What Is Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicines are made from plants. They use combinations of plant parts, for example leaves, flowers or roots. Each part of the plant can have a different medicinal use. Manufacturers use different ways of extracting the chemicals from the plant parts. They use fresh and dried plants to make the medicine.
Herbal medicine aims to restore your body, so that it can protect, regulate and heal itself. It is a whole body approach. It looks at your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. It is sometimes called phytomedicine, phytotherapy or botanical medicine.
Manufacturers make many drugs from plants. But herbalists dont extract plant substances in the way the drug industry does. Herbalists believe that the remedy works due to the delicate chemical balance of the whole plant, or mixtures of plants, and the effects are not just due to one active ingredient.
The two most common types of herbal medicine used in the UK are Western and Chinese herbal medicine. Less common types include Tibetan or Ayurvedic medicine and Unani Tibb.
Supplements For Cancer Prevention And Treatment
The following supplements have been studied and used as part of comprehensive cancer prevention and treatment protocols. They are provided here as examples of natural cancer therapies.
- Beta Glucan has been the subject of much research and is even being used to enhance other treatments by some conventional medical doctors. It has been approved as an immune therapy in several countries. Beta Glucan is a natural fiber molecule that safely modulates the immune system and makes it smarter without overstimulating it. It is found in seaweed, grains, buckwheat and mushrooms. Beta 1, 3-D Glucan supplements are made from bakers yeast.
- Pancreatic, or proteolytic, enzymes that are specially manufactured and taken in high doses have a strong anti-neoplastic effect. They were an important part of Dr. Kelley’s metabolic therapy protocol. Over the counter pancreatic enzymes are probably not effective as cancer fighters.
- Magnesium Chloride is, according to Dr. Mark Sircus, a top priority natural cancer cure. He says, “Magnesium chloride is the first and most important item in any person’s cancer treatment strategy.” He suggests that from the first day of a cancer survival protocol that a patient “almost drown oneself in transdermally applied magnesium chloride.” It takes a few months for cellular levels to get up to normal, but patients often experience its medicinal and healing effects within days.
Hops Lessens Menopausal Symptoms
Hops herb and its constituents have been found in multiple studies to have a positive effect upon menopausal symptoms. These include hot flushes and night sweats. These are termed vasomotor symptoms because they involve the ability of the blood vessels to expand and contract. The connection is that estrogen has a lot to do with regulating the blood vessels flexibility.
One clinical study of Hops and menopause came from Belgiums Ghent University. It tested 67 menopausal women for three months. The researchers given either a Hops extract called 8-prenylnarigenin or a placebo. The study found that after six weeks and 12 weeks, those taking the Hops extract experienced a significant reduction in vasomotor symptoms including hot flushes and night sweats.
The researchers utilized the Kupperman index to qualify the reduction in symptoms. The 100 microgram was most effective in reducing symptoms. The researchers summarized their findings:
Daily intake of a hop extract, standardized on 8- prenylnarigenin as a potent phytoestrogen, exerted favorable effects on vasomotor symptoms and other menopausal discomforts. Hop-derived prenylated flavonoids may provide an attractive addition to the alternative treatments available for relief of hot flushes and other menopausal discomforts.
You May Like: Which Breast Implants Are Linked To Cancer
The Bioactive Compounds Of Curcumin Longa
Curcuma longa is regarded as a perennial flowering plant belonging to the family Zingiberaceae. This rhizomatous, herbaceous plant is commonly known as turmeric possess roots which contain the major active ingredient curcuminoid . Curcuminoids are natural polyphenol compounds and there are three types namely diferuloylmethane , desmetoxicurcumin and bisdemetoxicurcumin . The primary curcuminoid is diferuloylmethane that has the highest concentration and gives turmeric its yellow color . Tumeric also contains sugars, resins, proteins as well as three main volatile oils which possess pharmacological activity . Curcumin is recognized as non-toxic and safe. Its therapeutic benefits are due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects . However, the major concern with curcumin is its poor bioavailability due to low intestinal absorption coupled with rapid metabolism and elimination. The bioavailability of curcumin could be improved by developing innovative derivatives which block its metabolic pathway .
Hops And Breast Cancer
About one in eight women in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. According to the American Cancer Society, over 245,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected among American women this year.
Breast cancer risk increases for a woman right about the age that estrogen levels begin to change. For this reason, we find that nature not only provides estrogenic remedies to help relieve menopause symptoms. Along with these, Nature also provides the active chemicals that help stop menopause-related cancers from developing.
Confirming this, recent studies from the University of Illinois and several other research institutions have determined that Hops helps prevent and inhibit the growth and expansion of breast cancer.
The UIC researchers have been testing Hops extracts for some time in the laboratory on breast cancer cells. With increasingly positive findings, they have discovered that another prenylnarigenin 6-prenylnarigenin or 6-PN activates a chemical pathway within the mammary cells that help prevent breast cancer cells from developing.
We need to further explore this possibility, but our results suggest that 6-PN could have anti-cancer effects, Bolton said.
Compared to the 6-PN compound, 8-prenylnarigenin had weaker metabolic effects upon the breast cell lines, but it does increase anticancer metabolic activity in the breast cells.
You May Like: Does Getting Punched In The Breast Cause Cancer
Possible Side Effects From Supplements
Selenium, folic acid and probiotics have been found to be safe for use during chemotherapy treatment. However, these supplements still have potential side effects.
- Selenium: Though its known for being nontoxic, selenium taken at extremely high levels may result in diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, hair loss, nail discoloration/brittleness, or joint pain.
- Folic acid: There are few adverse effects related to folic acid. Some neurologic issues have been noted in people who have pernicious anemia.
- Probiotics: Research is ongoing to confirm whether probiotics are safe. Rarely, people taking probiotics have been found to have unexpected fungi or bacteria in their blood, or endocarditis, inflammation of the lining of the heart chambers and valves, typically from a bacterial infection.
Chinese Herbs Part Of A Larger System
Herbal medicine is one of the most common alternative therapies used by cancer patients. Doctors who use Traditional Chinese Medicine do not use these herbs in isolation, though.
Instead, TCM doctors most often use these herbs in combination with each other. Although there are more than 3,000 different medicinal herbs in TCM, 300 to 500 are commonly used. Nearly all Chinese herbal formulas Ive seen contain a long list of ingredients, many of them unknown to me. The formulas tend to be complicated.
They try to address three main functions in TCM:
As part of a program of total healing, TCM herbs are also combined with acupuncture, massage therapy, and breathing and movement exercises . By using these treatments, doctors aim to restore your qi . Your qi is your bodys flow of energy.
In the Chinese way of looking at things, good health requires good qi.
I dont recommend self-medicating with Chinese herbs because there are so many choices and combinations, and so many questions about where the herbs come from and how they were grown. If you want to try this type of medicine, its best to seek out a trusted practitioner.
Kindest regards,
Don’t Miss: Cancer Medications For Breast Cancer
Properties Of Vital Anti
- All herbs/spices: Powerful antioxidant activity
- Cumin, black pepper: Enhance antioxidant enzymes
- Cumin, garlic, ginger: Inhibit cancer-associated inflammation
- Ginger, black pepper: Inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines
- Garlic, ginger, turmeric: COX-2 inhibition
- Ginger, black pepper: Attack tumors directly
- Anise, basil, capsicum: Inhibit NF- B
- Fennel, garlic, ginger: Inhibit NF- B
- Garlic, mustard, citrus zest: Induce apoptosis
- Mustard : Modulate autocrine loops & cell cycles
- Turmeric: Inhibits angiogenesis
The Bioactive Compounds Of Green Tea
Green tea is produced from the fresh leaves and buds of the evergreen plant Camellia sinensis . Green tea consists of bioactive polyphenols, and extracts in powder or liquid forms differ in the proportion of 45.0â90.0% polyphenols and 0.4â10.0% caffeine. The polyphenols consist of flavonoids, flavandiols, flavanols and phenolic acids . Catechins are a main class of flavonoids in the leaves of green tea and comprise 30â42% of the full dry weight of green tea. The catechins include epicatechin-3-gallate , epicatechin , epigallocatechin-3-gallate and epigallocatechin , which represents 13.0%, 6.4%, 59.0% and 19.0% respectively . The catechins present in the highest quantities are epigallocatechin-3-gallate, which accounts for 50â70% of the total quantity and is the most effective biologically active component of the leaves of green tea .
Flavones and flavonols present in green glycosides include: apigenin, quercetin, kaempferol and mycricetin . In addition to polyphenols, green tea consists of amino acids such as aspartic acids, tryptophan, serine, threonine carbohydrates such as fructose, cellulose, glucose and sucrose minerals and trace elements such as magnesium, calcium, iron, selenium and aluminum vitamins alkaloids such as caffeine, theophylline, theobromide and methylxanthines .
Also Check: Can Her2 Positive Breast Cancer Return
Spices Vital Keys To Cancer Prevention
Cancer is a major cause of death in most developed countries, where huge amounts of money are spent per year on studies for new treatments. Eastern countries, where the severity of most cancers is usually much smaller, spend relatively less money in such research and incorporate significantly more spices into their diets per year.
It appears that these traditional herbs and spices provide fantastic value. A comprehensive analysis of pathological and experimental data shows that the difference in cancer incidence between the West and many Eastern countries can be due to the latters significantly higher rate of spice consumption.
Cancer rates in the United States are significantly greater than in spice-eating Eastern countries
Breast, prostate, and lung cancer are the three most fatal cancers in the United States, for example. In India, the prevalence of these cancers and several others is significantly lower.
Breast cancer is eight times more common in American women than in Indian women, and prostate cancer is more than 30 times more common in American men than in Indian men. Lung cancer is about 20 times more common in the United States than in India.
Also when other considerations such as diet, disease prevalence, and factors are taken into account, these differences are surprising.
Herbal Supplements Vitamins And Minerals
Getting a wide range of vitamins and minerals should be easy when youre eating lots of produce, but its not always that simple. Our soil is so degraded even organic produce doesnt have the nutrition it used to have. If you cannot grow your own produce in the most optimum conditions with the best soil, we recommend a primarily food-based nutrition powder from a source you know and trust. Not whole food sourced, we mean actual food like rose hips, lemon peels, chlorella, etc. When these nutrition formulas are done right, the enzymes are left intact.
Related: Chemotherapy Detox
One mineral deficiency can lead to other minerals being out of balance, causing an array of problems, including an inability to assimilate vitamins. In most cases, this is why taking one or two specific minerals for a long period of time is not recommended, unless under the supervision of a well-informed naturopath. Incidentally, the same is true for many vitamins. Get the bulk of your nutrition from raw food, first and foremost. Let food be your foundation.
There are a ton of herbal tinctures, extracts, and other supplements that kill cancer cells. Echinacea, oil of oregano, clove oil, goldenseal, berberine, astragalus, pau d´arco, red clover, and skullcap are a few of the many plant-based herbal supplements that kill cancer cells. Study after study shows that many of the right plants and plant extracts have more power to kill off cancer cells than conventional treatments.
You May Like: Refusing Hormone Therapy For Breast Cancer Premenopausal
Dietary Supplements For Cancer Prevention
What are free radicals? Do they cause cancers?Free radicals are chemicals that have unpaired electrons. They are present in the environment and are also generated in the body through normal metabolism. Free radicals are highly active and are thought to interact with DNA causing cell damage and cancer.
What are antioxidants?Antioxidants are substances that can inhibit the process of oxidation associated with free radicals. Many foods and dietary supplements, such as vitamin C and pycnogenol, have antioxidant effects.
Can antioxidants be used to prevent cancers?Some believe a diet rich in antioxidants helps prevent cancer. However, there is no conclusive evidence that antioxidant supplements can reduce cancer incidence. Moreover, high intake of certain antioxidants is associated with increased cancer risk.
Foods And Beverages To Avoid
While certain foods may protect against breast cancer, other foods may increase your risk.
As such, its best to reduce your intake of the following foods and beverages or avoid them altogether:
Summary
To lower your risk of breast cancer, steer clear of refined carbs, added sugar, alcohol, fried foods, processed meats, and fast food.
You May Like: How Many Chemo Cycles For Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer And Estrogen
Breast cancer incidence has been to some degree tracking with hormone replacement therapy . HRT expanded during the 1980s and 1990s, as breast cancer incidence dramatically increased. Since 2002, after the Womens Health Initiative research linked HRT and breast cancer incidence, HRT prescriptions have fallen.
As hormone replacement therapy prescriptions have fallen, so have breast cancer rates.
This relationship between estrogen levels and breast cancer is reinforced by this research, as well as the research on the Hops plant.
There are a number of other plants that provide natural phytoestrogens. Others, such as Hops, modulate the estrogen receptors for the better.
Again we see the evidence that Nature takes care of itself. And if we let it, it can also care for our bodies too.
Chinese Herbal Medicine For Reducing Chemotherapy
- 1Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- 2Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- 3Chinese Medicine Department, Authority Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- 4Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- 5Hong Kong Association for Integration of Chinese-Western Medicine, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Background: Chemotherapy usually induces a variety of side-effects in cancer treatment as it cannot tell normal cells apart from cancer cells and kills both. Chinese herbal medicine has been regarded as a potential effective intervention for relieving the side-effects of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.
Objective: This study aims to conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of CHM as adjuvant therapy for reducing the chemotherapy-induced side-effects in the treatment of breast cancer.
Methods: Main electronic databases were searched up to May 2020 for Randomized Controlled Trials evaluating the effect of CHM on breast cancer patients with chemotherapy. The PRISMA statement was adopted in this study and meta-analyses were performed.
A confident conclusion could not be have due to the lack of large scale and high quality trials.
Read Also: Breast Cancer And Uterine Cancer Connection
How Cancer Develops And Spreads
How Cancer Starts? Cell division is a natural and necessary physiological mechanism that exists in virtually all tissues. A vast yet finely tuned biochemical system controls the equilibrium between cell growth and programmed cell death in a normally functioning body. Tumor growth is a multi-stage mechanism that develops when damage to normal cells DNA disrupts the equilibrium between apoptosis and cellular proliferation. This mechanism results in further alterations and modifications inside the affected cell, rapid growth of these abnormal cells, and cancerous cells penetrating surrounding tissues. As cancer cells migrate to other organs through the blood or lymphatic system, this is referred to as metastatic spread.
This mechanism is underpinned by a more complex series of modifications that arise at the cellular level. Almost all cancers begin with a single cell and spread by the mechanism of cell replication and division.
A cell that degenerates into a tumor cell, on the other hand, does not normally accumulate any of these properties all at once or in one generation. Conversely, mutations spread over time division by division and generation by generation in a process known as clonal evolution.
And the farther malignant the properties introduced on a cell by a specific mutation, the more advantageous it is over adjacent cells. The most likely it is to reproduce and pass on its mutant genes, the more likely it is to replicate and pass on its mutant genes.
Herbal Products Used For Prevention Of Breast Cancer
Figure 2.
Some important members of different classes of phytoestrogens .
Naturally occurring phenolic compounds namely phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannins, quinones, anthocyanins, and others play an important role in cancer prevention and/or treatment . These phenolic compounds are ubiquitous and rich in medicinal herbs and dietary plants. Several phenolic compounds contribute toward inhibiting carcinogenesis mechanism and show chemopreventive activities by their diverse range of biological activities .
Also Check: Stage 4 Breast Cancer Life Expectancy Elderly
Integrative Medicine: Do Herbs Diet And Other Approaches Affect Cancer Outcomes
A successful cancer treatment process includes more than just surgery, chemotherapy and other treatments: it involves keeping up your wellness from both a physical and mental standpoint, an expert says.
Surviving cancer is about more than just getting surgery, chemotherapy or other treatments, says one expert. It also includes giving your body the delicate attention to wellness that it needs like managing stress, seeking social support, maintaining a healthy diet and more.
Its important for cancer survivors to manage their quality of life, which they can do by utilizing integrative medicine. This knowledge can help them get their body through treatment with less symptoms and stay well enough to help the treatments work efficiently.
It’s the concept of taking best standard of care, and combining it with everything else that’s out there, for where there’s evidence of safety and effectiveness But it’s a concept that thinks of all of you, not just the part of you that we see when you’re in an operating room or in an office or on a chemo unit, said Dr. Diljeet K. Singh, a gynecologic oncologist with the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group in Washington, DC, in a presentation at the 12th Annual Joining Forces Against Hereditary Cancer Conference.
The integrative oncology approaches include dietary interventions, medicine that focuses on the mind, body or energy and systems of herbal medicine or other approaches such as acupuncture.
Related Content: