Boswellia (Frankincense)
Lipoxygenase (LOX)Frankincense is a sap tapped from the Boswellia tree by slashing the bark and allowing the resins to flow and harden. This odd-sounding substance has been used in folk medicine...
Antioxidants
Dandelion and Immune Function
Dandelion: Bane or Boon? Taraxacum Dandelion's botanical name is Taraxacum, from the Greek words for disorder (taraxos) and remedy (akos). Its common name is derived from the French "dent de...
Cat’s Claw May Be Beneficial in Breast Cancer
Impact on the Immune System Recently, there was a small, randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the effects of cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa) on the immune system of women with stage II invasive...
Ginkgo Biloba
A Botanical AgentA supplement that has a beneficial effect on genes that are damaged in the course of conventional treatment is the botanical agent, Ginkgo Biloba extract (GBE, from the leaf of...
B Vitamins and the Drug Pemetrexed
Departure for Conventional Oncology It has been found, in a pleural mesothelioma trial, that supplementation with folic acid (vitamin B9) and vitamin B12 midway through a clinical trial lessened...
Herbes de Provence Against Aging
The Extraordinary Power of Herbs God Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed it is the purest of human pleasures. It is the greatest refreshment to the spirits of man; without which,...
Grape Seed Extract
Waste to Want Grape seeds are a byproduct of the wine industry, a waste material turned into a valuable health supplement. This is because grape seeds contain proanthocyanidins, which are valued...
POMI-T for Prostate Cancer
Randomized Controlled Trial An Italian product, POMI-T, contains extracts of broccoli (containing indol-C-carbinol), pomegranate whole fruit powder (containing ellagic acid), and turmeric...
Benefits of Boysenberries
Raspberry, Blackberry, Dewberry, Loganberry The boysenberry is a cross between the European raspberry, European blackberry, American dewberry, and loganberry. It was first developed by Charles...
Black Raspberries Help Prevent Esophageal Cancer
Antioxidants Evidence continues to accumulate that colorful fruits and vegetables (high in antioxidants) can help prevent cancer. In mid-August, scientists at Ohio State University were able to...
Nuts Against Cancer
Nut Consumption One of the most intriguing health stories of the year established a link between the consumption of tree or ground nuts and sharply lower rates of mortality from cancer,...
Pomegranate Extract and POMI-T
Pomegranate, Broccoli, Turmeric, and Green TeaScientists at the University at Albany, SUNY, showed that a pomegranate extract (PE) killed breast cancer stem cells. They concluded that pomegranate...
Bitter Melon and Head and Neck Cancer
Bitter Melon and c-MET Signaling A report from the Cancer Center of St. Louis University, Missouri, showed that bitter melon extract (BME) could reduce the growth of squamous cell carcinoma of...
Does Beer Prevent Barrett’s Esophagus?
Bitter is Better Beer is one of the most popular drinks in the world. Consumption ranges from 2 liters (or quarts) per person per year in India to a whopping 132 liters in the Czech Republic...
Artichoke and Silymarin
A is for Artichoke Back in the Fifties, I read a story called "The Heart of the Artichoke." As a lugubrious teenager, the artichoke seemed like an appropriate metaphor for life: the bitter leaves...
An ASCO 2007 Review
Shark Cartilage, Ginseng, and Flax Seed - ASCO 2007 In June, 2007, I attended the meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). There were about 30,000 attendees at this 43rd...
Cancer and the Virtues of Beer
A Health Food? The argument can be made that beer is health food, even herbal medicine. The traditional usage of hops is as a relaxant and a sleep aid. Like all bitters, hops aids digestion....
Avocados and Cancer
In Praise of Avocados The Haas Avocado The Haas avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is an American success story. A California mailman named Rudolph Haas discovered this cultivar, which turns...
Lycopene – Tomato Products
A Potent Antioxidant In a randomized controlled trial (RCT) from the Department of Epidemiology, the University of North Carolina, drinking just one can (5.5 ounces) per day of the vegetable...
Artichokes vs. Cancer
The Flower Bud of a Large Thistle I purchased two extraordinary-looking globe artichokes and incorporated them into a family dinner. This got me thinking about the various health properties of...
Is Chocolate a Health Food?
Antioxidant? Amphetamine? Aphrodisiac? One surprising entry in the health food category is chocolate. The Aztec King Tezozomoc (1320-1426) regarded it as a divine substance and offered...
Beans Against Cancer
An Outstanding Source of Antioxidants "... and let them give us pulse to eat and water to drink." -Daniel 1.12 Ancient Food Beans are among our most ancient foods. The major problem in discussing...
Garlic May Prevent Stomach Cancer
Strong, Consistent, Protective Effect Cooked Garlic People who consume either raw or cooked garlic regularly have half the risk of stomach cancer and two-thirds the risk of colorectal cancer as...
Spirulina Against Cancer
Blue-Green Microalgae Spirulina is a blue-green microalgae that grows abundantly in either fresh or sea water. It is sold as a concentrated food supplement widely available in natural food...
Do Fruit and Vegetables Prevent Cancer?
One Small Apple The Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) has published a paper that denies a major role of fruit and vegetable consumption in the prevention of cancer. Since this...
Indo-Mediterranean Diet Prevents Heart Disease
Dramatic Results for the Indo-Mediterranean Diet A fascinating study on diet appeared in the British medical journal Lancet in November, 2002. This study was prompted by the observation that...
“The Grape Cure”
Resveratrol: A powerful Health-Restoring Substance Red grape skins contain a substance called resveratrol. According to John Michael Pezzuto, PhD, professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the...
Dietary Compounds That Kill Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs)
Natural Agents in the Food We Eat “A small number of malignant cancer stem cells are already enough to ensure a continuous supply of cancer cells. These tumor stem cells are resistant to chemo-...
Flax and Flaxseed Oil
Myth, Reality, and The Budwig Diet A comprehensive review by Bangladeshi scientists showed that flaxseeds (Linum. usitatissimum) contain many constituents, such as omega-3 fatty acids, lignans,...
Green Tea (EGCG)
One of the Big Five Green tea is one of the “Big Five” nutraceuticals that kill cancer stem cells (per Naujokat and McKee’s excellent paper on the topic). EGCG (the main solid ingredient in green...
Resveratrol
Resveratrol: A Natural Phytoalexin Found in Grapes Chemical Complexity Grapes are chemically complex but have been better studied than most other plants. There are hundreds of separate...
Does Traveling for Treatment Increase Survival?
Impact of Travel There was a surprising study in a recent Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital studied the impact that traveling for treatment...
How to Choose a Clinic Wisely
Treating the Whole Person Most people realize that the choice of an oncologist is one of life’s more important decisions. But it is no less important to choose one’s complementary and...
Appetite and Anorexia Issues
Improving Appetite Based on their clinical experience, naturopaths often recommend a combination of digestive enzymes plus hydrochloric acid (HCl) and bile salts as needed for improving appetite....
Cramps
A randomized controlled trial (RCT) studied the occurrence of cramps in patients undergoing dialysis. The patients were given either vitamin C, vitamin E, their combination or a placebo (sugar...
Nephrotoxicity – Kidney Damage
Urinary System RiskThe kidney-damaging potential (nephrotoxicity) of many chemotherapy agents is well-established and so another factor is the use of chemotherapy that has the potential to damage...