Summary This pilot study was conducted by the Mayo Clinic / Foundation in Minnesota, USA, to explore the effect of American ginseng, a plant that grows on forest floors in Eastern North America, on cancer-related fatigue. Over 8 weeks, an unspecified number of adults with a history of cancer-related fatigue received American ginseng in doses…
Summary This study examined the benefits of vitamin supplements in the prevention of bladder cancer. 65 bladder cancer patients receiving Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccination for cancer treatment were enrolled in the study. In addition to this treatment, the participants were given multiple vitamins in the recommended daily allowance (RDA) or RDA multivitamins plus 40,000 units…
Summary In this study, researchers of the Harvard School of Public Health investigated the relations between intakes of nutrients and the risk of bladder cancer among men. Higher intakes of vitamin E were associated with a reduced risk of bladder cancer. Vitamin C was also found to play a role in cancer risk. References D…
Summary The present study was conducted to evaluate the biological effect of the natural amino acid lysine (i.e. its isopeptides) on tumor growth. To this end, the compound was tested on human leukemia cells (in vitro) and on leukemia tumors in mice (in vivo). It was found that lysine inhibited cancer cell growth (proliferation) both…
Summary This review article analyzed 137 studies on the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and cancer. In these studies, the consumption of higher levels of fruits and vegetables was associated with a reduced risk of cancer. This association was found for a wide variety of vegetables and fruit. Furthermore, the protective effects were more…
Summary This study evaluated the beneficial effects of vitamin E in head and neck cancers. The findings suggest that a sufficient intake of vitamin E reduces the risk of cancer. Vitamin E was also found to protect against the toxic effects of bleomycin, a drug used in conventional cancer treatment. Further details can be found…
Summary This review evaluated over 200 scientific studies on the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and cancer. People with low fruit and vegetable intake had a double risk to develop cancer, compared to those who had high intake of these foods. The protective effects of fruits and vegetables were confirmed in a large number…
Summary Howe GR, Hirohata T, Hislop TG, Iscovich JM, Yuan JM, Katsouyanni K, Lubin F, Marubini E, Modan B, Rohan T. Dietary factors and risk of breast cancer: combined analysis of 12 case-control studies. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1990 Apr 4;82(7):561-9. References G R Howe, T Hirohata, T G Hislop, J M Iscovich, J M Yuan, K Katsouyanni, F Lubin, E Marubini, B…
Summary Dartigues JF, Dabis F, Gros N, Moise A, Bois G, Salamon R, Dilhuydy JM, Courty G. Dietary vitamin A, beta carotene and risk of epidermoid lung cancer in south-western France. Eur J Epidemiol. 1990 Sep;6(3):261-5. References J F Dartigues, F Dabis, N Gros, A Moise, G Bois, R Salamon, J M Dilhuydy, G Courty Link to article >>
Summary Haag JD, Lindstrom MJ, Gould MN. Limonene-induced regression of mammary carcinomas. Cancer Res. 1992 Jul 15;52(14):4021-6. References J D Haag, M J Lindstrom, M N Gould Link to article >>
Summary Knekt P, Aromaa A, Maatela J, Alfthan G, Aaran RK, Hakama M, Hakulinen T, Peto R, Teppo L. Serum selenium and subsequent risk of cancer among Finnish men and women. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1990 May 16;82(10):864-8. References P Knekt, A Aromaa, J Maatela, G Alfthan, R K Aaran, M Hakama, T Hakulinen, R Peto, L Teppo Link to article >>
Summary Thompson HJ. Effect of deficiencies of selenium and vitamin E alone or in combination on the induction of mammary carcinogenesis by 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea. Carcinogenesis. 1991 Nov;12(11):2175-9. References H J Thompson Link to article >>
Summary This review evaluated studies on the role of natural compounds and micronutrients in cancer prevention. Carotenoids (i.e. beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A), vitamins C and E, selenium and other compounds derived from plants (dithiolthiones, glucosinolates, indols, isothiocyanates, flavonoids, phenols, protease inhibitors, plant sterols, allium compounds and limonene) were found to have anti-cancer effects.…
Summary In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study the effect of vitamin D and calcium on colon polyps (colorectal adenoma) was examined, i.e. benign neoplasms in the intestinal region. For a 6 month period calcium and/or vitamin D or a placebo were administered to the patients. It turned out that the formation of new tumor tissue…
Summary This randomized controlled double-blind study examined the effects of a polyphenol-rich nutritional supplement on prostate-specific antigen (PSA), an important tumor marker for prostate cancer. Towards this goal, over a period of 6 months, 199 prostate cancer patients with an average age of 74 years received either a capsule containing various micronutrients – pomegranate, green…
Summary This cross-sectional study from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, USA, examined the relationship between vitamin E blood levels in women and the incidence of cervical cancer and its precursor (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia). The surveyed group consisted of 72 women, 37 of whom had the said precursor and 14 of…
Summary This study dealt with the intake of antioxidants from diet and supplements and the effects on the risk of pancreatic cancer. A total of 77,446 American men and women, aged between 50 and 76 years, were interviewed by means of a questionnaire about their eating and lifestyle habits, and also regarding their intake of…
Summary This meta-analysis investigated the association between the intake of antioxidant vitamins and the risk of cervical cancer. The analysis included data from 22 studies involving more than 10,000 participants. It was found that the intake of vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene were associated with a significant reduction of cervical cancer risk.…
Summary This study from the Dr. Rath Research Institute for Cellular Medicine dealt with the effectiveness of a specific micronutrient combination – containing lysine, proline, arginine, vitamin C and green tea extract – against kidney cancer. The study was carried out with cells and tissues. It was demonstrated that the production of certain collagen digesting…
Summary This 20 years follow-up study examined the association between carotenoid intake and breast tumors. 32.826 women donated blood samples. 11–12 years later, 18.743 of these women contributed a second blood sample. Between the first and second blood collection, 2188 breast cancer cases were diagnosed. The results showed that women with high carotenoid intake had…
Summary This summary analysis examined the results of 10 studies on the relationship between the intake of vitamin C, either from dietary supplements or the diet itself, and the death rate from breast cancer. Total mortality was also examined. The analysis included data from nearly 18,000 breast cancer patients.The results suggest that a high dietary…
Summary The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of antioxidant micronutrients on breast cancer risk. The study used data from participants in the so-called Rotterdam Study, a prospective study of women aged over 55 years. The intake of antioxidant micronutrients was determined on the basis of nutritional questionnaires. The investigation revealed,…
Summary This US study examined the influence of the plant ingredient sulforaphane on prostate cancer. The investigation was carried out with various prostate cancer cell types and included an accurate analysis of gene expression, i.e. the process through which the genetic information was implemented and made available for cells. This kind of study enables, for…
Summary In this study the effectiveness of the carotenoid lutein against prostate cancer cells was examined. The study was conducted at the University of New Jersey (USA) and showed that lutein inhibits the growth of prostate cancer cells and promotes their death. Further details can be found in the study. References Mohamed M Rafi, Saravanan Kanakasabai, Sarita…
Summary In this study, the relationship between the intake of micronutrients during pregnancy and the risk of the occurrence of cerebellar tumors (medulloblastoma) or nervous tissue tumors (neuroectodermal tumors) were examined. Over a period of six years 315 patients with tumors and 315 control cases were examined. The study results confirmed the protective effect of…
Summary Free radicals, in particular those produced as a result of exposure to intense sunlight, are a major cause of skin cancer and other skin disorders. This study examined to what extent carotenoids, as a dietary supplement or skin protection factor, are able to neutralize the negative effects of free radicals. A double-blind study with…
Summary The aim of this analysis, carried out at Zhejiang University (China), was to study the association between the intake of antioxidant vitamins (vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and alpha-carotene) and the risk of gastric cancer. For this purpose the researchers analyzed 40 clinical studies, which showed that an increased intake of these micronutrients is…
Summary This case-control study from the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Sweden studied the effect of vitamin C, beta-carotene and vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) on various forms of esophageal and gastric cancer. The surveyed group consisted of 608 cancer patients and 815 healthy people (control group). It was found that an increased intake of these vitamins was…
Summary This study examined the association between the intake of green tea, a natural source of polyphenols, and the risk of breast cancer in Japanese-American women. It included 119 participants before and 72 participants after menopause. All women were free of disease. The scientists found that estrogen and estradiol, two factors in the development of…
Summary These two studies examined the effect of vitamin C supplementation on metastasis and tumor growth, for skin cancer and breast cancer, in mice that cannot produce endogenous vitamin C. During the study, the food and water given to a group of 36-38 weeks old female mice was supplemented with vitamin C for four weeks…
Summary The aim of this study was to determine vitamin D levels in prostate cancer patients and the influence of these on the severity and progression of the disease. 53 male patients with prostate cancer participated in the study. Various diagnostic tests, such as biopsy or immunochemical methods, provided evidence that lower vitamin D levels…
Summary This case-control study examined the relationship between the intake of carotenoids (alpha-, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin and lutein/zeaxanthin) and the risk of developing breast cancer. The study involved some 561 breast cancer patients and 561 healthy women. Data collection on the nutrient intake of the participants took place via a validated questionnaire. The observation period was…
Summary In this study, the effect of a micronutrient combination containing lysine, proline, arginine, ascorbic acid and epigallocatechin gallate was tested on human prostate cancer cells. The study results show that the micronutrients effectively inhibited the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. Furthermore, the production of collagen-digesting enzymes – via which the cancer cells move…
Summary In this study, the relationship between calcium and other minerals with the risk of lung cancer in non-smokers was studied. For this purpose 71,267 female non-smokers, not suffering from cancer, were interviewed using a questionnaire on their dietary habits. After an average period of 11.2 years the surveyed group was re-examined. The results show…
Summary A scientific study, carried out between 1985 and 2002 with 29,133 male smokers in Finland, examined the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and the incidence of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It concluded that circulating 25(OH)D may provide a protective effect in the development of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. Further details can be found in the study. References…
Summary At the Dr. Rath Research Institute for Cellular Medicine, a specific combination of micronutrients – including vitamin C, lysine, proline and green tea extract – was examined for its ability to inhibit specific enzymes that help cancer cells spread through the body (metastasis). The analysis of prostate cancer cells proved that the micronutrient combination…
Summary This study was concerned with the effect of vitamin D (1,25 Dehydroxyvitamin D – the active form of the vitamin) on testicular cancer cells. For this purpose cells and tissue of testicular tumors were examined. It turned out that vitamin D has an inhibitory effect on the growth of testicular tumor cells. The authors…
Summary In this research article the benefit of dietary supplementation with vitamin D3 in patients with prostate cancer was demonstrated. The researchers reported that daily supplementation with 4000 international units (IU) of vitamin D3 was effective in improving outcome patients with early prostate cancer. Furthermore, it was found that African-American men had lower overall vitamin…