Antioxidants the Enemy in Cancer Tx, Nobel Winner Watson Says

cp418

http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/OtherCancers/36762

CherylinOhio

mmm not sure what to make of that. So now antioxidants are bad for us? Sheesh!

Anonymous

Cheryl,

It seems that they are bad for us only during chemo. 

Claire

SelenaWolf

And they are only bad for you when you take them in excessive amounts (i.e., "mega-doses").  My MO okayed a multivitamin, Vitamin D and Vitamin A supplements, as long as I stayed within accepted dosages because these supplements can actually aid the healing/chemo process when used correctly.

ihatesnowihatesnow

http://rsob.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/3/1/120144.full#corresp-1

SelenaWolf

This is still, largely, hypothethical- and theoretical.  Moreoever, the article is referring to cellular antioxident levels involving reactive oxygen species; those that are generated within the cells themselves.  These cellular antioxidents are very different in structure from those available via nutritional supplement, i.e., betacarotene, Vitamins A, C, E, and selenium.  This theory's "far reaching implications" is that nutritional supplements "could be" harmful, but - right now - such a conclusion is premature and unwarranted.  If anything, current studies have proven that nutritional antioxident supplement use - as well as obtaining antioxidents through diet alone - has no impact whatsoever on the prevention- or generation of cancer.

Blessings2011

From Day One, my MO told me that she did not want me to take any multi-component supplements containing anti-oxidants - specifically vitamins A and E -  as the latest research showed that in addition to helping normal cells grow, they had the "potential" to help cancer cells grow.

She urged me to get all my nutritional needs from a variety of real foods.

She did, however, approve of my taking calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, fish oil, a liquid, sublingual vitamin B complex, a daily aspirin, and a probiotic.

p.s. Did not have chemo or rads.

wallycat

I don't think they know enough about supplements, especially in an epigenetic format, where we don't know what activates dormant genomics.  This is just my humble opinion.

I have read that too many antioxidants actually cause pro oxidation, and perhaps that is the cause.

I have had 3 oncologists (1 I fired, 1 I moved from and current one) and none of them really understood/understands supplementation nor nutrition.

I also think it is different for everyone...why can some women have a glass of wine and have an increased risk of cancer while others can drink with abandon and nothing happens.  Why can some people eat saturated fats and have no ill effects with cholesterol increase while others have to be near vegan to keep their values low.  Why do some head injuries manifest in alzheimer's or dementia later down the road while other people show no ill effects.

SelenaWolf

My MO told me that there is not enough research or evidence supporting the "do not take antioxidents" theory.  She said that all the supposed "research" is based on theory/hypothesis only and has not been proven either way.  She said that many oncologists "play it safe" based on this theory and recommend that their patients do not take any kind of supplementation during treatment, but no one has ever proven whether- or not it has an impact.  There is, simply, no solid evidence supporting it.  In fact, there seems to be clinical evidence emerging that Vitamin A, when introduced to cancer cells in vitro, actually, slow the growth of breast cancer cells.  Human studies; however, have - thus far - been inconclusive, at best, and there is little evidence that Vitamin A supplementation either promotes- or prevents cancer cell growth.  Getting your daily intake of Vitamin A through diet "may" help prevent breast cancer in pre-menopausal women.  Despite the theories, the relationship between Vitamin A and cancer is unclear.

So, although here is much discussion, debate, and argument about this issue in oncological circles, there is no consensus and no conclusive proof.  My MO did say that she didn't advocate mega-doses of any antioxidents - or any other supplement including Vitamin D - because of their ability to cause serious health issues unrelated to cancer.  For example, too much daily Vitamin D increases ones' susceptibility for other health issues.  It increases blood calcium levels, which can increase calcifications in lungs, heart, blood vessles and renal tubules.  It, also, increases risk for high blood pressure and heart disease.

As for low-dose aspirin, she only recommended that daily low-dose aspirin for me because I am taking tamoxifen and one of tamoxifen's side effects is the potential development of deep vein thrombosis.  Aspirin's anticoagulant action is clinically known to help against blood clots.  There is no conclusive evidence, as yet, that aspirin actually helps prevent cancer.  In fact, there are studies showing that low-dose aspirin has no preventative effect on breast cancer (see: Womens Health Study trials).

So, I agree with my MO - especially after doing my own research.  While there may be no conclusive evidence that (any) nutritional supplement will promote- or prevent cancer, there is tons of evidence that mega-doses and overuse cause other serious health problems.

"... good girls never made history ..."