Guest guest Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 " HSI - Jenny Thompson " <hsiresearch HSI e-Alert - In Defense of Passion Thu, 20 Apr 2006 06:50:00 -0400 HSI e-Alert - In Defense of Passion Health Sciences Institute e-Alert **************************************************** April 20, 2006 Dear Reader, What prompts a cancer to become invasive? A Georgetown University Medical Center researcher believes that one of the factors that causes a cancer to spread aggressively into tissue may be the way a person reacts to a cancer diagnosis. Furthermore, research has already revealed how an herbal extract may help prevent certain cancers from becoming dangerously invasive. ----------- Early evidence ----------- We've already seen evidence that ginkgo biloba extract may be an effective agent in managing ovarian cancer. In the e-Alert " Silence...Not Golden " (11/21/05), I told you about a Harvard study that examined herbal usage among 1,200 female subjects, half of whom were ovarian cancer patients. Researchers found that women who used ginkgo were much more likely to be in the healthy group. In fact, it appeared that when ginkgo was used for six months or longer, ovarian cancer risk was cut by as much as 60 percent. The Harvard team backed up this research with a lab study in which results showed that a small amount of ginkgolide (the biologically active component of ginkgo biloba) stopped the growth of ovarian cancer cells. ----------- Two steps up ----------- Obviously, further studies will be needed to confirm the Harvard findings. And recent research from Georgetown University may provide the next few steps toward confirmation. For two decades, Georgetown researchers have been studying a molecule known as PBR. This protein molecule plays an important role in drawing cholesterol into a cell where it's used to produce steroids. And for our purposes today, forget all the negative reports you've heard concerning steroid use in professional sports. Steroids are regulatory hormones that a cell needs for proper growth. The Georgetown research showed that PBR is over-expressed by some highly invasive cancers, including certain brain cancers, breast, colon and prostate cancers. PBR over-_expression is also linked to some neurological disorders, so Dr. Vassilios Papadopoulos (vice president of the Georgetown University Medical Center) decided to test ginkgo on PBR production. Dr. Papadopoulos' team took breast cancer cells that over-expressed PBR and implanted them in mice. After a 30-day treatment with ginkgo extract, tumor size was reduced by 35 percent compared to mice that didn't receive ginkgo. In a more recent lab study from the Georgetown team, ginkgo extract had no effect on non-invasive cell cancer lines, but the growth of aggressive cancer cells was significantly slowed by the extract. A Georgetown press release states that Dr. Papadopoulos is currently examining a theory that a cancer diagnosis might boost the production of stress steroids through PBR over-production. He believes such stress may prompt a tumor to become invasive, and adds, " Ginkgo biloba could possibly reduce this stress by tamping down PBR. " ----------- Acid test ----------- All of these cancer studies that involve ginkgo are strictly preliminary, so it will be some time yet before a clear picture begins to emerge. I expect that most HSI members are aware that ginkgo biloba is well known as a potential memory enhancer and an aid for cognitive function that might even be effective in treating the early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. If you're thinking of supplementing with ginkgo, keep in mind that many alternative practitioners believe the recommended daily dosage of 120 mg is too low, and that the dosage should be 240 mg or more per day. The optimal dosage for any individual should be determined by weighing other health factors, other supplements or drugs being used, and only after consulting a doctor or medical professional. Also note that ginkgo may prompt gastrointestinal bleeding. Apparently this bleeding is slight, and usually happens when ginkgo is taken with other agents that are also known to prompt such bleeding, like aspirin or the anticoagulant drug warfarin. So for most people, bleeding shouldn't be a problem. However, there are other ginkgo side effects, including headaches and skin irritations. The culprit in these cases is ginkgolic acid, a toxic compound. It's generally accepted that five ppm (parts per million) is a safe maximum level for this acid. But some supplement manufacturers don't list ginkgolic acid on their labels, so be sure to read content labels carefully. **************************************************** ....and another thing The court will now turn over " The Case Against Vitamins " to the defense. An HSI member named Stacey writes: " I recently was forwarded a March 20, 2006, Wall Street Journal article by Tara Parker-Pope - subject: 'The case against vitamins'. I would love to hear your response to this. " For anyone who wants to believe that vitamins and other dietary supplements are ineffective and even dangerous, this is the article for them. The author cherry picks study results and comments from " experts " to create a perfect rationale for avoiding vitamin supplements. It would be much too tedious to go through the article and defend each negative detail (almost all the cited studies have been examined and debunked in previous e-Alerts anyway). But a couple of interesting comments stand out. Early in her article, Parker-Pope states that the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) of the National Academy of Sciences is " the top U.S. authority for nutritional recommendations. " And Parker-Pope notes that the FNB " has concluded that taking antioxidant supplements serves no purpose. " No purpose. Pointless. Ineffective. I'll come back to that assessment in a moment. Let's move on to what Parker-Pope describes as " one theory " about free radicals. She cites no experts or research to support this theory, but it goes like this: Free radicals may in fact play an important role by prompting the immune system into action. Parker-Pope writes: " It may be that vitamins clean up the free-radical mess, but the immune system isn't alerted to fix the damage, allowing disease to set in. " Now, what completely negates this theory? The assessment by " the top U.S. authority for nutritional recommendations " that antioxidant supplements are ineffective. Parker-Pope seems to want it both ways. Antioxidants are ineffective, but they may also be SO effective that they're dangerous. The article concludes with an observation by Dr. Edgar R. Miller, a clinical investigator for the National Institute on Aging. Dr. Miller notes that some people are passionate about their vitamins, and then he slams the door: " I don't know where they get it from, but it's not based on scientific evidence. " For those of you who have taken supplements for years and feel better, have more energy and seem to get over illness faster...well, you're going to have to rely on your own experiences, because according to Dr. Miller there's just not enough science to tell us you're right. To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson **************************************************** Sources: " Ginkgo Biloba and Ginkgolides as Potential Agents for Ovarian Cancer Prevention " Abstract #3654, Presented 10/31/05, American Association for Cancer Research's 4th annual Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, aacr.org " Ginkgo Biloba Extract: More than Just for Memory? " Georgetown University Medical Center press release, 2/23/06, eurekalert.org " Health Journal: The Case Against Vitamins " Tara Parker-Pope, The Wall Street Journal, 3/20/06, post-gazette.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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