Am I over doing the Vitamins!?!
AM
Extra strength Fish oil
1000 mg of Vitamin C
Stopped my multi vitamin due to it containing folic acid
Drinking 2 oz of aloe juice
PM
Vtamin D3 1,000 mg
Calcium 1,000 mg
325 mg of asprin
B-12 dropper
Vitamin E on my scars
drink 2 oz of acai juice
And.......I eat lots of veggies/fruit and juice. Eat very little meat. And try and stay away from sweets!
Just wondering if you have read something that I may have missed and poisioning myself. Good thing my apricot tree is now bare!
Comments
-
You should probably divide
You should probably divide your calcium into two doses and also combine it with Vitamin D (most calcium supplements are combined with D). From what I have read calcium is poorly absorbed and is better given in two doses.
I kept up with my multi while on Xeloda but did avoid extra supplemental folic acid.
Not an expert........
Betsy0 -
Multivitamins
Now that you mention stopping your multivitamins,I would like to see more opinions, because I never read the ingredients, but now I did and YES at least mine that is Centrum Performance contains the Folic Acid, so no more multivitamins from now on? how can I get all the other ingredients?0 -
I take fish oil supplements
I take fish oil supplements too. I did drop back on the amount after a suggestion by the dietician. I'd have to look up the amount per capsule because I don't remmber, but instead of 5 capsules, I am only taking 2 per day. (She told me 2 or 3 would be ok).
I was warned off the aloe for right now due to the following side effect/warnings:
Electolyte imbalances in teh blood, including low potassium levels may be caused by the laxative effect of aloe. Healthcare professionals should watch for changes in potassium and other electroylytes in individuals who take aloe by mouth for more than a few days. The main worry hear is to not take this during chemo - "laxative effect."
It is good that you are taking your D3 and calcium together. Calcium is absorbed better if you split it into two times per day. I take 600mg twice per day. The body can't absorb too much of it at once.
Not sure if you are currently on chemo or not?
Acai is another one to possibly consider not taking during chemo - but taking after you are done instead. Anti-oxidants can interfere with the way chemo works. The amount you get in normal foods is fine. But you don't want to overdo it. But if you are not on chemo then you don't have that worry.0 -
I'm not on chemo anymore,Kathryn_in_MN said:I take fish oil supplements
I take fish oil supplements too. I did drop back on the amount after a suggestion by the dietician. I'd have to look up the amount per capsule because I don't remmber, but instead of 5 capsules, I am only taking 2 per day. (She told me 2 or 3 would be ok).
I was warned off the aloe for right now due to the following side effect/warnings:
Electolyte imbalances in teh blood, including low potassium levels may be caused by the laxative effect of aloe. Healthcare professionals should watch for changes in potassium and other electroylytes in individuals who take aloe by mouth for more than a few days. The main worry hear is to not take this during chemo - "laxative effect."
It is good that you are taking your D3 and calcium together. Calcium is absorbed better if you split it into two times per day. I take 600mg twice per day. The body can't absorb too much of it at once.
Not sure if you are currently on chemo or not?
Acai is another one to possibly consider not taking during chemo - but taking after you are done instead. Anti-oxidants can interfere with the way chemo works. The amount you get in normal foods is fine. But you don't want to overdo it. But if you are not on chemo then you don't have that worry.
I'm not on chemo anymore, started the vitamins the 3rd week I was off chemo. I just bought the
vitamin D, wonder if I can cut the pill in two...0 -
That ain't nothin' honey! :-)Nana b said:I'm not on chemo anymore,
I'm not on chemo anymore, started the vitamins the 3rd week I was off chemo. I just bought the
vitamin D, wonder if I can cut the pill in two...
You are not overdoing it IMO at all! My list was much longer during my 6 month cancer-curing protocol. And I did much bigger doses. My Vit C was off the charts alone.
My naturopath had me on a lot more supplements than you listed and I committed to doing it for at least 6 months. Now 8 years later I don't take 1/4 as much (mainly financial) but when I was taking all those supplements I felt the best I ever have!
These days my nutritional consultant has me on 5,000 mg of VitD 2x's a day and right now has me doubling that b/c I have a nasty cough. I buy my VitD in 5,000mg strength FYI.
How are you feeling??
peace, emily0 -
Emily2bhealed said:That ain't nothin' honey! :-)
You are not overdoing it IMO at all! My list was much longer during my 6 month cancer-curing protocol. And I did much bigger doses. My Vit C was off the charts alone.
My naturopath had me on a lot more supplements than you listed and I committed to doing it for at least 6 months. Now 8 years later I don't take 1/4 as much (mainly financial) but when I was taking all those supplements I felt the best I ever have!
These days my nutritional consultant has me on 5,000 mg of VitD 2x's a day and right now has me doubling that b/c I have a nasty cough. I buy my VitD in 5,000mg strength FYI.
How are you feeling??
peace, emily
Your opinion on Folic Acid 400 mcg, please. (Thinking multivitamins here)0 -
Raqueldianetavegia said:Emily
Your opinion on Folic Acid 400 mcg, please. (Thinking multivitamins here)
I'm taking a Centrum Silver Women's Ultra multi vitamin, a total of 3,500 IU's Vit D3, a total of 2,000 mg Calcium, one 325 mg aspirin. I don't eat 'boxed' foods so any other 'folate' I get is the natural stuff in fresh foods.0 -
Hmmmmdianetavegia said:Emily
Your opinion on Folic Acid 400 mcg, please. (Thinking multivitamins here)
I have heard something about it recently being contraindicated, but I don't have an opinion on it. I'm pretty sure 8 years ago I took folic acid in a multi AND alone. This is why it;s so important to consult a professional. So I'm no help at all. Sorry about that.
:-)
peace, emily0 -
I think I will up the2bhealed said:Hmmmm
I have heard something about it recently being contraindicated, but I don't have an opinion on it. I'm pretty sure 8 years ago I took folic acid in a multi AND alone. This is why it;s so important to consult a professional. So I'm no help at all. Sorry about that.
:-)
peace, emily
I think I will up the calcium, vitamin C and vitamin D. Folic acid I read is good for breast cancer but does promotes cancer in colorectal, so just thought I would stay away from it for now. I feel good, was getting a couple stabbing pains around my liver today but not sure what that was. I feel okay now. I am looking better, my hair was dull, my eyes were sad, and now I feel like I have woken up. I'm even getting my ol' swagger back ;-)
Raquel0 -
You are far from poisoning yourself
Love your apricot comment!!!
I don't understand why you stopped your multivitamin (must have missed the folic acid scare). I took lots of vitamins even while on chemo since my oncologist (at a comprehensive cancer center) never had any problem with them. He was actually pleased I was taking Vit K to help ease some of the free bleeding side effects of avastin.
After chemo your multivitamin is very important to rebuild damaged cells (all your B vitamins do that). I do what Dr Oz says and break mine in half and take it twice daily.
Lisa P.
You've gotten some great advice so far!!!0 -
vision
A few years ago a panel was put together by the NIH to evaluate the various claims made for the health benefits of vitamins taken above the MDRs, and that panel found that the research underlying such claims was mostly unpersuasive, with a few exceptions. An exception was the AREDS clinical trial: "Scientists found that people at high risk of developing advanced stages of AMD, a leading cause of vision loss, lowered their risk by about 25 percent when treated with a high-dose combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and zinc." (AMD is Age-related Macular Degeneration.) See this news report: http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Nutrition-Vitamins/6-05-18-AntioxidantsAndZinc.htm .
The AREDS study inspired several commercial products, including Bausch & Lomb's Ocuvite and Safeway's Select Vision Formula. I take an Ocuvite tablet every day.0 -
Vitamins
To make sure I was taking the proper vitamins and the recommended dosage, I went to www.webmd.com and lookup each vitamin and the required dosage and this is what I take.
AM
One-A-Day Women's Multi-vitamin with calcium
PM
Folic Acid
Caltrate 600 D
According to the recommended dosages, I am getting enough through what I am taking. At one point I was adding additional Vitamin B, but realized I was getting enough except Folic Acid. Since I work out alot, I added additional.
I also drink 70 to 96 ozs of water daily and also eat fruit, veggies and grains.0 -
Shelly,nudgie said:Vitamins
To make sure I was taking the proper vitamins and the recommended dosage, I went to www.webmd.com and lookup each vitamin and the required dosage and this is what I take.
AM
One-A-Day Women's Multi-vitamin with calcium
PM
Folic Acid
Caltrate 600 D
According to the recommended dosages, I am getting enough through what I am taking. At one point I was adding additional Vitamin B, but realized I was getting enough except Folic Acid. Since I work out alot, I added additional.
I also drink 70 to 96 ozs of water daily and also eat fruit, veggies and grains.
Do check, but I do not believe One a Day has Vit D3 which is very important in your colon health. I read it contains Vit. D in the Vit. D2 form.
You can get a coupon for Centrum off www.centrum.com
Also, Folic Acid has been contraindicated in colon care if taking more than 400 mcg a day. It actually causes colon cancer to grow. We have a thread on that and more info above this post.
Calcium, you should be getting 2,000 a day.
Here's a rundown See Live Links Here off an older post.
)
A: an aspirin a day
B: Better diet with no red meat or limited to 4 ounces a month
C: Calcium
Vitamin D3 which is only found in a few foods. Note: this is NOT the Vit. D in One a Day, etc. It is in Centrum Ultra, etc.
E: Exercise The Dana Farber Cancer Institute has done several studies which prove recurrence can be avoided at a rate of 55% in Stage III women who exercise regularly.
ASPIRIN:
CHICAGO – Score another win for the humble aspirin. A study suggests colon cancer patients who took the dirt-cheap wonder drug reduced their risk of death from the disease by nearly 30 percent.
Aspirin already is recommended for preventing heart attacks and strokes, along with its traditional use for relief of minor aches and pains. Its merit in colon cancer prevention has been tempered by its side effects, bleeding from irritation of the stomach or intestines.
The new study suggests patients who already have colon cancer may benefit from taking aspirin along with surgery and chemotherapy. In a separate analysis of a subgroup of patients, only those with the most common type of tumor, those that overproduce the Cox-2 enzyme, saw a benefit.
"The paper is absolutely incredible, and I don't gush normally," said Dr. Alfred Neugut of Columbia University Medical Center in New York who has done similar research but was not involved in the new study. In an accompanying editorial, Neugut wrote that the study "comes as close as it can to offering patients a way to help themselves."..... MORE AT:
CLICK HERE
BETTER DIET: The Mediterranean Diet is believed (study being done at U of Mich) to raise survival rates from Colon Cancer by 6%. Mediterranean Diet HERE
CALCIUM:
Should Everyone Take Calcium and Vitamin D?
Written by Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD.
Only about five years ago, every patient of mine who finished chemotherapy was given a vitamin cocktail to further reduce colon cancer risk. It was calcium, selenium, vitamin E and folic acid.
Over the last three years, folic acid has been shown to increase growth of polyps, and in patients with metastatic disease it may shorten life. The protective value of vitamin E has been questioned, and there was evidence that it might increase prostate cancer risk. Selenium did not show benefit.
So we are down to calcium. This supplement has been shown repeatedly to benefit patients by reducing cancer risk for a variety of solid tumors including colon cancer. A recent publication by Dr. Yikyung Park from the National Cancer Institute showed that supplementation of 1200 mg calcium in women and men over the age of 50 decreased cancer risk by 17% for men and 23% for women (Archives of Internal Medicine, February 23, 2009). These were cancers of the gastrointestinal tract mainly colon cancers.
The usually source for calcium in our diet is milk products (yogurt, cheese etc) as well as meat. The calcium pathway is very interesting because it requires activity of vitamin D. Without vitamin D it is difficult to absorb calcium and put it into the organs where we need it, but to make sure we have sufficient vitamin D we need some sun exposure (vitamin D is activated in the skin) and we need a functional kidney.
When vitamin D was tested in patients with colon cancer it was found by Dr. Charles Fuchs in the Journal of Clinical Oncology published in June last year that the patients with the highest vitamin D levels lived longer suggesting that low levels may be associated with shorter survival. I recommend all my patients take 1500 mg of calcium and 1000-3000 units of vitamin D daily.
If you have a history of kidney stones or inflammatory bowel disease please check with your doctor first before starting calcium supplements.
D3: Watch this video on Vitamin D3 and cancer
Watch the Youtube video HERE
In a new study, researchers at the Moores Cancer Center and Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, UC San Diego used a complex computer prediction model to determine that intake of vitamin D...
EXERCISE: Do a websearch for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute colon cancer exercise Using all those words should bring it right up. 55% is amazing!0 -
Vitamins?dianetavegia said:Shelly,
Do check, but I do not believe One a Day has Vit D3 which is very important in your colon health. I read it contains Vit. D in the Vit. D2 form.
You can get a coupon for Centrum off www.centrum.com
Also, Folic Acid has been contraindicated in colon care if taking more than 400 mcg a day. It actually causes colon cancer to grow. We have a thread on that and more info above this post.
Calcium, you should be getting 2,000 a day.
Here's a rundown See Live Links Here off an older post.)
A: an aspirin a day
B: Better diet with no red meat or limited to 4 ounces a month
C: Calcium Vitamin D3 which is only found in a few foods. Note: this is NOT the Vit. D in One a Day, etc. It is in Centrum Ultra, etc.
E: Exercise The Dana Farber Cancer Institute has done several studies which prove recurrence can be avoided at a rate of 55% in Stage III women who exercise regularly.
ASPIRIN:
CHICAGO – Score another win for the humble aspirin. A study suggests colon cancer patients who took the dirt-cheap wonder drug reduced their risk of death from the disease by nearly 30 percent.
Aspirin already is recommended for preventing heart attacks and strokes, along with its traditional use for relief of minor aches and pains. Its merit in colon cancer prevention has been tempered by its side effects, bleeding from irritation of the stomach or intestines.
The new study suggests patients who already have colon cancer may benefit from taking aspirin along with surgery and chemotherapy. In a separate analysis of a subgroup of patients, only those with the most common type of tumor, those that overproduce the Cox-2 enzyme, saw a benefit.
"The paper is absolutely incredible, and I don't gush normally," said Dr. Alfred Neugut of Columbia University Medical Center in New York who has done similar research but was not involved in the new study. In an accompanying editorial, Neugut wrote that the study "comes as close as it can to offering patients a way to help themselves."..... MORE AT:
CLICK HERE
BETTER DIET: The Mediterranean Diet is believed (study being done at U of Mich) to raise survival rates from Colon Cancer by 6%. Mediterranean Diet HERE
CALCIUM:
Should Everyone Take Calcium and Vitamin D?
Written by Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD.
Only about five years ago, every patient of mine who finished chemotherapy was given a vitamin cocktail to further reduce colon cancer risk. It was calcium, selenium, vitamin E and folic acid.
Over the last three years, folic acid has been shown to increase growth of polyps, and in patients with metastatic disease it may shorten life. The protective value of vitamin E has been questioned, and there was evidence that it might increase prostate cancer risk. Selenium did not show benefit.
So we are down to calcium. This supplement has been shown repeatedly to benefit patients by reducing cancer risk for a variety of solid tumors including colon cancer. A recent publication by Dr. Yikyung Park from the National Cancer Institute showed that supplementation of 1200 mg calcium in women and men over the age of 50 decreased cancer risk by 17% for men and 23% for women (Archives of Internal Medicine, February 23, 2009). These were cancers of the gastrointestinal tract mainly colon cancers.
The usually source for calcium in our diet is milk products (yogurt, cheese etc) as well as meat. The calcium pathway is very interesting because it requires activity of vitamin D. Without vitamin D it is difficult to absorb calcium and put it into the organs where we need it, but to make sure we have sufficient vitamin D we need some sun exposure (vitamin D is activated in the skin) and we need a functional kidney.
When vitamin D was tested in patients with colon cancer it was found by Dr. Charles Fuchs in the Journal of Clinical Oncology published in June last year that the patients with the highest vitamin D levels lived longer suggesting that low levels may be associated with shorter survival. I recommend all my patients take 1500 mg of calcium and 1000-3000 units of vitamin D daily.
If you have a history of kidney stones or inflammatory bowel disease please check with your doctor first before starting calcium supplements.
D3: Watch this video on Vitamin D3 and cancer
Watch the Youtube video HERE
In a new study, researchers at the Moores Cancer Center and Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, UC San Diego used a complex computer prediction model to determine that intake of vitamin D...
EXERCISE: Do a websearch for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute colon cancer exercise Using all those words should bring it right up. 55% is amazing!
Hi,
I stumbled on to this site and like the info I've read on it. My wife was diagnosed with colon cancer 1 year ago today, on 7/8/09. She also beat breast cancer in 09 too, mastectomy, in Jan. 09. I feel very blessed to have my wife by my side today. God is so Compassionate!! The reason I'm writing is to find out if anyone knows where a person can purchase folic acid free vitamins? We have bought a vitamin marketed by a Dr. Fuhrman which is a good vitamin but the cost is outrageous. Over $47/bottle, ouch!! Any help? Please don't anyone give up hope no matter how bad the prognosis is. My wife and I know that God hears and answers prayers, and we will pray for anyone who wants us to.
Thanks In Advance,
Paul0 -
I'm with Emily!
That ain't nothing! Hahaha.
I take so much at this point, it's ridiculous but I do feel really good.
For my multi-vitamin, I take a whole food, green powder supplement mixed with tart cherry concentrate (for inflammation), water, fish oil, ground flax seed and modified citrus pectin. That's about 8 oz of liquid that I use to wash down my pill supplements.
I do take 15000 units of Vit D a day and I have my level checked every three months.
Catherine0 -
Jsut an FYIC Dixon said:I'm with Emily!
That ain't nothing! Hahaha.
I take so much at this point, it's ridiculous but I do feel really good.
For my multi-vitamin, I take a whole food, green powder supplement mixed with tart cherry concentrate (for inflammation), water, fish oil, ground flax seed and modified citrus pectin. That's about 8 oz of liquid that I use to wash down my pill supplements.
I do take 15000 units of Vit D a day and I have my level checked every three months.
Catherine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folic_acid
Cancer
Folate deficiency decreases intracellular S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), which inhibits cytosine methylation in DNA, activates proto-oncogenes, induces malignant transformations, causes DNA precursor imbalances, misincorporates uracil into DNA, and promotes chromosome breakage; all of these mechanisms increase the risk of prostate cancer development.[59]
The association between folate and cancer appears to be complex.[60] Even though theoretically it has been suggested that folate may help prevent cancer[61] actual trials have found that supplementation increases rates of cancer.[5]
Some investigations have proposed that good levels of folic acid may be related to lower risk of esophageal, stomach, and ovarian cancers, but the benefits of folic acid against cancer may depend on when it is taken and on individual conditions. In addition, folic acid may not be helpful, and could even be damaging, in people already suffering from cancer or from a precancerous condition. On the converse, it has been suggested that excess folate may promote tumor initiation.[62] Folate has shown to play a dual role in cancer development; low folate intake protects against early carcinogenesis but high folate intake promotes advanced carcinogenesis.[63] Therefore, public health recommendations should be careful not to encourage too much folate intake.[63]
Diets great in folate are associated with decreased risk of colorectal cancer; some studies show an association that is stronger for folate from foods alone than for folate from foods and supplements,[64] while other studies find that folate from supplements is more effective due to greater bioavailability.[65] A 2007 randomized clinical trial found that folate supplements did not reduce the risk of colorectal adenomas, but do in fact increase the presence of advanced lesions and adenoma multiplicity.[66] Colorectal cancer is the most studied type of cancer in relation to folate and one carbon metabolism and most research studies associate high folate intake with a reduced risk of prostate cancer.[67] However, folic acid supplement intake increased advanced colorectal cancer development by 67% in a 14 year European research study involving 520,000 men.[68]
A 2006 prospective study of 81,922 Swedish adults found that diets great in folate from foods, but not from supplements, were associated with a reduced risk of pancreatic cancer.[69]
Most epidemiologic studies suggest that diets high in folate are associated with decreased risk of breast cancer, but results are not uniformly consistent: One broad cancer screening trial reported a potential harmful effect of much folate intake on breast cancer risk, suggesting that routine folate supplementation should not be recommended as a breast cancer preventive,[70] but a 2007 Swedish prospective study found that much folate intake was associated with a lower incidence of postmenopausal breast cancer.[71] A 2008 study has shown no significant effect of folic acid on overall risk of total invasive cancer or breast cancer among women.[72] Folate intake may not have any effect on the risk of breast cancer but may have an effect for women who consume at least 15 g/d of alcohol.[73] Folate intake of more than 300 µg/d may reduce the risk of breast cancer in women who consume alcohol.[73]
In men, folic acid supplementation appears to double the risk of prostate cancer.[74] Recently, a clinical trial showed that daily supplementation of 1 mg of folic acid increased the risk of prostate cancer while dietary and plasma folate levels among non vitamin users actually decreased the risk of prostate cancer.[75] The reasons why high levels of folic acid may increase cancer is because of its role in nucleotide synthesis (proliferating neoplastic cells need this and folate receptors are increased in cancers).[76] Folate's role in DNA methylation is important in prostate cancer.[77] Unmetabolized folic acid is associated with a reduction in natural killer cell cytotoxicity, which reduces the immune system's ability to defend against malignant cells.[78] However, the study also showed that dietary baseline intake of folate may have inverse effects of prostate cancer.
The cancer drug methotrexate is designed to inhibit the metabolism of folic acid. Folic acid may interact unexpectedly with the cancer drug fluorouracil. The exact mechanism of interaction is unknown.[79]
The low dihydrofolate reductase activity in the liver of humans compared to other animals and so the low conversion of folic acid into its active derivatives might be due to the control of this enzyme by transcription factors such as E2F-1 involved in cell proliferation. It has been suggested that "the low level of DHFR, and the other proteins under the control of E2F-1, in humans may have evolved to hinder the development of cancer. If this is the case, other animals with slow tissue turnover rates, possibly related to long life span, might also have low DHFR activity."[2]
Although the relationship between folate and prostate cancer is not yet clear, there have been suicide gene studies that show a target vector for folate to prostate and nasopharyngeal cancer cells.[80] Growth of tumor cells is significantly inhibited when a folate-linked nanoparticle is injected intratumorally.[80] The mechanism might be the interference of transfection and communication failures of intracellular gap junctions.[80]
A Finnish study consisting of 29,133 older male smokers resulted in the observation that prostate cancer risk had no relationship with serum folate levels.[3]
Folic acid supplements prevent mistakes from occurring during DNA replication and repair, for example the mistake of inserting uracils into the DNA.[81] This is a proposed mechanism for folic acid's protection against colorectal cancer.[81]
Folic acid supplements stimulate the PI3k/Akt signaling cascade, which leads to improved cell survival but this could be beneficial or harmful for the body because cancer cells may use this pathway to survive.[82] Folic acid may also reduce the levels of PTEN (a tumor suppressor gene), making this relationship even more controversial.[82]0 -
Folic AcidNana b said:Jsut an FYI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folic_acid
Cancer
Folate deficiency decreases intracellular S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), which inhibits cytosine methylation in DNA, activates proto-oncogenes, induces malignant transformations, causes DNA precursor imbalances, misincorporates uracil into DNA, and promotes chromosome breakage; all of these mechanisms increase the risk of prostate cancer development.[59]
The association between folate and cancer appears to be complex.[60] Even though theoretically it has been suggested that folate may help prevent cancer[61] actual trials have found that supplementation increases rates of cancer.[5]
Some investigations have proposed that good levels of folic acid may be related to lower risk of esophageal, stomach, and ovarian cancers, but the benefits of folic acid against cancer may depend on when it is taken and on individual conditions. In addition, folic acid may not be helpful, and could even be damaging, in people already suffering from cancer or from a precancerous condition. On the converse, it has been suggested that excess folate may promote tumor initiation.[62] Folate has shown to play a dual role in cancer development; low folate intake protects against early carcinogenesis but high folate intake promotes advanced carcinogenesis.[63] Therefore, public health recommendations should be careful not to encourage too much folate intake.[63]
Diets great in folate are associated with decreased risk of colorectal cancer; some studies show an association that is stronger for folate from foods alone than for folate from foods and supplements,[64] while other studies find that folate from supplements is more effective due to greater bioavailability.[65] A 2007 randomized clinical trial found that folate supplements did not reduce the risk of colorectal adenomas, but do in fact increase the presence of advanced lesions and adenoma multiplicity.[66] Colorectal cancer is the most studied type of cancer in relation to folate and one carbon metabolism and most research studies associate high folate intake with a reduced risk of prostate cancer.[67] However, folic acid supplement intake increased advanced colorectal cancer development by 67% in a 14 year European research study involving 520,000 men.[68]
A 2006 prospective study of 81,922 Swedish adults found that diets great in folate from foods, but not from supplements, were associated with a reduced risk of pancreatic cancer.[69]
Most epidemiologic studies suggest that diets high in folate are associated with decreased risk of breast cancer, but results are not uniformly consistent: One broad cancer screening trial reported a potential harmful effect of much folate intake on breast cancer risk, suggesting that routine folate supplementation should not be recommended as a breast cancer preventive,[70] but a 2007 Swedish prospective study found that much folate intake was associated with a lower incidence of postmenopausal breast cancer.[71] A 2008 study has shown no significant effect of folic acid on overall risk of total invasive cancer or breast cancer among women.[72] Folate intake may not have any effect on the risk of breast cancer but may have an effect for women who consume at least 15 g/d of alcohol.[73] Folate intake of more than 300 µg/d may reduce the risk of breast cancer in women who consume alcohol.[73]
In men, folic acid supplementation appears to double the risk of prostate cancer.[74] Recently, a clinical trial showed that daily supplementation of 1 mg of folic acid increased the risk of prostate cancer while dietary and plasma folate levels among non vitamin users actually decreased the risk of prostate cancer.[75] The reasons why high levels of folic acid may increase cancer is because of its role in nucleotide synthesis (proliferating neoplastic cells need this and folate receptors are increased in cancers).[76] Folate's role in DNA methylation is important in prostate cancer.[77] Unmetabolized folic acid is associated with a reduction in natural killer cell cytotoxicity, which reduces the immune system's ability to defend against malignant cells.[78] However, the study also showed that dietary baseline intake of folate may have inverse effects of prostate cancer.
The cancer drug methotrexate is designed to inhibit the metabolism of folic acid. Folic acid may interact unexpectedly with the cancer drug fluorouracil. The exact mechanism of interaction is unknown.[79]
The low dihydrofolate reductase activity in the liver of humans compared to other animals and so the low conversion of folic acid into its active derivatives might be due to the control of this enzyme by transcription factors such as E2F-1 involved in cell proliferation. It has been suggested that "the low level of DHFR, and the other proteins under the control of E2F-1, in humans may have evolved to hinder the development of cancer. If this is the case, other animals with slow tissue turnover rates, possibly related to long life span, might also have low DHFR activity."[2]
Although the relationship between folate and prostate cancer is not yet clear, there have been suicide gene studies that show a target vector for folate to prostate and nasopharyngeal cancer cells.[80] Growth of tumor cells is significantly inhibited when a folate-linked nanoparticle is injected intratumorally.[80] The mechanism might be the interference of transfection and communication failures of intracellular gap junctions.[80]
A Finnish study consisting of 29,133 older male smokers resulted in the observation that prostate cancer risk had no relationship with serum folate levels.[3]
Folic acid supplements prevent mistakes from occurring during DNA replication and repair, for example the mistake of inserting uracils into the DNA.[81] This is a proposed mechanism for folic acid's protection against colorectal cancer.[81]
Folic acid supplements stimulate the PI3k/Akt signaling cascade, which leads to improved cell survival but this could be beneficial or harmful for the body because cancer cells may use this pathway to survive.[82] Folic acid may also reduce the levels of PTEN (a tumor suppressor gene), making this relationship even more controversial.[82]
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35874922/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/19055529#190555290 -
OK I think I'm completelyNana b said:
OK I think I'm completely confused! Folic Acid or NOT???
I found the thread really interesting. THANKS EVERYONE!
I have been taking alot of different supplements.....recommended by my naturopath
also, but worry at times about dosage!0 -
SueRelays said:
OK I think I'm completely
OK I think I'm completely confused! Folic Acid or NOT???
I found the thread really interesting. THANKS EVERYONE!
I have been taking alot of different supplements.....recommended by my naturopath
also, but worry at times about dosage!
0 -
Hello againSueRelays said:OK I think I'm completely
OK I think I'm completely confused! Folic Acid or NOT???
I found the thread really interesting. THANKS EVERYONE!
I have been taking alot of different supplements.....recommended by my naturopath
also, but worry at times about dosage!
I was told by a nurse at the hospital that 325 mg of aspirin a day was too much for my stomach; her husband had colon cancer and he took a baby aspirin a day. she asked me to speak with my oncologist, but I never did and do only take a baby aspirin a day.0
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