Patricia Hausman & Judith Benn Hurley
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 And its orange color is the clue that it also contains plenty of beta-carotene (provitamin A), the nutrient getting credit for having cancer-preventing qualities.
At the Market: Most prized for eating are "neck pumpkins," which look like butternut squash with long necks. Jack-o'-lantern pumpkins can also be used for cooking and make great vessels in which to bake stews. Regardless of the type, choose one with clear, unbroken skin and no soft spots.
Kitchen Tips: Neck pumpkins, famous for pumpkin pies and puddings, should be stored in a cool place. |
| Plant foods contain the nutrient in its precursor form, which is converted to vitamin A in the body These precursors are known as carotenoids, and the best known of the bunch is beta-carotene, or carotene, for short.
Among cancer researchers, carotene has gained the most fans. Although some studies link all forms of vitamin A to prevention of some common forms of cancer, carotene-rich foods have the longest list of credits. Why? Possibly because of the antioxidant properties that carotene has and retinol lacks. |
David Heber, M.D., Ph.D.
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 In this group, carrots provide about half the alpha- and beta-carotene in the U.S. diet, with significant contributions from tomato products.
The orange/yellow group includes orange juice, oranges and tangerines, peaches, papayas, and nectarines. These provide (5-cryptothanxin, a minor carotenoid that accounts for only 0.03 milligram of the 6 milligrams per day intake of all carotenoids by the average American. As a practical matter, 87 percent of (3-cryptoxanthin comes from orange juice, oranges, and tangerines. Other fruits providing smaller amounts include peaches, papayas, and nectarines. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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 It's rich in beta-carotene, as well as a cancer-fighting, heart-healthy compound known as emodin.
A Final Thought
Now suppose that you'd take every herb mentioned in this chapter every day. You'd probably have to spend between $100 and $200 a month, less if you grow your own. But what do you spend on pharmaceuticals right now? I'm not just talking about the copayments on your health insurance. I'm talking about the real cost of all the medications you're using. I bet that amount is more than you'd spend on these herbs. |
Dr. Mary Dan Eades
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 If you see improvement of your symptoms you may continue to supplement 25,000 IU to 50,000 IU per day The only untoward side effect of beta-carotene is yellowing of you palms and soles. If this effect occurs, reduce your dose.
• Research testing has shown that women who suffer the emotional symptoms of PMS have fewer such problems if they take supplemental vitamin B6. This vitamin also reduces water retention Recommendation: Take vitamin B6 in a dose of 50 to 100 mg pei day. |
Ralph Moss, PhD
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 A report in the journal Lipids showed that daily consumption of tomato products (providing at least 40 milligrams of lycopene) could substantially reduce the oxidation of LDL, thus lowering heart disease rates, (d
Lycopene and Cancer
When lycopene is cultured with human endometrial, breast, and lung cancer cells, it is four times stronger than alpha-carotene, and ten times stronger than beta-carotene at inhibiting tumor growth.
Israeli scientists theorize that lycopene suppresses an insulin-like growth factor that stimulates tumors. |
Dian Dincin Buchman, Ph.D.
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 To prevent secondary infections for several weeks afterwards, give the patient child-sized doses of vitamin C, zinc, and beta-carotene (for vitamin A) to support the healing process and to strengthen the immune system. Do not exceed suggested doses.
Incubation period for the measles is 8 to 12 days from exposure to onset of symptoms, with an average interval of 14 days to appearance of rash. Period of communicability is 1 to 2 days before the onset of symptoms, or 3 to 5 days before the appearance of rash until 4 days after rash appearance. |
Ralph Moss, PhD
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| A mixture of vitamin C, beta-carotene and vitamin E showed even more benefit. (359,360)
It is ironic that one of the few negative tests on the interaction of vitamin C and chemotherapy came from Dr. Prasad, who now strongly advocates its concurrent use during chemotherapy (357). Prasad found that vitamin C reduced the cell-killing effects of the drugs methotrexate and DTIC in neuroblastoma cells. (360). However, he later showed that when vitamin C was joined with other antioxidants it actually enhanced the effect of DTIC on malignant melanoma cells. (359) As Dr. |
| In addition, a combination of beta-carotene, vitamin E, and selenium caused a 42 percent reduction in esophageal cancer. People receiving supplements had lower overall cancer death rates as well. (233) This included a reduction in overall deaths by 9 percent; cancer deaths by 13 percent; stomach cancer deaths by 20 percent; and deaths from all other cancers by 19 percent.
I can only guess at what these scientists said privately about their ability to reduce esophageal cancer by 42 percent with a simple vitamin-mineral pill. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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| Most supplements contain A, plus beta-carotene and possibly one or two other carotenoids that are converted to A in the body. (Lycopene has become popular because research shows that it's especially good for preventing prostate cancer.) By comparison, plants contain some 600 carotenoids, which you won't find in any one supplement—or in any one food, for that matter. The best way to get a good mix of all 600 is to build your diet around a variety of plant foods.
Besides, there's something to be said for the way nature packages nutrients in plant foods. |
Ruth Winter, M.S.
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 The frequency of the adverse effects of this ingredient are unknown, the Vanderbilt researchers said, because there is no current way to monitor distribution. See beta-carotene.
CAPERS • A natural flavoring from the spiny shrub. The picked flower bud is used as a condiment for sauces and salads. No known toxicity. GRAS.
CAPPARIS SPINOSA • See Capers.
CAPRACYL BROWN 2R • See D & C Brown No. 1.
CAPRAE LAC • Goat's milk.
CAPRAMIDE DEA • See Capric Acid.
CAPRIC ACID • Obtained from a large group of American plants. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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| The supplements that I'd recommend for cancer prevention are the antioxidants: vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and the mineral selenium. You might also consider the newly popular grape seed extract, which is generously endowed with polyphenols, resveratrol, and anthocyano-sides—all antioxidant compounds.
Use Herbs
Of course, what would my cancer prevention program be without herbs? Mother Nature has generously endowed a number of her herbal medicines with cancer-fighting properties. Here are some of my favorites. garlic {allium sativum}. |
Ralph Moss, PhD
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| Other Carotenoids
Until recently, the controversy over beta-carotene obscured exciting developments using the lesser-known carotenoids against cancer. Most experiments have been done with them collectively, and in fact they are best studied (and taken) as a complex.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin
Lutein helps give apricots, oranges, peaches, and summer squashes their attractive yellow to light-orange color. The richest source is green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, and collard greens. These do not appear yellow because lutein pigments are masked by the dominant green chlorophyll pigment. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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| Among the known antioxidants are vitamin C, vitamin E, and the mineral selenium; the carotenoids, including beta-carotene; the antho-cyanidins, pigments that give plums, grapes, blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, and other dark fruits their color; and coenzyme Q10. The more plant foods you eat, the more antioxidants you get, and the healthier—and younger—you become.
Why Foods Are Better Than Supplements
Now you may be thinking, "I don't have to eat so many plant foods, because I take an antioxidant supplement. |
| Dandelion is extremely rich in beta-carotene, boron, calcium, iron, lecithin, and potassium. You can add the raw leaves to salads or steam them for a side dish. lamb'S-quarter (chenopodium album). Often found growing close to amaranth or chickweed, this herb tastes a lot like spinach. In fact, I once fooled my wife, Peggy, by serving cooked lamb's-quarter and telling her it was spinach. The weed is a great source of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and riboflavin, as well as the amino acids alanine, cysteine, glycine, isoleucine, leucine, and lysine. |
Marcia Zimmerman, C.N.
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 Besides robbing the body of nutrients, olestra also interferes with metabolism of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble antioxidants such as beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, and you'll find out why these are important in later chapters. Incredibly, the reported response of the FDA, when confronted with this reality, was that fatty acids and carotenoids haven't been established as vitamins and therefore are of less concern.
Olestra was test-marketed in several U.S. cities. |
James A. Howenstine, MD
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 Important antioxidants such as Vitamin C and E, beta-carotene, and B complex are essential for normal carbohydrate and fat metabolism. Be sure you are on a good vitamin program.
Ninety per cent of diabetics are deficient in magnesium. Chromium also needs extra supplements. Chromium increases the sensitivity to insulin, which helps lower glucose levels.
Vanadium is a valuable agent for diabetics, as it decreases their need for insulin. Large doses of Vanadium act like an oral insulin. Begin with 45 mg. daily and work the dose up to 100 to 150 mg. daily. |
| The needed vitamins include:
Vitamin A - 5,000 units, beta-carotene - 15,000 units,
Vitamin C - several hundred to 2,000mg.,
Citrus Bioflavinoids - lOOmgs.,
Vitamin D3 Cholecalciferol - 400 IU,
Vitamin E-4001U,
Vitamin Bl (Thiamine) - 50mg.,
Folic Acid - 400 meg.,
Biotin - 300mcg.,
Betaine HCL - lOOmg., and
Pantothenic Acid - lOOmg.
Mineral supplements are also important, particularly when we know the soil has been seriously depleted from lack of trace mineral replacement. |
Ruth Winter, M.S.
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| Examples of such naturally derived colors are annatto, saffron, chlorophyll, and beta-carotene (see all). Inorganic colors used in cosmetics include iron oxides, bronze powder, ultramarines, chromium oxide greens, and a number of white products such as titanium dioxide, barium sulfate, and zinc oxide (see all). However, widely used and under FDA scrutiny are the coal tar colors.
In 1900 there were more than 80 dyes in use in cosmetics, foods, and drugs. There were no regulations and the same dye used to color clothes could also be used to color candy or cosmetics. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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| And they do contain impressive amounts of vitamin A and certain carotenoids, including beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin.
Personally, I think carrots are great, and I munch them often. But tomatoes and leafv greens are. also well-endowed with carotenoids. e.s-
Dr. Duke's Anti-Aging
Elixir
Macula-Saving Salad
Treat your macula to this delicious mix of greens and veggies. It's rich in lutein, a carotenoid that helps prevent macular degeneration. It's also easy to make. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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 For acne problems with PMS, extra vitamin A (20,000-40,000 IUs, mainly as beta-carotene) and zinc (20-40 mg.) are usually helpful. Choline and inositol, nutrients found in lecithin, may help nourish the skin; 500 mg. of each daily are recommended.
Dysmenorrhea and other pain problems respond well to higher amounts of magnesium, about 500 mg. more than calcium, as this has a nerve tranquilizing and muscle relaxing effect. Vitamin E (400-800 IUs) and vitamin B6 (100-300 mg. daily) may also be helpful in reducing pain. |
Bill Gottlieb
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 This is also a good source of beta-carotene, which has been shown to heal mouth sores," says Calbom.
For more information about juicing techniques, see page 93. iiiii
Vitamin and Mineral Therapy
Take 1,000 milligrams of the amino acid lysine at each meal during an outbreak and then 500 milligrams at each meal for a week afterward, says Richard D. Fischer, D.D.S., a dentist and homeopath in Annandale, Virginia, and president of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 1Michael T. Murray, ND
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| Three large, recent, widely publicized therapeutic trials with synthetic beta-carotene have found that it appears to increase the risk of cancer for heavy smokers. However, several factors complicate the interpretation of these results. The significance of the these trials is fully discussed in Ch. 121.
Vitamin D
Large doses of vitamin D are rarely used clinically; self-administration is the usual cause of toxicity. Vitamin D has great potential to cause toxicity. Dosages greater than 1,000 IU/day are certainly not recommended. |
| Large-scale studies with vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene have shown that these antioxidants are capable of significantly reducing the risk of dying of a heart attack or a stroke. For example, in one study of 87,245 nurses, it was discovered that nurses who took 100 IU of vitamin E daily for more than 2 years had a 41% lower risk of heart disease compared with non-users of vitamin E supplements.16 Another study of 39,910 male health care professionals produced similar results: a 37% lower risk of heart disease with the intake of more than 30 IU of supplemental vitamin E daily. |
| For example, antioxidants, such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin E, and selenium, may prevent free radical damage to vascular endothelial cells associated with the most common form of cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis. These vitamins/
Table 108. |
| While a higher level of vitamin C intake for smokers is indeed suggested in the 10th edition, studies of the blood levels of vitamins and minerals in smokers have shown that low levels of other nutrients such as beta-carotene, zinc, vitamin B6/ and vitamin E may also be needed at significantly higher levels than that recommended for vitamin C or prescribed by the RDAs. |
| Preventive inhibitors include defensive enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidases as well as the tripeptide glutathione. beta-carotene, chelating agents such as organic acids, and
Table 99. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 2Michael T. Murray, ND
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| Supplements
• Vitamin A: 50,000 IU/day for 1 week; or beta-carotene: 200,000 IU/day (Note: do not use vitamin A in menstruating women due to teratogenic effect)
• Vitamin C: 500 mg every 2 hours
• Bioflavonoids: 1,000 mg/day
• Zinc: use lozenges supplying 15-25 mg of elemental zinc (gluconate form without citrate mannitol or sorbitol). Dissolve in the mouth every two waking hours after an initial double dose. Continue for up to 3 days
• Thymus extract: the equivalent of 120 mg pure polypeptides with molecular weights less than 10,000, or roughly 500 mg of the crude polypeptide fraction. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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| Vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and selenium, plus the plant sterols and antioxidant phenolic compounds like bioflavonoids from foods such as berries and citrus fruits, all seem to be beneficial factors. The cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage, seem to have other factors such as sulfhydryl-containing molecules besides the fiber that may protect against the development of cancer.
Cancer of the breast and a high-fat diet have been shown to be related for some time. It is thought that saturated fats generate more cholesterol and higher estrogen levels in women. |
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