Some supplements may be harmful for cancer patients
For almost half a century, botanical nutritionist & cancer navigator, Grace Gawler, has been warning patients of dangers associated with wrongful use of herbal & nutritional supplements. With decades of experience in botanical medicine and research pertaining to cancer, Grace endorses the science based articles shown below.
Grace says… “The assumption that ‘natural’ supplements are superior or even safe is misguided. People forget that most supplements are concentrates containing massive amounts of ‘so called natural’ chemicals. Secondly there is no ‘one size fits all’ in curing cancer – all treatments, including supplements must be individualised. (now done with genomic tests) Above all they must be coordinated with medical treatments or risk harmful interactions.
Learn more about potential harm from supplements.
Who is prescribing your supplements?
Become a sceptical survivor…
Most naturopaths & integrative GPs do not coordinate or collaborate with the patient’s oncology teams; in fact they are ideologically opposed.
Why? One reason – judging from the bizarre combination of supplements prescribed to patients by naturopaths or integrative GPs , it is clear most therapists do not understand or consider important the science behind potential interactions – herb/drug, drug/drug, supplement/drug, supplement/supplement interactions to mention a few. See videos below.
These are the new study fields of pharmacodynamics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacognasy and pharmacogenomics, metabolomics & more.
Pharmacogenomics is the study of how genes are impacted by supplements etc. It can reveal permanent damage can be caused by such regimes. See here and here and … if really keen visit here
“I estimate at least 90% of my new patients have harmed their health or impeded/prevented their cancer medicines from working.
In 4+ decades with cancer patients, I’ve seen 1000s of examples consistent with the articles below. When I explain about these dangers most new patients say – “I wish I found you sooner.”
One of the greatest triumphs of marketing over evidence was the incredible rise of vitamin supplement use in the 20th century. Vitamin supplement use, in addition to costing billions of dollar per year, may be a net health negative. https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/vitamins-and-cancer-risk/
Cancer Council Australia’s chief executive Ian Olver said
”Multi-vitamins are something that may be helpful in prevention, but they may not be helpful for treatment,” Professor Olver said.
With a study last year showing that more than 50 per cent of male cancer patients in Australia were using ”complementary and alternative medicines” while receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy, Professor Olver said patients and doctors should ensure that alternative medicine use is out in the open.
LATE-stage cancer patients could be thwarting their own treatment by taking multi-vitamin pills containing antioxidants, Nobel Prize-winning scientist James Watson warned. He claims that the reason late-stage cancers often become untreatable is that they produce high levels of antioxidants which stop treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy from working. SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
ABC’s Four Corners – PBS Frontline investigation – exploring the complex issues surrounding supplements in North America. It’s an eye-opening report that details a web of lobbying and legislation designed to protect the industry, but which ultimately leaves consumers at risk.
Traditional Chinese Medicines:
Curtin University, Murdoch University, University of Adelaide used sensitive analytical techniques to screen a set of traditional Chinese medicines available in Australia. Nearly nine in ten of these medicines had some form of undeclared substance in them as either adulteration or contamination. Sixteen TCM’s had more than one contaminant or adulterant. https://theconversation.com/whats-in-your-herbal-medicines-52144
Using a test called DNA barcoding, (genetic fingerprinting), Canadian researchers tested 44 bottles of popular supplements. They found that many were not what they claimed to be, and that pills labelled as popular herbs were often diluted — or replaced entirely — by cheap fillers like soybean, wheat and rice.
The research provides more evidence that the herbal supplement industry is riddled with questionable practices. Herbal products available to consumers in the marketplace may be contaminated or substituted with alternative plant species and fillers that are not listed on the labels.
According to the World Health Organisation, the adulteration of herbal products is a threat to consumer safety. http://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1741-7015-11-222
Dietary supplements, over-the-counter multivitamins, do “more harm than good” and can increase the risk of developing cancer & heart disease, according to research in the US. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/21/vitamin-supplements-increase-risk-cancer-heart-disease-research
Men have been warned not to take a pair of popular vitamin and mineral supplements after research showed they can dramatically increase the risk of life-threatening prostate cancer. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/feb/22/vitamin-supplements-raise-risk-cancer-men
Dangerous combinations: Ingestible supplement use during chemotherapy in patients with ovarian cancer. Some ingestible complementary medicine supplements, including herbal remedies, teas & vitamin C, have biological activities that make them likely to interact poorly with conventional chemotherapeutic treatments.
There are two major categories.
1. antioxidants, which may reduce the action of radiation & some chemotherapies
2. substances that may influence the pharmacodynamics of a chemotherapeutic regimen & thereby influence the effectiveness or safety of chemotherapy https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23445210
More informative articles:
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-16/hidden-dangers-of-vitamins-and-supplements-revealed/7412382
- http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/23596466/dying-womans-family-says-she-took-diet-pills-before-getting-sick
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/health/quiz-vitamins-and-other-nutrients/6847350
Copyright – the Grace Gawler Institute 2018