Cancer Fighters!!

Hi all you awesome semi-colons (that includes caregivers too ya know!),

In my May issue of Alternative Medicine Magazine there is a very informative article about Cancer-Fighting Supplements.

Without getting into any plagarism trouble I will share what it says:

According to Timothy Birdsall (doc and VP at Cancer TReatment Centers of America) supplements have "been PROVEN to impede tumor growth, INCREASE chemotherapy's effectiveness, or WIPE OUT those cancer cells conventional therapies leave behind. Once treatment is over, they may also help PREVENT recurrences." (emphasis mine)

"Supplements can make the body's internal environment less hospitable to new tumor growth."

Here are his three favorites:

("All have been shown to promote general anti-cancer activity, meaning they can work against most types of cancer, and all have a low rish of side effects").

MELATONIN

"....is a popular sleep aid.....but also scores big when it comes to treating cancer. It's attack is twofold: NOt only can melatonin increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy, it may also combat its toxicity, making the side effects from treatment less intense."

There's more....(get the mag!!)

See, instead of taking something like Ambien to sleep take melatonin (under doc;s care) and make it work for you!!

"Melatonin supplements are best for patients with solid tumors, such as cancers of the breast, prostate and lung."

Make sure it's synthetic and NOT from animals glands. Take up to 20mg/night (only at night--very important). I built up to that by increasing nightly.

(do NOT take if on anti-depressants, corticosterioids, or sedatives).


GREEN TEA

There is a substance in Green Tea that activates the self-destruct mechanism in precancerous cells.

Use 100-150 mg of green tea extract three times a day with meals. Buy an extract with 80%polyphenols with 50% of them coming from EGCG.

This is the only alternative item that my onc recommended to me.

MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS

"The fungus that boosts immunity"

"....they get an A+ when it comes to boosting the body's ability to kick cancer."

"Mushrooms increase the body's natural killer activity, creating antibodies that aid in attacking foreign bodies."

"Among the top contenders for the cancer-fighting title are shiitake, maitake, and reishi. Of the three shiitake is the most common in both thekitchen and the research laboratory; it's active ingredient, lentinan, has been the subject of more than 300 studies. Lentinan appears to lengthen the life span of people with cancer, especially when they're compared to people who receive chemotherapy alone."

"In a small 2002 study, cancer patients taking maitake extract either saw their tumor shrink or had a vbast improvement in symptoms".

I took maitake mushrooms on the advice of one of my doctors.

There is more but this is so long already.....

See, y'all, there is SOOOO much we can be doing to help our bodies heal from this disease. And it can be as simple as going to your local natural foods store and visiting the supplement aisle.

And while you're there pick up an issue of Alternative Medicine Magazine and read up for yourself! :-)

peace, emily who would send you all subscriptions if she were a millionaire! :-)