Cancer Studies for Determined
People
Vitamin A, Betacarotene,and
Cancer Survival
Eleven
cancer patients were studied after receiving saturation doses of two Carotenoids following
cancer surgery (betacarotene and canthaxanthine). These are substances found in yellow and
green leafy vegetables. Some of these patients were given chemotherapy and radiation, some
were not, and among the eleven patients were two breast cancers, one lung cancer, five
urinary bladder cancers, and three nose and throat cancers. Three of these patients were
considered hopeless. Eight years later none of these patients had developed secondary
tumors. Santamaria and Bianchi, Preventive Medicine 18:603-23(1989).
The
International Conference of the Modulation and Mediation of Cancer by Vitamins was held at
the University of Arizona Cancer Center in 1982. A study was presented in which mice were
first injected with cancer cells then given radiation treatment. At first their tumors
shrunk, but they soon came back. The second group of mice were not given radiation
treatment for their cancer, only Vitamin A. They lived twice as long as the first group
who had only received radiation. A third group of mice were given both radiation and
Vitamin A. All were still alive ten months later and only four still had any tumors .
At the
same conference as above, a paper was presented in which 213 human cancer
patients were studied. Seventy-eight percent worsened after treatment if the patient had
below average levels of Vitamin A in their blood. If an average or above level of Vitamin
A was found, 56% responded well to chemotherapy and only 18% had their cancer progress.
Reported by:Bricklin, Mark, ed., The Practical Encyclopedia of Natural Healing,
(New York: MJF Books).
A
research team in India assessed the effects of antioxidant nutrients (nutrients that
prevent oxygen from causing reactions that damage cells) on purposely induced liver tumors
in animals. Vitamin E caused a 60 percent reduction in the appearance of tumors,
Glutathione caused an 80 percent reduction, and Vitamin C, selenium, and uric acid caused
an 87 percent reduction. However, Betacarotene completely blocked the formation of liver
tumors.- Nyandieka, H.S., et al. "Association of Reduction of AFB1-Induced Liver
Tumors by Antioxidants with Increased Activity of Microsomal Enzymes, " Indian
Journal of Medical Research [B] 92:332-36 (1990).
Note: There has been some evidence that smokers who
take Betacarotene supplements and continue smoking are at slightly increased risk
for developing lung cancer. This was surprising, given the studies in which it has shown
great promise in prevent ing tumors or a reoccurrence. It has been theorized that abnormal
smoke-damaged lung cells are kept alive by betacarotene when they should have died off.
Another suggestion is that Betacarotene does not act alone and needs either vitamin C to
work with it as a team when there are abnormal lung cells, or, (as Betacarotene is never
alone in nature) that it needs it’s other components to work properly. Please see
disclaimer on home page.
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