women receiving chemotherapy. Gynecol Oncol 2004;93:320-7).

N-Acetyl Cysteine
NAC, an amino acid-like supplement that possesses antioxidant activity, has been used in at least four human studies to decrease the kidney and bladder toxicity of the chemotherapy drug ifosfamide. These studies used 1-2 grams NAC four times per day.

Melatonin
High amounts of melatonin have been combined with a variety of chemotherapy drugs to reduce their side effects or improve drug efficacy. One study gave melatonin at night in combination with the drug triptorelin to men with metastatic prostate cancer.17 All of these men had previously become unresponsive to triptorelin. The combination decreased PSA levels-a marker of prostate cancer progression-in eight of fourteen patients, decreased some side effects of triptorelin, and helped nine of fourteen to live longer than one year. The outcome of this preliminary study suggests that melatonin may improve the efficacy of triptorelin even after the drug has apparently lost effectiveness (Lissoni P, Cazzaniga M, Tancini G, et al. Reversal of clinical resistance to LHRH analogue in metastatic prostate cancer by the pineal hormone melatonin: Efficacy of LHRH analogue plus melatonin in patients progressing on LHRH analogue alone. Eur Urol 1997;31:178-81).

Zinc
Irradiation treatment, especially of head and neck cancers, frequently results in changes to normal taste sensation. Zinc supplementation may be protective against taste alterations caused or exacerbated by irradiation. A double-blind trial found that 45 mg of zinc sulfate three times daily reduced the alteration of taste sensation during radiation treatment and led to significantly greater recovery of taste sensation after treatment was concluded (Ripamonti C, Zecca E, Brunelli C, et al. A randomized, controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effects of zinc sulfate on cancer patients with taste alterations caused by head and neck irradiation. Cancer 1998;82:1938-45).

This list of anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals which can either help to boost the effectiveness of some chemotherapy drugs or reduce the side-effects, and improve cancer survival rates, is certainly not exhaustive. If you’re looking for a complete anti-oxidant health supplement, as well as multi-vitamins and minerals, with high bio-availability, get the best. Find out more about Neways “Revenol”, “Cascading Revenol”, “Maximol Solutions” and “Megatonin” here.

Posted: September 30th, 2009 under Antioxidants, Cancer, Health Supplements.
Comments: 1

Morinda citrifolia, Indian mulberry, cheese fruit, beach mulberry – these are some of the other names of the noni plant. ‘Noni’ is a Hawaiian term. Originally from Southeast Asia, the noni plant grows in many parts of the world, including much of Polynesia and other tropical and subtropical countries.

Interestingly, noni’s Sanskrit name is Ayushka, meaning longevity. Indeed, virtually every part of the noni fruit and plant has been used for its medicinal properties. Noni fruit has a pungent smell, but it can also be eaten raw with salt. It is also cooked as curry by many of the tribal populations of Southeast Asia, Polynesia and Australia. The seeds of the noni fruit can be roasted and eaten. The protein-rich young leaves of the noni plant are sometimes eaten as vegetable as well. The leaves are also used as poultices.

It is traditionally believed that noni:

- stabilizes cholesterol at normal levels
- increases energy when consumed over a period of time
- delivers abundant antioxidants to scavenge free radicals
- helps maintain the immune system
- helps maintain a healthy heart
- supports a healthy cardiovascular system
- reduces inflammation
- enhances energy and wellbeing

The noni fruit is packed with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, amino acids and antioxidants. Over 150 nutraceuticals have been found in the noni fruit, including all the B vitamins, 18 amino acids, antioxidants such as vitamin C, beta carotene, calcium, linoleic acid, and minerals like magnesium, iron and potassium. Noni fruit contains a number of phytochemicals, including lignans, oligo- and polysaccharides, flavonoids, iridoids, fatty acids, scopoletin, catechin, beta-sitosterol, damnacanthal, and alkaloids.

What is particularly significant is that a rare compound known as proxeronine, a precursor of xeronine, essential for the regeneration and growth of healthy cells, is found in the noni fruit. Noni also contains an anthraquinone compound called damnacanthal, which has promising anti-cancer properties. The journal CANCER LETTER [73 (2-3) 1993, 161-166], reported that Keio University and The Institute of Biomedical Sciences in Japan observed that damnacanthal caused normal morphology and cystoskeletal structure in K-ras-NRK pre-cancer cells. Put simply, this compound found in noni fruit may possibly turn pre-cancer cells into normal healthy cells. The researchers reported that damnacanthal reversed the proliferation of cancer cells, showing an ability to block or inhibit the cellular function of RAS cells, which are considered pre-cancerous cells.

The Cancer Research Center of Hawaii has been studying noni juice health benefits with regard to cancer treatments, since a 1999 study suggested that Noni Juice helped to stop the growth of tumors. Laboratory studies have examined noni’s effect on the growth of cancerous tissue in mice. One such study in vitro found that noni reduced growth of capillary vessels sprouting from human breast tumor explants and, at increased concentrations, caused existing vessels to degenerate.

Research indicates that noni fruit stimulates the immune system, regulating cell function and cellular regeneration of damaged cells. As the Noni fruit seems to operate at the very basic and critical cellular level, noni may help to heal a wide variety of conditions.

Noni juice also contains a precursor to melanin, which enhances all body functions depending on melanin. This could explain why the prolific consumption of noni juice has been reported to reverse diabetes, macular degeneration, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease in some people.

The strong odor of the noni fruit as well as its bitter taste may make noni difficult to consume in its raw form. Fortunately, pleasant-tasting noni juice is available from some manufacturers of health supplements. While noni juice from the Polynesian islands of Hawaii and Tahiti is well-known, noni fruit grown in Hawaii is said to be the best because of the pure air, water, and volcanic soil in which they are grown. Neways Authentic Hawaiian Noni dietary supplement, for instance, uses 100 percent pure Hawaiian noni, grown far from areas where nuclear testing occurred near Tahiti in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia.

For the highest quality noni health supplement and best results, always choose noni products which are never fumigated with deadly chemicals or irradiated, and grown without pesticides. The authenticity of the noni product must be guaranteed by its manufacturer and should use only the Noni fruit pulp, not other parts of the noni plant.

Besides noni fruit puree, Neways Authentic Hawaiian Noni juice is enhanced with raspberry and blueberry fruit concentrate, as well as momordica fruit extract. Red raspberry delivers high levels of ellagic acid, a powerful, natural substance that supports the body’s defence mechanisms against carcinogens. Blueberry has powerful antioxidants proven to scavenge free radicals that can damage DNA molecules and lead to cancer. Mormodica fruit is an antioxidant and immune system booster which has been popular with the Chinese for centuries. You can find it in Chinese medicine shops and groceries, where it is usually better known as “lo han kuo”.

Neways Authentic Hawaiian Noni is as pure as it gets, with no added sugars, no added preservatives, colors or artificial flavors. If you can’t stomach the natural taste and smell of noni fruit, this delicious, power-packed cocktail will help you get the goodness of noni into your body. Buy it at the wholesale price here.

Posted: September 4th, 2009 under Antioxidants, Cancer, Healing Foods, Health Supplements, Immune System Health.
Comments: 1

Why on earth would Michael Jackson willingly let Propofol (also known as Diprivan) be administered to him just to induce sleep? This drug is meant to be used in the operating theatre, to put patients into an unconscious state before surgery begins. It is delivered through a drip, which means that a needle has to be stuck in you. Why would anybody in their right minds want to go through this procedure if it wasn’t absolutely necessary? There are many other ways – safer and much more pleasant – to beat insomnia.

I’ve been put under for surgery a couple of times in my life, and I can tell you it’s not a nice experience. The drug certainly knocks you out quickly, but waking up always made me nauseous. Each time, I felt like I was in a deep, dark hole, from which I was forcibly being dragged out of. My mind would feel groggy and heavy, and my body would feel like it weighed a ton. When I was roused from this deep state of artificial slumber, or rather unconsciousness, I would be disoriented and the room would seem to sway.

Imagine regularly putting yourself through such a dreadful experience at home! If you must take a pill to help you get to sleep, make sure it’s completely safe and will really help you to enjoy natural sleep. As far as I’m concerned, sleeping pills and drugs like Diprivan / Propofol are an absolute no-no. Practically all drugs have side effects, so I avoid them like the plague.

There are all kinds of commonsensical ways to soothe yourself to sleep. Taking melatonin, an antioxidant as well as an anti-aging health supplement, just 30 minutes before bedtime, is a safe option for those who are still wide awake when it’s time to sleep. Neways’ Megatonin can help your body set its internal clock to snooze. It contains safe ingredients like melatonin, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), and L-Theanine. Melatonin, a hormone as well as an antioxidant naturally produced by the body, supports the body’s sleep-wake cycle. GABA is a naturally occurring neurotransmitter in the brain, while L-Theanine is a beneficial phytonutrient found naturally in green tea.

Natural healing, natural wellness – it’s the way to go for a good night’s sleep. Don’t ever put your life in danger.

Posted: July 31st, 2009 under Alternative Remedies, Antioxidants, Health Supplements, Rest & Sleep.
Comments: none