Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Cancer and Nutrition: Revisited Fairly

In a recent post I was hard on doctors who tell cancer patients not to take nutritional supplements. I spoke in anger and disappointment and did not evenly cover the topic. I am deleting that post. In fairness I need to address this issue again.......

You see there is a controversy regarding certain nutrition supplements and cancer. Consider the information in the following links:

http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-153.shtml#humanresearch

http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-153.shtml#animalresearch

Recent studies have been positive on the use of antioxidants:
http://www.newstarget.com/021070.html


None of these above articles discuss the use of glyconutritional supplements. Glyconutrients are not vitamins, antioxidants, minerals or amino acids. They are in a class of their own. There are so far eight known necessary glyconutrients (ie monosaccharides). These are discussed in Harpers Biochemistry, a medical textbook. Though there are four Nobel prizes which discuss cell to cell communication and the integral part these monosaccharides play in cell to cell communication, glycobiology is a young field and not well understood yet by the vast majority of physicians. There is however, a Glycomics Conference every October in which increasingly more physicians are learning this information. http://www.endowmentmed.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=40

Case studies and research point to a positive benefit with dietary supplementation of glyconutrients:

http://www.fisherinstitute.org/bestcancer.htm

http://www.fisherinstitute.org/cancer.htm

http://glycoscience.org/ (search "cancer")

What I most wanted to get across is that folks need to educate themselves and not rely solely on physician input. Doctors are not gods; nor should we expect them to be. They are not trained in nutrition. They are largely educated by pharmaceutical companies. I learned this the hard way in my battle with Lupus. Had I not taken responsibility for my life and wellness; had I solely relied on my physicians input I would either be dead or in a wheelchair and in a nursing home today; instead of celebrating over two years in remission. My physicians did not value nutrition and didn't know about glyconutrition. Thru all the years I battled Lupus, not once did any of my physicians ask me about my diet. Has yours?