Committee on Comparative Toxicity of Naturally Occurring Carcinogens
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 These data may mean that P-carotene and a-tocopherol are not the active agents in fruits and vegetables that reduce cancer, or they may indicate that these smokers had a level of damage that could not be corrected by these supplements. Further research will be needed to determine the contribution, if any, of other carotenoids in cancer prevention. It is clear that dietary supplementation with vitamin A for cancer prevention is unlikely at this point because of its inherent toxicity. |
Gary Null
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 He suggests that those people who simply cannot stop smoking take vitamin A supplements, as they may "be potent prophylactics against the effects of smoking."25
Other doctors agree that making sure your intake of A is adequate may be a good insurance policy against developing cancer. David Smith and his colleagues at MIT have long "speculated that cancer was the result of a local vitamin imbalance produced by factors that removed vitamin A in the body." Their experiments showed that low levels of vitamin A may be a common denominator among people who develop tumors. |
| But if you undertake to treat yourself with megadose supplements, you do run the risk of creating a toxicity.
The American Academy of Pediatrics warns: "Excessive intake of preformed vitamin A may result in serious and potentially toxic effects. The easy availability of vitamin A in large doses without prescription exposes individuals to the danger of severe clinical toxicity."28
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, remember? What that means is that your body does not excrete excess amounts; it stores them. Be aware of the dangers of consuming more vitamin A than you need. |
| Vitamin B Complex for Health
The vitamin B family has a direct relationship to how effectively you use the nutrients your body takes in through food or supplements —so isn't it obvious that an adequate supply of this harmonious group is one of the best insurance policies around?
And even if you are in the best of health, additional help from the B-complex family may supply that extra boost of day-long energy that seems a vague childhood memory to most of us. Indeed, you will find the benefits of getting plenty of this vitamin family showing up in your hair, your eyes, and your skin. |
| In most of the low dosage B-complex supplements on the market, these amounts are properly predetermined. Not so with the megadosage levels. But if you are taking one of the particular members of the B-complex family for some specific condition, you may want to consult your doctor or nutritionist as to what amounts of the other B vitamins you should be taking as well.
How do you know if you are deficient in the vitamin B complex? |
| If you are pregnant, it is important that you get plenty of B6 in foods and supplements. But if you are pregnant and considered at high risk of developing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, says Dr. Brophy, your doctor-should actually supervise the amount of pyridoxine in your diet to assure the normal brain development of your baby.63
John M. Ellis, M.D., found B6 along with magnesium, to be indicated as a factor in the "prevention of convulsions in patients with toxemia of pregnancy and treatment of convulsions of eclampsia." Dr. |
| But for some, there are problems connected with intake of vitamin C, particularly in supplements.
Does vitamin C upset your stomach? The reason may be that you took it on an empty stomach. We remind you again that ascorbic acid is just that—an acid—and can irritate the stomach lining unless taken with a meal or directly after one to assure smooth assimilation.
Are you puzzled that you can tolerate vitamin C powder or crystals, but are bothered by both tablets and capsules, even when you take them with meals? It's not the dose, and it's not your imagination, either. |
Michael Lerner
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 It has been reported that selenium doses of about 250-300 micrograms a day (diet and supplements) would be helpful in preventing cancer. If an average person consumes 125 to 150 micrograms of selenium a day, an additional supplemental amount of 100 micrograms is unlikely to produce any major side effects. |
| Therefore, one has to be careful about taking excessive amounts of zinc (over 20 milligrams per day from diet and supplements) while taking selenium [emphasis added].
Protein-rich and unsaturated fat-rich diets have been shown to increase the selenium requirements of the body. . . .
Commercial preparations of selenium include inorganic selenium (sodium se-lenite) and various organic compounds of selenium. It has been reported that sodium selenite is not absorbed adequately, whereas organic selenium, including yeast-selenium, is absorbed very well. |
| They then gave experimental subjects 100-mg vitamin C supplements three times a day, an hour after meals. They found a marked decrease in urinary nitrosamine products, which became comparable to those in people in areas with low esophageal cancer risk.39
Another protective aspect of vitamin C is its antioxidant activity. This discussion of vitamin C is an appropriate place to describe briefly the broader question of how vitamin C, selenium, and other antioxidants, several of which we discuss below, protect the organism against the wonderfully named "free radicals. |
| Therefore, the committee is unable to predict the health effects of high and potentially toxic doses of isolated nutrients consumed in the form of supplements [emphasis added],
3. In some parts of the world, especially China, Japan and Iceland, populations that frequently consume salt-cured (including salt-pickled) or smoked foods have a greater incidence of cancers at some sites, especially the esophagus and stomach. . . . The committee recommends that the consumption of [these] food[s] ... be minimized.
4. |
| This study of the improved quality of life for women with gynecological and breast cancer who use vitamin B6 supplements with radiotherapy is particularly provocative when we consider a similar report on vitamin C below.
Vitamin B6 has also been reported to be particularly effective in inhibiting melanoma cancer cells. Based on this experimental evidence, one research team developed a topical pyridoxal cream that, "when applied to patients with recurrent malignant melanoma, produced a significant reduction in the size of subcutaneous nodules and complete regression of cutaneous papules. |
| Exercise
Exercise is one of the most common supplements to complementary cancer therapies. Josef Issels, one of the great pioneering German alternative cancer therapists, regularly instructed the patients who came to his clinic in the Bavarian Alps to "go climb a mountain." In fact, that was the title of a well-known BBC television documentary about Issels. Similarly, internist-oncologist Keith Block, whose work is described in chapter 17, recommends a comprehensive fitness training program for his patients. |
Barrie R Cassileth, Ph.D.
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 It accomplished this with a successful multimillion-dollar campaign urging Americans to "Write to Congress today, or kiss your supplements good-bye!" This false message resulted in passage of the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act of 1994, which created a protected new category for the estimated 20,000 vitamins, herbs, minerals, and anything else that had been sold as a supplement before October 1994. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
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 Before supplementing with high doses of vitamin A, please refer to Appendix A.
Topical Vitamin A as a Therapeutic Approach to Cervical Dysplasia
Because tetinoids ate regulatots of epithelial differentiation and are necessary for maintenance, they have been the basis for study of their potential chemopre-ventive effects on cervical tissues. In particular, treatment with topical vitamin A in the form of various retinoids (all-trans-retinoic acid or RA) has been studied, resulting in positive results fot both cervical dysplasia and cervical cancers (Graham et al. 1986; Werner et al. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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 The branched-chain amino acids (BCAA)—isoleucine, leucine, and valine— have been used as supplements for body (muscle) building.
Leucine is also readily available in good concentrations in animal protein foods (poultry and red meats) and dairy products; wheat germ and oats also contain leucine. It is essential for growth, as it stimulates protein synthesis in muscle. Leucine may help stabilize or lower blood sugar, it can be metabolized to produce energy, as can isoleucine and valine, the other branchedchain amino acids during periods of fasting or starvation. |
John Heinerman
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 Guarana is usually included in a number of different herbal energy formulas or powdered nutrition supplements (Herbalife's NRG and Hot Stuff Double X by National Health Products are two examples). No more than 2 capsules or a level teaspoonful in 6 fluid ounces of liquid of any such formula should be taken in a six-hour period. Frequent use can result in caffeine dependency, wreak possible havoc with the central nervous system, and even cause blood sugar imbalances that may lead to hypoglycemia. |
Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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 In addition to the list of supplements you can take to support your body, it's also important to support yourself emotionally and get plenty of rest before and after surgery. Be sure you have plenty of help at home, and stock the kitchen with nutritious fruit and vegetable drinks and soups. If you are experiencing a lot of anxiety in the week or so prior to surgery, you can use the anti-anxiety herb St. John's wort to help you through. Follow the directions on the container and don't overdo it, please. |
Lita Lee, Lisa Turner and Burton Goldberg
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 Minerals: Heart-healthy minerals include chromium, zinc, magnesium, and potassium but they should not be taken as isolated supplements. Both Thera-zyme TRMA and Thy contain minerals from kelp. It is important not to take too much kelp because it can suppress thyroid function. Brewer's yeast contains chromium (other dietary sources include meat, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits). Fruits juices and alfalfa as a juiced grass or tea are good sources of calcium and magnesium. |
| Nor does she believe in giving vitamins and supplements to a patient without first addressing the digestive dysfunction which often accompanies chronic illness. For her, that would be like throwing money out the window. Instead, Dr. Lee looks at the whole person. Before she begins any treatment, she gets a complete picture of the individual's symptoms, health history, diet, and possible digestive problems and hormonal imbalances. |
| Eating a diet rich in raw foods and/or taking plant enzyme supplements will not make your pancreas lazy because pancreatic enzymes don't operate in the stomach. On the contrary, food enzymes—and only food enzymes—spare the pancreas from having to compensate for inadequate predigestion. The pancreas was never meant to be totally responsible for digestion—early humans consumed primarily raw foods.
ENZYMES AND THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT. Plant enzymes start digesting food in the mouth and stomach, and they also are active in the small intestine. |
Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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| If for some reason you're not, it's important to take supplements of vitamin B6 (50 mg daily), folic acid (400 meg daily) and vitamin C (500 mg three times daily). You should also be taking vitamin E to offset the risk of blood clots and strokes that comes with taking estrogens. Make sure you're getting at least 5 mg of zinc in your daily multivitamin.
The Progestins
Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (Cycrin, Proverct, Amen, Curretab) Megestrol Acetate (Megace, Enovid) Norethindrone Acetate (Aygestin)
What Do They Do in Your Body? |
| And that doesn't count the interactions with food, over-the-counter drugs and supplements. That means it's up to you to minimize your drug intake and keep close track of what you are taking.
In Part II of this book you'll find lists of drug interactions, but remember these are known interactions. Any drug combination can cause a new interaction because your body and your biochemistry are unique.
When prescribing a drug, your physician should take into account not only interactions between drugs, but also how various drugs are going to interact with your unique health profile. |
Lita Lee, Lisa Turner and Burton Goldberg
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| In my practice, I ask that my clients abstain from taking vitamins, minerals, enzymes, herbs, or other supplements during
Diet Survey
For each category below, indicate what kinds of foods and drinks you consume and how often by writing 1 for one day per week, 2 for two days, 3 for three days, and so on, next to the category. If it's only once a month, put 1/mo. Circle the specific foods or beverages within each category that you eat or drink and whether organic or commercial, if noted. If you eat some of each, circle both. If you aren't sure, leave a question mark. |
Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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| Although the possible interactions and effects of drugs, food, drink and supplements on your unique biochemistry are nearly infinite, there are some generalizations we can make and some dangerous combinations to watch for.
A nutrient can increase the effect of a drug, decrease it, or delay its action, and a drug can interfere with the absorption of nutrients. Deficiencies in a vitamin, mineral or other nutrient such as protein can increase or decrease a drug's action. |
| Two of the most potent antioxidant bioflavonoid supplements are grapeseed extract and green tea.
For maxiumum antioxidant bioflavonoid protection, include 50 mg of the active ingredient in grapeseed extract, proanthocyanidins (PCOs) in your daily supplement regimen as an anti-aging and preventive measure. To use therapeutically for a specific ailment such as heart disease or eye disease, take 150 to 300 mg daily.
You need to drink a lot of green tea—10 to 20 cups a day—to take complete advantage of green tea's protective properties. |
Lita Lee, Lisa Turner and Burton Goldberg
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| Vitamin C deficiency has been nora ot warning: uon i minx you can simpiy iaKe enzymes, herbs, and other supplements to solve your gallbladder condition without adhering to a strict diet. correlated with increased liver and serum cholesterol, as well as decreased levels of bile acids, making gallstone formation more likely.51
Emotional Problems
As with any health condition, there is an emotional component to gallbladder disorders. A person predisposed to gallstones or other gallbladder problems may have a flare-up during an emotional crisis. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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| On the average, many supplements provide at least 50-100 mg. per day of niacin or niacinamide, which is a good insurance level. For treatment of the variety of conditions described previously, higher amounts of niacin may be needed to really be helpful, and levels up to 2-3 grams per day are not uncommon as a therapeutic dose. The other B vitamins should also be supplied so as to not create an imbalanced metabolic condition.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid), another of the B complex vitamins, is a yellow viscous oil found usually as the calcium or sodium salt—that is, calcium pantothenate. |
Rebecca Wood
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 Unlike other supplements that are isolated food components, these are remarkable whole foods, ones that I heartily recommend to you.
I will alert you to a few noxious food products (noted with the 0 symbol) masquerading as healthful, such as canola oil and fruit juice sweeteners. Because there's more misinformation perpetrated—and profit made—with vegetable oils and sweeteners than any other products, I will provide you with guidelines for determining ¦ their quality.
I include some information about foraging for freely given foods, but more as a tease. This is not a foraging guide. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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| A number of other supplements have been associated with increased athletic strength and endurance. None has been clearly shown to be effective by the little research done, but many an athlete has described feeling better when using these products. I will leave it up to you to try these "bioenergetic boosters" and see what they do for you.
Octacosanol is said to increase endurance, possibly by improving energy metabolism in the muscles. It is obtained mainly from wheat germ oil, where it is found in high concentration. |
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