The Role of Niacin in Detoxification

The role of niacin in detoxification

Niacin opens blood vessels wider. Niacin, when used properly, offers benefits in terms of cholesterol reduction, as well as for detoxification. People with high cholesterol levels should see improvements once their follow the proper diet of raw foods, preferably through a good juicing program, along with the proper healing fats in their diet. However for people who don't respond, it would seem that niacin would be a far safer and less expensive alternative to the statin drugs, which have their serious complications.        

Flush Out Chemicals With A Niacin Detox

Niacin Detox was an important part of the Purification Program developed by scientists by 1979 for releasing toxins from tissues. The program was developed as a result of research into methods of cleansing the body of drugs.

Niacin is Vitamin B3 and along with B1 and B2 is needed for the Phase 1 detox. Niacin, nicotinamide and nicotinic acid are all forms of Vitamin B3 but niacinimide plays no part in detoxification.

Niacin is needed for energy production, proper digestion, manufacture of hormones, gene expression, a healthy nervous system and healthy skin. We cannot do without it. A certain amount can be made in the body from the amino acid tryptophan, found in meat, dairy and eggs, if there is adequate B1, B2 and B6 but this does not supply our total needs.

Vitamin B3 is found in all organ meats, chicken, beef, salmon, tuna, wheat germ, green leafy vegetables, beans, peas, raw mushrooms, avocados, nuts, dried figs, prunes and dates. Processed food suffers from a loss of niacin.

Sometimes the term niacin detox is used to describe a program often used to lower LDL cholesterol without drugs.  Niacin can improve cardiovascular health and it is often used by doctors of alternative medicine and naturopaths as part of a program to reverse coronary artery disease. It can lower blood fats including cholesterol and widen the small blood vessels known as capillaries improving circulation.

The niacin detox I am talking about here is different. It bursts open fat cells ( lipolysis) to release chemicals or drugs that are stored in them. Many chemicals are stored in the fatty layers of your body. Once the toxins have been released they are detoxed from the body through the skin and intestines.

You may read some articles that say there is no scientific evidence that niacin can detox stored chemicals from the cells but the truth is that they have known that it works for some years but not exactly how.

Niacin is used in the Gerson Therapy for cancer.  Dr Gerson recommended 50mg six times a day for four to six months. He stated that Niacin helps to bring back sufficient glycogen into the liver cells. It also helps in protein metabolism, acts to open small arteries and capillaries and raises electrical potential in cells

Dr George Yu described the niacin detox program that he uses in his practice at the Longevity Now Conference held earlier this year

The dose for the niacin detox protocol varies from practitioner to practitioner but the program should include exercise and far infrared ( FIR) sauna.

Here’s a regime which should be followed for a month.

Niacin

Start by taking 50 mg a day with food and gradually build up the dose to at least 500mg. You can go up to 1000 mg a day if you think you are quite toxic. People with severe toxicity problems can take up to 5000mg but should be supervised by a health practitioner.

By gradually increasing the dose you will avoid the niacin flush. Niacin dilates the capillaries, increases circulation and releases histamine from cells which will cause the skin to flush, feel hot, make your heart pound and may cause you to itch. It can last for up to an hour but is not at all harmful.

When you continue to take niacin you develop a tolerance and will no longer flush. Don’t be tempted to take non-flush niacin and this will not have the same detox effect.

Exercise

Use a mini-trampoline ( rebounder)  for this. Jump on it for at least 10 minutes and preferably 20 minutes prior to using a FIR sauna. You may have to gradually build up your exercise time if you are not used to doing any. (Chi machine works very well.)

FIR Sauna ( or other heat source)

Spend 40 minutes if you can in a sauna built of environmentally safe materials. If you don’t tolerate heat well, have multiple chemical sensitivity or chronic illness then start out with 5 minutes and gradually increase the time by 5 minutes a day.

Wipe sweat from your body while in the sauna and follow it with a cleansing shower using neutral pH organic soap to wash off toxins from the skin. Be sure to wash your hair too. Wipe down the walls of the sauna and launder your towels as soon as possible in hot water because they will be laden with toxins that you have excreted from your body through the skin.

Drink 8 oz pure water for every 15 minutes you spend in the sauna to replace lost fluids.

Additional aids to detoxification

You can take Bentonite clay, activated charcoal, chlorella, psyllium seed or zeolite to help eliminate the toxins from the intestines.

A massage or other form of body work can help to relax muscles and increase circulation encouraging further cleansing.

A good detox diet that includes fresh vegetable juices, green smoothies and a large amount of fresh, raw and lightly cooked vegetables to help replace vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are needed for detox and repair of tissue damaged by the chemical toxins.

Long term intake of 2000mg ( 2 grams) or more a day may lead to side effects of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, flare up of gout, headache; heartburn, skin discoloration and raised liver enzymes in rare cases. These all disappear when therapy is stopped. Dr George Yu says that he never sees any permanent damage with doses up to 5000mg.

Niacin is a water-soluble B vitamin – vitamin B3 - and the common name for 2 very different compounds: "nicotinic acid" and "niacinamide". High doses of niacin (as nicotinic acid) can lower cholesterol levels (although the exact mechanism of action is still not known). The other form of niacin (nicotinamide or niacinamide) does not open blood vessels wider nor provide a cholesterol-lowering effect.

 Niacin and detoxification of fatty tissues

There are many 'detoxification programs' on the internet, but few of them acknowledge the significant fact that many toxins are stored in FATTY TISSUES. Until that fact is acknowledged, one can not develop a procedure for removing toxins from THAT location.                                             

                                                

Until the Ron Hubbard purification program was developed, no one had even yet recognized that these oil soluble toxins had such long-term effects in the body.

An important characteristic of the Hubbard detoxification program is the use of niacin. Niacin has the well-known effect of causing "vasodilation", often called the niacin flush, which is an opening of the small blood vessels, the capillaries, so that more blood flows through them. These are the blood vessels which are of most value in reaching fatty tissues. In this way the toxins which are stored in these fatty tissues can be removed, into the bloodstream, and processed out of the body. However, niacin is also made in the form of niacinamide - a form of vitamin B3 which, deliberately, is manufactured so that it will NOT cause dilation of the blood vessels - the flush so well known when using plain niacin. A detoxification program which features the use of niacinamide and also claims to improve blood circulation would be based on false science.

Some detoxification programs don't even recognize that the toxins they claim to be removing are stored in fatty tissues. The idea of removing these toxins by some procedure which does not include niacin is not practical.

The niacin "flush"

It's important to note that this niacin flush is not harmful or dangerous. Some people worry about it, but it is actually a sign of improved blood flow.

When you get the niacin "flush", it's an indication that the niacin is causing small blood vessels in your body to be expanded in size. Many of your small blood vessels, called "capillaries" are so small that blood cells can only go through them in single file. Sometimes, in fact, that small capillary passageway is clogged and blood doesn't get through at all.

While the large organs of the body all have blood supplied from large arteries, a great deal of your body, particularly the parts near the skin, get their ONLY supply of blood (therefore also of oxygen and nutrients) from these small capillaries.

The niacin causes these small capilaries to expand - so they might be able to carry 2 or 3 blood cells at the same time. This is a tremendous increase in blood flow.

You experience this as a "flushing" of the skin, simply because there is more blood close to the surface of the body. As the blood flows in these areas, the cells of the small capilaries will also be getting rid of their waste products, and often they produce 'histamine' as part of this process. That histamine is another natural substance produced by every cell in the body when a cell is under attack, or is eliminating toxins. Histamine causes an 'itchy' feeling.

  

Cardiovascular benefits of niacin

The cardiovascular benefits of niacin have been studied in several major clinical trials (1-5). The primary cardiovascular measures such as cholesterol and triglyceride levels, strokes and heart attacksare all significantly reduced with niacin therapy (sometimes used alone and sometimes used along with other drug therapy). Overall, the use of niacin (nicotinic acid, but not the other form called "niacinamide") to treat or prevent high levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease is well substantiated. In a large number of clinical trials, niacin has been shown to consistently lower total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol - by about 20% - and triglycerides - by 10 to 25%, while increasing levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol - by 15 to 25%.

Niacin safety

There are several precautions which one needs to implement however when one uses niacin. Niacin usually has a "flush effect" - which is not harmful - associated with it which is very similar to the hot flashes women experience during menopause. Niacin supplements are available in regular and “timed-release” forms. Timed-release versions of niacin have been made available to avoid this "flush" effect. The problem with most TIMED-RELEASED niacin is that they are associated with a high degree of liver problems.

The timed-release forms of nicotinic acid are intended for a prolonged release of niacin during its 6-8 hour transit time in the intestines, but timed-release niacin is also associated with greater toxicity and safe doses are only about half of normal-release forms of niacin.

In the high doses used for controlling cholesterol levels (anything above 100mg/day), nicotinic acid can cause skin flushing and skin itching as well as headaches, lightheadedness and low blood pressure. The niacinamide form of niacin does not cause these side effects, but it is not effective in reducing cholesterol levels, so it is seldom taken in such high doses. The slow-release versions of niacin supplements have the potential for causing liver damage (even at “lower” doses of 500mg/day) - so blood tests to monitor for liver damage are recommended and high-dose niacin supplementation should only be undertaken under the guidance of a natural physician. Anyone with liver disease, including those who consume more than 2 drinks of alcohol daily, should not take high-dose niacin.

Niacin is cheap, so its effectiveness in reducing cholesterol levels may be an inexpensive solution to reducing a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. When monitored properly by a natural physician, niacin therapy can be almost as effective as the popular (and expensive) statin drugs for lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Niacin may be the most cost-effective lipid-lowering agent currently available.

Niacin dosing is usually started at the low-end (100mg/day), with increasing doses of 250mg each week until blood lipid levels start to normalize (or side effects develop). Side effects are usually minimized by increasing the dosage slowly to the common therapeutic range of 1000-1500mg/day. Niacin doses should be divided into 2-3 separate daily doses, or no more than 500-750mg per individual dose).

PSA Puff Piece with NO evidence promoting chemotherapy with NO evidence!

Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test
(PSA puff piece promoting chemotherapy now all know PSA is not a good marker for cancer and chemotherapy. Panic, lie, promote!)

Key Points

·         The PSA test measures the blood level of PSA, a protein that is produced by the prostate gland. The higher a man’s PSA level, the more likely it is that he has prostate cancer. However, there are additional reasons for having an elevated PSA level, and some men who have prostate cancer do not have elevated PSA.

·         The PSA test has been widely used to screen men for prostate cancer. It is also used to monitor men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer to see if their cancer has recurred (come back) after initial treatment or is responding to therapy.

·         Some advisory groups now recommend against the use of the PSA test to screen for prostate cancer because the benefits, if any, are small and the harms can be substantial. None recommend its use without a detailed discussion of the pros and cons of using the test.

1. What is the PSA test?

Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a protein produced by cells of the prostate gland. The PSA test measures the level of PSA in a man’s blood. For this test, a blood sample is sent to a laboratory for analysis. The results are usually reported as nanograms of PSA per milliliter(ng/mL) of blood.

The blood level of PSA is often elevated in men with prostate cancer, and the PSA test was originally approved by the FDA in 1986 to monitor the progression of prostate cancer in men who had already been diagnosed with the disease. In 1994, the FDA approved the use of the PSA test in conjunction with a digital rectal exam (DRE) to test asymptomatic men for prostate cancer. Men who report prostate symptoms often undergo PSA testing (along with a DRE) to help doctors determine the nature of the problem.

In addition to prostate cancer, a number of benign (not cancerous) conditions can cause a man’s PSA level to rise. The most frequent benign prostate conditions that cause an elevation in PSA level are prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (enlargement of the prostate). There is no evidence that prostatitis or BPH leads to prostate cancer, but it is possible for a man to have one or both of these conditions and to develop prostate cancer as well.

2. Is the PSA test recommended for prostate cancer screening?

Until recently, many doctors and professional organizations encouraged yearly PSA screening for men beginning at age 50. Some organizations recommended that men who are at higher risk of prostate cancer, including African American men and men whose father or brother had prostate cancer, begin screening at age 40 or 45. However, as more has been learned about both the benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening (see Questions 5 and 6), a number of organizations have begun to caution against routine population screening. Although some organizations continue to recommend PSA screening, there is widespread agreement that any man who is considering getting tested should first be informed in detail about the potential harms and benefits.

Currently, Medicare provides coverage for an annual PSA test for all Medicare-eligible men age 50 and older. Many private insurers cover PSA screening as well.

3. What is a normal PSA test result?

There is no specific normal or abnormal level of PSA in the blood. In the past, most doctors considered PSA levels of 4.0 ng/mL and lower as normal. Therefore, if a man had a PSA level above 4.0 ng/mL, doctors would often recommend a prostate biopsy to determine whether prostate cancer was present.

However, more recent studies have shown that some men with PSA levels below 4.0 ng/mL have prostate cancer and that many men with higher levels do not have prostate cancer (1). In addition, various factors can cause a man’s PSA level to fluctuate. For example, a man’s PSA level often rises if he has prostatitis or a urinary tract infection. Prostate biopsies and prostate surgery also increase PSA level. Conversely, some drugs—including finasteride and dutasteride, which are used to treat BPH—lower a man’s PSA level. PSA level may also vary somewhat across testing laboratories.

Another complicating factor is that studies to establish the normal range of PSA levels have been conducted primarily in populations of white men. Although expert opinions vary, there is no clear consensus regarding the optimal PSA threshold for recommending a prostate biopsy for men of any racial or ethnic group.

In general, however, the higher a man’s PSA level, the more likely it is that he has prostate cancer. Moreover, continuous rise in a man’s PSA level over time may also be a sign of prostate cancer.

4. What if a screening test shows an elevated PSA level?

If a man who has no symptoms of prostate cancer chooses to undergo prostate cancer screening and is found to have an elevated PSA level, the doctor may recommend another PSA test to confirm the original finding. If the PSA level is still high, the doctor may recommend that the man continue with PSA tests and DREs at regular intervals to watch for any changes over time.

If a man’s PSA level continues to rise or if a suspicious lump is detected during a DRE, the doctor may recommend additional tests to determine the nature of the problem. A urine test may be recommended to check for a urinary tract infection. The doctor may also recommend imaging tests, such as a transrectal ultrasound, x-rays, or cystoscopy.

If prostate cancer is suspected, the doctor will recommend a prostate biopsy. During this procedure, multiple samples of prostate tissue are collected by inserting hollow needles into the prostate and then withdrawing them. Most often, the needles are inserted through the wall of the rectum (transrectal biopsy); however, the needles may also be inserted through the skin between the scrotum and the anus (transperineal biopsy). A pathologist then examines the collected tissue under a microscope. The doctor may use ultrasound to view the prostate during the biopsy, but ultrasound cannot be used alone to diagnose prostate cancer.

5. What are some of the limitations and potential harms of the PSA test for prostate cancer screening?

Detecting prostate cancer early may not reduce the chance of dying from prostate cancer. When used in screening, the PSA test can help detect small tumors that do not cause symptoms. Finding a small tumor, however, may not necessarily reduce a man’s chance of dying from prostate cancer. Some tumors found through PSA testing grow so slowly that they are unlikely to threaten a man’s life. Detecting tumors that are not life threatening is called “overdiagnosis,” and treating these tumors is called “overtreatment.”

Overtreatment exposes men unnecessarily to the potential complications and harmful side effects of treatments for early prostate cancer, including surgery and radiation therapy. The side effects of these treatments include urinary incontinence (inability to control urine flow), problems with bowel function, erectile dysfunction (loss of erections, or having erections that are inadequate for sexual intercourse), and infection.

In addition, finding cancer early may not help a man who has a fast-growing or aggressive tumor that may have spread to other parts of the body before being detected.

The PSA test may give false-positive or false-negative results. A false-positive test result occurs when a man’s PSA level is elevated but no cancer is actually present. A false-positive test result may create anxiety for a man and his family and lead to additional medical procedures, such as a prostate biopsy, that can be harmful. Possible side effects of biopsies include serious infections, pain, and bleeding.

Most men with an elevated PSA level turn out not to have prostate cancer; only about 25 percent of men who have a prostate biopsy due to an elevated PSA level actually have prostate cancer (2).

A false-negative test result occurs when a man’s PSA level is low even though he actually has prostate cancer. False-negative test results may give a man, his family, and his doctor false assurance that he does not have cancer, when he may in fact have a cancer that requires treatment.

6. What research has been done to study prostate cancer screening?

Several randomized trials of prostate cancer screening have been carried out. One of the largest is the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, which NCI conducted to determine whether certain screening tests can help reduce the numbers of deaths from several common cancers. In the prostate portion of the trial, the PSA test and DRE were evaluated for their ability to decrease a man’s chances of dying from prostate cancer.

The PLCO investigators found that men who underwent annual prostate cancer screening had a higher incidence of prostate cancer than men in the control group but the same rate of deaths from the disease (3). Overall, the results suggest that many men were treated for prostate cancers that would not have been detected in their lifetime without screening. Consequently, these men were exposed unnecessarily to the potential harms of treatment.

A second large trial, the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC), compared prostate cancer deaths in men randomly assigned to PSA-based screening or no screening. As in the PLCO, men in ERSPC who were screened for prostate cancer had a higher incidence of the disease than control men. In contrast to the PLCO, however, men who were screened had a lower rate of death from prostate cancer (4).

The United States Preventive Services Task Force has analyzed the data from the PLCO, ERSPC, and other trials and estimated that, for every 1,000 men ages 55 to 69 years who are screened every 1 to 4 years for a decade (5):

Enlarge

An infographic illustrating the benefit and harms of PSA screening for prostate cancer.

o    0 to 1 death from prostate cancer would be avoided.

o    100 to 120 men would have a false-positive test result that leads to a biopsy, and about one-third of the men who get a biopsy would experience at least moderately bothersome symptoms from the biopsy.

o    110 men would be diagnosed with prostate cancer. About 50 of these men would have a complication from treatment, including erectile dysfunctionin 29 men, urinary incontinence in 18 men, serious cardiovascular events in 2 men, deep vein thrombosis orpulmonary embolism in 1 man, and death due to the treatment in less than 1 man.

7. How is the PSA test used in men who have been treated for prostate cancer?

The PSA test is used to monitor patients who have a history of prostate cancer to see if their cancer has recurred (come back). If a man’s PSA level begins to rise after prostate cancer treatment, it may be the first sign of a recurrence. Such a “biochemical relapse” typically appears months or years before other clinical signs and symptoms of prostate cancer recurrence.

However, a single elevated PSA measurement in a patient who has a history of prostate cancer does not always mean that the cancer has come back. A man who has been treated for prostate cancer should discuss an elevated PSA level with his doctor. The doctor may recommend repeating the PSA test or performing other tests to check for evidence of a recurrence. The doctor may look for a trend of rising PSA level over time rather than a single elevated PSA level.

8. What does an increase in PSA level mean for a man who has been treated for prostate cancer?

If a man’s PSA level rises after prostate cancer treatment, his doctor will consider a number of factors before recommending further treatment. Additional treatment based on a single PSA test is not recommended. Instead, a rising trend in PSA level over time in combination with other findings, such as an abnormal result on imaging tests, may lead a man’s doctor to recommend further treatment.

9. How are researchers trying to improve the PSA test?

Scientists are investigating ways to improve the PSA test to give doctors the ability to better distinguish cancerous from benign conditions and slow-growing cancers from fast-growing, potentially lethal cancers. Some of the methods being studied include:

o    Free versus total PSA. The amount of PSA in the blood that is “free” (not bound to other proteins) divided by the total amount of PSA (free plus bound). Some evidence suggests that a lower proportion of free PSA may be associated with more aggressive cancer.

o    PSA density of the transition zone. The blood level of PSA divided by the volume of the transition zone of the prostate. The transition zone is the interior part of the prostate that surrounds the urethra. Some evidence suggests that this measure may be more accurate at detecting prostate cancer than the standard PSA test.

o    Age-specific PSA reference ranges. Because a man’s PSA level tends to increase with age, it has been suggested that the use of age-specific PSA reference ranges may increase the accuracy of PSA tests. However, age-specific reference ranges have not been generally favored because their use may delay the detection of prostate cancer in many men.

o    PSA velocity and PSA doubling time. PSA velocity is the rate of change in a man’s PSA level over time, expressed as ng/mL per year. PSA doubling time is the period of time over which a man’s PSA level doubles. Some evidence suggests that the rate of increase in a man’s PSA level may be helpful in predicting whether he has prostate cancer.  

o    Pro-PSA. Pro-PSA refers to several different inactive precursors of PSA. There is some evidence that pro-PSA is more strongly associated with prostate cancer than with BPH. One recently approved test combines measurement of a form of pro-PSA called [-2]proPSA with measurements of PSA and free PSA. The resulting “prostate health index” can be used to help a man with a PSA level of between 4 and 10 ng/mL decide whether he should have a biopsy.

Selected References

1. Thompson IM, Pauler DK, Goodman PJ, et al. Prevalence of prostate cancer among men with a prostate-specific antigen level < or =4.0 ng per milliliter. New England Journal of Medicine2004;350(22):2239-2246.

 [PubMed Abstract]

2. Barry MJ. Clinical practice. Prostate-specific-antigen testing for early diagnosis of prostate cancer. New England Journal of Medicine 2001;344(18):1373-1377.

 [PubMed Abstract]

3. Andriole GL, Crawford ED, Grubb RL, et al. Prostate cancer screening in the randomized Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial: mortality results after 13 years of follow-up. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2012;104(2):125-132.

 [PubMed Abstract]

4. Schröder FH, Hugosson J, Roobol MJ, et al. Prostate-cancer mortality at 11 years of follow-up.New England Journal of Medicine 2012;366(11):981-990.

 [PubMed Abstract]

5. Moyer VA on behalf of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for prostate cancer: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Annals of Internal Medicine2012; 157(2):120–134.

 [PubMed Abstract]

Related Resources

·         Understanding Laboratory Tests

·         Prostate Cancer Home Page

·         Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial

·         Tumor Markers

·         Understanding Prostate Changes: A Health Guide for Men

·         What You Need To Know About™ Prostate Cancer

·         Prostate Cancer Screening (PDQ®)

Clinical trials are unhealthy Avoid them

Clinical trials are unhealthy Avoid them

Major Flaw in Clinical Trials Cancer Drugs

ChemoBrainFog Reversal Naturally

Scientists have long been aware of the wide array of health benefits from the Indian spice turmeric, which is a source of the active phytochemical curcumin. Until now, curcumin has been known to have poor bioavailability, requiring high doses to promote health. BCM-95 delivers significantly more pharmacologically bioactive curcumin into the blood than other curcumin sources. This new delivery system allows for a variety of health benefits.

How is this possible? Traditional 95% extract focuses strictly on one part of the Turmeric rhizome. This bioactive substance of Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) contains “Curcuminoids” and Curcumin is the most important molecule. Research has shown its tremendous health benefit. Even though Curcumin is the most important molecule, the bioavailability of the regular Turmeric 95% extracts sold on the market is not very good in terms of uptake or sustainability in the blood stream. There are other essential components present in Turmeric Rhizome which have been neglected during the traditional method of manufacturing of Turmeric 95% Extract. BCM-95 represents the natural spectrum of turmeric rhizome. It is 100 percent natural and has been proven to provide optimal bioavailability for synergistic effect. This new method of manufacture offers tremendous value in terms of bioavailability.

Antioxidants have received increased attention, and it’s important to know what nutrients are antioxidants and information about them. One such nutrient is Curcumin. Curcumin is a natural extract from the spice turmeric. Turmeric is derived from the plant Curcuma Longa, a member of the ginger family.

Curcumin is employed mostly as an antioxidant; though it was traditionally used to promote stomach and joint comfort. The immune-balancing activity of curcumin has been demonstrated through multiple mechanisms to support normal COX-2 and NF-KappaB levels in the body.

The neuroprotective properties of curcumin are among the most studied. Curcumin has been designated as a strong candidate for the promotion of neurological health and cognitive function. Curcumin can cross the blood-brain barrier and support the normal uptake of amyloid-beta in the brain. This supports the brain's memory and learning abilities as we age. Another neuroprotective property of curcumin is its ability to promote normal levels of glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase in the brain. This can help to maintain the health of neurological tissues.

Curcumin supports the normal production of Phase II liver detoxification enzymes including glutathione synthase, heme-oxygenase and catalase. The liver plays several roles in detoxification: it filters the blood to remove large toxins, synthesizes and secretes bile full of cholesterol and other fat-soluble toxins, and enzymatically disassembles unwanted chemicals. This enzymatic process usually occurs in two steps referred to as phase I and phase II. They promote the body’s natural enzyme antioxidant defense systems and function as a powerful indirect antioxidant. These enzymes promote the body’s normal metabolism of harmful chemicals such as heavy metals, toxins and pollutants into less reactive molecules. Curcumin has also been shown to promote normal hepatic tissue repair.Broccoli Seed Extract (6% Sulphoraphane Glucosinolates): 167 mg The health benefits and protective properties of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables have been well documented over the past 25 years. Broccoli seed extract is a powerful source of sulphoraphane glucosinolates. Sulforaphanes support the normal production of Phase II liver detoxification enzymes including glutathione synthase, heme-oxygenase and catalase. Sulforaphanes promote the body’s natural enzyme antioxidant defense systems and function as a powerful indirect antioxidant. Sulphoraphanes work to support gene transcription, which is the process by which genetic information is copied from DNA to RNA, resulting in a specific protein formation. Conclusively, sulphoraphanes work to support the body’s natural defense systems and to maintain elevated levels of glutathione.

Glutathione is the master antioxidant of the body. It is an important chemical that acts as a powerful antioxidant to preserve and protect the brain and other body tissues by protecting them from the damage of free radicals. It also acts to recycle vitamin C and E, which also reduce free radicals. Since glutathione cannot be absorbed intact orally due to gastrointestinal degradation, sulphoraphane supplementation may be the most effective way to increase endogenous glutathione concentration.Selenium (Selenomethionine): 100 mcg Selenium is a required cofactor for selenoproteins such as glutathione peroxidase. Selenomethionine is incorporated directly into proteins because selenomethionine cannot be distinguished from methionine during the translation of mRNA into protein. This serves as a storage form of selenium and is liberated upon protein catabolism. Selenium accumulates in the prostate, promoting the health of the prostate. Selenium supports immune function by promoting normal growth and development of T helper cells.

Add 'chemo brain' to the list of chemotherapy side effects, preventing damage by PF Louis

Add 'chemo brain' to the list of chemotherapy side effects

by PF Louis

Chemotherapy can make your hair fall out and cause vomiting. The immune system is actually depressed during chemotherapy. But hair grows back and whenever you stop vomiting you'll be able to eat again. Chemo brain is characterized by diminished mental acuity, memory, and increased fogginess. And it can stay with you long after the last chemo session. Chemo sensitivity testing and supplements directed at protecting the brain will be discussed. 

About chemotherapy

Technically, the use of synthetically produced pharmaceutical drugs to kill microbes or cells is chemotherapy. But this term is generally understood as the chemical treatment for cancer. The origin of drugs used to kill cancer cells is mustard gas, the stuff used to kill people in earlier wars before being declared illegal.

At first, very similar chemicals were used on cancer patients by injection or IV, since breathing it in was lethal. There has since been a plethora of newly approved drugs to use as cancer chemo. Nevertheless, they are toxic to all cells, not just cancer cells. How do you protect yourself if you choose to get chemotherapy and how do you know if the chemotherapy you are getting has been selected by chemo sensitivity testing.

Someone with cancer can look forward to all sorts of debilitating side effects, making it difficult to go on with normal life while undergoing treatments. And there are those ridiculous medical bills to endure.

So those struggling to make health insurance premiums or keep their jobs in an increasingly jobless culture have very limited options for cancer treatments. The inexpensive treatments that do work without toxicity are not covered, and the cancer industry makes sure its propaganda as the only hope keeps everyone in line - to get their chemo. How do you choose?

That propaganda includes a few different ways the cancer industry skews survival report numbers. If you search chemo cancer survival rates, you'll find all sorts of confusing and conflicting survival and remission reports. But the facts are the cancer industry has a few deceptive tricks up their sleeves when it comes to recovery stats. Stanford university and University of Michigan, the leaders in cancer metastasis (spreading of cancer) have proven chemo will make your cancer worse and the only way to minimize the damage to your immune system, your brain, your heart is to do adjunctive therapy but the typical oncologist knows nothing of this.  http://bit.ly/chemoworsen

They also tend to omit reports of those who die from the chemo itself. Killing cancer cells is the objective. Patients who die are collateral damage in the war on cancer. The so called "Stanford" report indicates the death rate from cancer is now surpassed by the death rate from chemo. 

About chemo brain

For several years, several chemo patients complained about a mental malaise, which made them feel something wasn't quite right. They usually noticed inability to multi-task or plan, which was part of their work, or a loss of short term memory. Some chemo patients reported vision loss and early dementia.

These complaints of cognitive impairment were usually dismissed as a slow recovery from the shock of cancer or the fatigue from treatments. After all, side effects don't exist except in the imagination of the cancer patient.

Stanford University tested cancer patient cognitive skills and discovered that chemo cancer patients had made the most errors. Magnetic resolution imagery devices (MRIs) clearly showed that the parts of their brains used for planning and memory were functioning poorly. The Stanford study was reported in the Archives of Neurology.

An earlier (2008) joint study by the Harvard Medical School and the University of Rochester Medical Center linked a widely used chemotherapy drug, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), to healthy brain cell deterioration. They recommended trying to determine which cancer patients may be most prone to chemo brain before administering chemotherapy.

There are new options and ideas on the market being used in several circles.

With better control of chemotherapy side effects, cancer treatment is going more smoothly for many patients.

The goal of chemotherapy is to destroy cancer cells. Traditional chemotherapies work by killing cells that divide rapidly. As they wipe out fast-growing cancer cells, though, they can also damage fast-growing healthy cells.

Damage to blood cells, for example, leads to side effects such as anemia, fatigue, and infections. Chemotherapy can also damage the cells that line the mucous membranes found throughout the body, including those inside the mouth, throat, and stomach. This leads to mouth sores, diarrhea, or other problems with the digestive system. And damage to cells at hair roots, or hair follicles, leads to hair loss.

Each person with cancer reacts differently to chemotherapy and its various side effects. Fortunately, doctors now have many ways to reduce and even prevent these side effects. Chemo sensitivity testing can greatly reduce this affect. Supplements that protect the brain and the oxidation effect of chemo are omega oils, low glycemic diets, none gluten/gladden diets, 90% greens and 10% meats. Eliminate all boxed foods and increase fats. High dose while doing chemotherapy does not affect the function of chemo but does protect the cells, body and brain from damage to a great degree. The key is to research the potential supplements, saunas, and other forms of detox. Preparing the body beforehand is very important to reduce the effects, both long-term and short-term.