Treating cancer and illnesses with herbs and nutrition - Part 1
Cancer is of course a disease that is increasing in Western populations. The primary medical treatments are well known – surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
But there are major problems with multidrug resistance to chemotherapy (and the cumulative effects of radiotherapy). Increasing evidence shows that complementary medicines, including herbal medicines, can significantly improve outcomes by reducing this resistance.
Demographics
33-83% of people with cancer use complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) after diagnosis and the most likely users are educated women with breast cancer. Patients using CAM are more optimistic than others. The most common reason for this is the increase of hope.
In Europe, 48% of people with the diagnosis of cancer use herbal medicines, with the most common scenario being that people combine conventional medicine with complementary therapies. 80% people with cancer who use CAM also undergo conventional treatment.
Three Approaches
- Herbs and nutrients can be used to reduce the toxic side effects of chemotherapy.
- They can reduce toxicity, reduce drug resistance, improve outcomes related to specific chemotherapeutic agents.
- They can reduce the overall pharmaceutical load.
Research
The effects of using anti-oxidants concurrent with chemotherapy and radiation are synergistic and there is no evidence to date showing that natural anti-oxidants interfere with conventional cancer therapies in vivo (refers to the technique of performing a given experiment in a controlled environment outside of a living organism).
Studies have even shown that patients treated with anti-oxidants (herb and nutrional), with or without chemotherapy and radiation have many benefits. Patients have been noted to tolerate standard treatment better, experience less weight loss, have a better quality of life and most importantly, live longer than patients receiving no supplements.
It is time to research the role of these agents in conventional oncologic treatment, rather than dismiss them as a class based on theoretical concerns.
(Research from Lamson D et al Antioxidants in Cancer Therapy; their Actions and Interaction with Oncologic Therapies – Alternative Medicine Reviews 1999;4(5):304-329).
Drug: Herb interactions
85% of drugs have been developed from plants. The active ingredients have been separated and synthesised, but they work along similar pathways. With the loss of balancing factors and increased side effects, herbs and nutrients/antioxidants have the capacity to shift “imbalances” in the body.
Herbs are used for many activities in the body, such as: Detoxifying, blood cleansing, stress management, tonics, immunomodulators, protective herbs, hormonal balancers, adrenal tonics, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, etc.. There is no parallel in modern medicine for many of these actions.
CAM supports health
The actions of CAM improve the health of the organism (they do not treat the disease), enhance vitality, support and repair immunity, provide blood and nutritive tonics, support digestion and absorption, support organs of elimination and protect especially the liver and kidney.
CAM also help to increase antioxidants, reduce inflammation (re-balances hormones), help in the management of stress and reduce immediate side effects.
Antioxidants are critical
Plant anti-oxidants, such as green tea (camellia sinensis), garlic (alium sativum), turmeric (curcuma longa), lycopene (tomatoes), lutein (spinach), carotenoids (veges and fruit), anti-oxidant nutrients, vitamins A, C, and E, selenium, zinc, co-enzyme Q10, alpha lipoic acid, are all very important.
Reduces GIT side effects
Chemotherapy treatments affect digestion, in particular the intestinal cells, which are rapidly dividing cells and are vulnerable. Digestive repair is vital for health.
- Ginger, caraway, fennel and peppermint can help with nausea and vomiting.
- Slippery elm, kudzu, marshmellow, aloe vera and chickweed can help with pain and burning in the stomach.
- Slippery elm, raspberry and leaf tea can also help with diarrhoea.
- Colloidal minerals and celtic sea salt can help with electrolyte rebalancing.
Digestive support
- Herbs help to reduce Candida and other pathogens, such as garlic, Pau d’arco, Chinese wormwood, olive leaf, burdock and grapefruit seed extract (short term). In addition, they can also reinoculate the correct gut bacteria, acidophilus, Bifidobacteria, LGG, Rhamnosus and can improve the environment for growth of lactobacilli/bifidus.
- Slippery elm, B vitamins, Chlorophyll, Inulin and FOS all help too.
- Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates.
