list of supplement/minerals do's/dont's

Linda, what is the timing for these supplements?  All at once?  Timed throughout the day?  I have to say I'm gagging <sorry> at the thought of all these pills.  I used to take a lot of different supplements.  I got to the point where I was sickened at the thought of taking them all.

Presently, I'm down to a multivitamin from Trader Joe's, one 1000 mg Vitamin D, one 5 g Biotin, 2 Calciums.  I take the multi, D, and biotin at breakfast.  I take one calcium at lunch and one at dinner.  That's as far as I've gotten.

Debbie 

Yes Linda,  It does sound like a good list with Liz's cautionary note about

considering your hormonal status when taking some of the supplements.   As good as my intentions were at the start of this journey I too, found myself paring down for the same reasons.---not enough hours in the day.

I would add if you are having cognitive problems giving the Phosphatidylserene a chance.  It was mentioned as possibly being helpful by the Doctor at the last BCO online conference.

Also in my regimen is Silymarian--Milk thistle extract if you are taking

any meds that are hard on the liver or have elevated liver enzymes.

The brand I've been using is Thistlyn by Natures way.

And of course there's the one mineral I can't say enough about--magnesium.  And apparently unless you are outside the US and can get Magnesium Pidolate your next best choice is magnesium citrate.

Apparently not all magnesium is created equal and the citrate absorbs better than the others.

Since I need to take Protonix,-- and the acid blockers cause malabsorption of B12 .  I augment that vitamin more in the form of Cyanocobalamin.

I think we should emphasize that this thread does not apply to those

currently undergoing chemotherapy or radiation. Most of us have gotten instructions not to take supplements during chemo and rads---Although there has been some reports that Co Q10 can help prevent cardio problems with A/C.

These are what some of us have found helpful afterwards or have gotten warnings to avoid. 

Funny you should mention---Cost!  It certainly is an issue.  You really want the best quality-- and quality is sometimes costly.  Especially now--

considering some countrys like China are the biggest producers of some

of our vitamins like vitamin C and others--- 

What is the NAC in the ALA/NAC?  You're "talking" to a dummy here so be careful how you word it. LOL

Shirley

Shirley,

ALA is Alpha Lipoic Acid and I've been using that for quite a few years.  It supposedly is good for neuropathy.  NAC is N-Acetyl-Cysteine an amino acid

that I had also heard good things about with neuropathy.  I think its also supposed to be good for the kidneys and is supposed to help immunity. 

Hello all--

I am ER/PR+ and am using an integrative medicine oncologist and have met with his nutritionist.  He is Dr. Barry Boyd, who has written the book "The Cancer Recovery Plan" which is full of information on nutrition, exercise and stress-reduction in the treatment of cancer.

I had left mastectomy with reconstruction, no rads, so these supplenets may not apply to all.

These are the supplements I am taking, started them before starting chemo and continuing through chemo (two CMF down, four to go).  

1.  EPA/DHA (Omega 3 fatty acid) EPA 300 mg DHA 200 mg (one capsule three times a day with each meal.

2.  GLA (Gamma Linoleic Acid-Borage Oil) 1,045 mg one capsule daily

3.  Selenium 200 mcg one capsule daily

4.  Calcium+Magnesium+Vitamin D (Caltrate plus chewable) one tablet three times a day

5.  Vitamin D3-1,000 mg once per day, in addition to the above

6.  Multi-Vitamin with less than 200 mcg/day of folate (folic acid--very importent during chemo--this supplement is needed during pregnancy, but can interfere with chemo treatment)--hard to find, so I take two per day of Pure Encapsulations UltraNutrient multi, where the label prescribes four per day for a normal healthy person.

7.  Curcumin 250 mg one capsule three times a day with each meal.  (This is the active ingredient in Tumeric the spice)

8.  Coenzyme Q10-100 mg. one tab daily in am

I noticed a difference in my skin and hair within two weeks of taking these supplements--

I had taken all of the supplements I had been taking previous to dx with me to my appointment withthe nutritionist, and when we reviewed them, some had too much of certain vitamins and not enough of others, so rather than get totally confused, I just turned all my old supplements over to my husband, and started on the above regime.

"The opposite is true if you eat foods that are a good source of beta carotene, that is suppose to be good for the lungs."

Just to show how complicated and confusing this all can get---for years

we've been told bata carotene is a good thing--but now it may be unless you are getting it as Rosemary says in your diet--it may be problematic and I'm wondering if these kind of studies are what is making Dr Norton stop prescribing multivitamins.

-----------------------------------------------

In the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Trial, 18 percent more lung cancers were diagnosed and 8 percent more overall deaths occurred in study participants taking beta carotene. In CARET, after an average of four years of receiving supplements, 28 percent more lung cancers were diagnosed and 17 percent more deaths occurred in participants taking beta carotene and vitamin A than in those taking placebos. Neither of these studies showed a benefit from taking supplements.

Because the interim results of CARET were similar to the ATBC study, the intervention was stopped 21 months early. Both of these studies involved people who were specifically invited to participate because of their high risk for developing lung cancer.

The Physician's Health Study was completed at the end of 1995 and showed no benefit or harm in people taking beta carotene supplements for more than 12 years.

# Why did CARET stop early?

The study itself was not stopped, but the participants were told to stop taking the beta carotene and vitamin A or placebos. The Safety and Endpoints Monitoring Committee for CARET and an ad hoc committee assembled by NCI saw that the interim results clearly showed no benefit from the supplements and also showed there was a possibility that they were harming participants. CARET investigators made the decision to stop the intervention, but they will follow the study group for five more years to determine the long-term effects of the intervention.

The intervention was halted on January 11, 1996, by the CARET investigators. Letters were mailed to participants by January 13 and a public announcement made on January 18.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Prevention/betacarotene

 

I'm new to this and am into rad.  But I listen to Dr. Oz and also read alot and eating fruits and veggies is so much easier than buying and taking pills.  Also they are made for body absoption by nature and the fiber is a huge boost for the entire system.  I do drink Monavie, 2 oz a day.  and I nap in the sunshine on the floor in front of a window.  Getting outside and raking in fresh air has been a great energy and emotional boost.  Anyone else into nature and non-pill regimine?          love to hear more; the discussion boards are way more informational than the commercial web sites trying to sell me supplements.  What a blessing to be on the recovery side of cancer!!! arby

Arby,

I am on the beginning side of treatment, and I so want to do this as chemical free as I can get away with.

Any advice on how to get through surgery and chemo without dealing with too many pills and chemicals?