Products for countering radiation contamination, detoxes and human body cell damage | Clockwise top to bottom: aojiru; seaweed; green tea; sodium bicarbonate; capsicum peppers; kiwi fruit; shiitake mushrooms; carrot; broccoli; konbu kelp
Ever since the nuclear reactors began spewing radiation out of Fukushima, terrestrial TV programming and local social network media have been flooded with debates on the dangers of radiation poisoning and shows with all sorts of suggestions of various ways of detoxifying or protecting ourselves from environmental radiation and dealing with radiation-contaminated food, soil and surroundings.
Numerous local TV shows tout the efficacy of kelp consumption or macrobiotic or detox diet in countering radiation, juso (sodium bicarbonate) decontamination uses, the benefits of soil decontamination by planting of sunflowers, etc. The local networks have also been airing documentaries of what was done in the vicinity of Chernobyl, for instance – or post Hiroshima, on the Asaichi programme on NHK TV (which has one of the highest Kanto viewer ratings of a weekday morning programme), but Asaichi is just one of the many TV shows featuring a topic on the mind of anxious Japanese… countering radiation damage and contamination.
Questionable claims and practices abound
The question that comes to mind is: are the various claims for anti-cancer protection, detoxes and radiation sickness, cures for cell damage real, or are they clever quackeries?
I thought I would list below as many of the suggestions, advice and research on the subject that I have come across so far. Along the way, I began to realize that much of what you find by googling merely repeat what other writers have written. Much of which stuff is often outdated or lacking reference to primary sources, and has either entered the realm of urban legend or is the mere advertising puff of companies that sell nutritional supplements.
Upon further scrutiny, some suggested cancer cure or supposed antidote to radiation poisoning might begin to raise more questions, such as whether the processed form (e.g. a supplement capsule) is as effective as the natural or raw form of the substance in question, or whether there might be side effects or the possibility of under- or over-dosing. One might also want to inquire exactly what effect a specific touted treatment or panacea will achieve. For example, some phytochemicals or antioxidant substances are touted for their radioprotective effect against radiation damage; some for their ability to enhance blood or bodily immune functions; others are for their cleansing or binding/bonding effects allowing the toxic substances to be removed from the body. But with over 4,000 phytochemicals having been discovered to date, scientists have only begun to scratch the surface of what body defense arsenal is available and to understand the complex ways the substances work and their relationship to other metals, elements and human body functions. We may also want to know that some substances or products being promoted have been tested on animals only, while others have been tested on both animals and humans. Still other substances have been proven to be able to inhibit cancer growth in limited and specific organs only.
What we are about to do hereon, is, to sift and wade through the available anecdotes, literature, scientific journals, the quackwatchers, health gurus’ claims to see if their anticancer and counter-radiation ideas and suggestions surveyed below are quick or quack fixes or if they are potential solutions.
DISCLAIMER: This is a very personal but layman investigation into what is available to us in these very troubling times…this piece does not purport to advise you on any health measure or step to be taken. Please seek help on your individual circumstances from your physicians and health practitioners. This investigative piece is but a launchpad to finding out more about the health options, macrobiotics, and available scientific research on the subject. The best available information should prevail, but we are equally susceptible to all manner of human error and limitations. It IS, however, our hope to throw open the topic to discussion on our online forum, to see if we can find wisdom and safety in numbers, and hence, we are inviting your comments and contributions via this blog.
Below, we will look at the various suggestions for countering radiation under the categories of natural food & condiments/nutritional supplements; use of minerals or salts for decontamination, purification or detoxification purposes; water filtration methods or systems in that order. Obviously, we can’t cover everything but will focus on those most relevant to those of us who have been or are being exposed to radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi reactors.
Aojiru and SUPERGREENS (young barley / kale / spirulina / chlorella / wheatgrass green juice or powder or nutritional supplementary capsules and tablets)
What is aojiru? And what are Supergreens? Why have these got holy grail status in health circles?
The Claims:
“Using super greens is not a new idea, however. Indigenous peoples in South America and Africa have been using cereal grasses and freshwater algae for centuries – both for nutrition and externally as an antiseptic healing salve. Packed with chlorophyll, an inherent property of all green plants, these supercharged greens flood the blood supply with oxygen which detoxifies it and neutralizes cancer-causing free radicals….
Wheat grass and barley grass are known as cereal grasses. They are some of the other powerful super greens that are packed with chlorophyll. There is very little nutritional difference between wheat grass and barley grass. Both are super greens that deliver concentrated nutrition with high chlorophyll content. … These potent greens are the young grass of the wheat or barley plant, before it matures into a grain. … Because it’s a live food, wheat grass is full of enzymes, mineral and other nutrients. It possesses 90 out of 102 nutrients that can be found in rich, healthy soil. The enzymes are highly cleansing as they loosen debris in the bowels. Wheat grass also drains the lymphatic system and builds healthy blood. These properties will help you eliminate toxins, fight degenerative diseases and keep your body strong.
Blue-green algae, like Spirulina powder, has the highest chlorophyll content and the highest absorbable protein content of any plant food. Its protein content is 95 percent absorbable. Beef protein is only 20 percent absorbable in the body. It is high in beta-carotene, a rich source of all the B vitamins, as well a good source for vitamins D, C and E. Spirulina also contains many different minerals, including calcium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, sodium, zinc, and large amounts of potassium.
Spirulina stops cancer cell production, builds healthy cells and is thought to reverse the effects of aging. It detoxifies the body and fights bad breath and body odor.
Chlorella is another of the super greens that is full of chlorophyll and nutrients and provides a rich supply of nucleic acid. It’s a green algae that has most of the properties of blue green algae, however it has an indigestible cellulose wall that must be broken and pulverized to make it absorbable. This has made production of chlorella somewhat problematic and more expensive.
This cell wall, once thought of as merely an obstacle to absorption has actually turned out to be quite valuable. According to Paul Pitchford, “it binds with heavy metals, pesticides, and such carcinogens as PCBs and carries these toxins safely out of the body.” For these reasons Chlorella is a powerful and sophisticated detoxifier!
Chlorella’s cell wall also contains unique complex polysaccharides that stimulate immune function and protect your body against mutations and tumor formation. Nucleic acid (RNA/DNA) in your body is responsible for cellular renewal, growth and repair. It decreases as we age and is depleted by lack of exercise, stress, pollution and poor diet.
Replenishing your nucleic acid by taking Chlorella could play an important role in your ability to heal, experience vitality and enjoy longevity. Like the other super greens, Chlorella increases detoxification, cleanses the blood, enhances immunity and neutralizes carcinogens.” — Mountain Rose Herbs.com
Examining the evidence:
Aojiru is a health drink originally made from squeezed green leafed vegetables. According to literature, in 1943, a doctor started prescribing aojiru as a squeezed kale juice, as a nutritional supplement to his patients. In 1969, aojiru made from a young barley grass, was first introduced in Japan.
Various types of aojiru vegetables are available today – Although aojiru means blue-green juice, aojiru comes not just in plastic packed juice form, canned form but also in powder form (which can also be in different freeze-dried or other lightly processed forms: e.g. barley grass (barley green) that is CO2 cold-temperature-dried, i.e. dried at low temperature, in oxygen-free environment for retention of much higher nutrient and live enzyme than of other aojiru juice powders. One nutritional pack is said to contain about 30 times concentrate of the fresh Barley Grass Juice, and 6 times more concentrated than Barley Grass dried powder.) The types of aojiru sold today, are mainly kale, young barley grass or wheatgrass, Komatsuna, goya(bitter gourd), spirulina, chlorella and green tea leaves …usually combinations of what are known as the Super Greens. We will next look at available information on what barley grass products can do.
Almost every page you google on the internet will tell you that there are no clinical trials for barley greens, which is an outdated statement. Apart from anecdotal evidence, research in Japan and other countries suggests that barley grass powder can also be beneficial in cases of cellular damage from x-rays, heart disease and hepatitis as well as in asthma, obesity, skin rejuvenation, anaemia, arthritis, gastritis, peptic ulcers, diabetes cases. The scientific research that has been conducted on the effect of barley grass, is summarized, listed and referenced at this page.
Barley grass extracts are known to protect human tissue cells against carcinogens. The mechanism of action is however largely unknown but is thought to be associated with the plant’s antioxidant activity or its chlorophyll content (chlorophyll, a photoreceptor – a molecule that traps solar energy and converts it into chemical energy or food, is also an antibacterial green pigment). It has been suggested that complexes may be formed between the carcinogen and the chlorophyll that may inactivate the carcinogen. Early evidence came from the work of Yoshihide Hagiwara, M.D., a researcher in Japan and author of the book “Green Barley Essence” (Keats, 1985), barley grass helps cure skin diseases and ulcers by promoting the growth of new cells. The most accessible piece of reading on barley leaf benefits by Dr. Hagiwara is available online at ”Barley Leaves Extracts for Everlasting Health” (booklet) by Dr. Hagiwara , Dr. A. J. Chichoke.
Young barley grass (called oomugi 大麦 in Japanese) has shown promising results in preliminary studies done on its ability to inhibit certain cancer cell growths, mainly breast and prostate cancer. Lisa Turner in her 1996 book, Meals That Heal, wrote that “Japanese researchers have noted that when barley juice is added to injured cells, the cell’s DNA rapidly repairs itself, a feat they attribute to a type of protein in barley juice with strong anti-inflammatory properties.”
Barley grass contains antioxidant phytonutrients(explained in detail further on below), including the enzyme Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), the flavonoid 2”-O-glucosylisovitexin (2”-O-GIV), as well as protein fractions P4-D1 andD1-G1, among many other phytonutrients. In 1983, The Japanese Journal of Inflammation reported that Japanese scientists Matsuoka and Kubota had identified and isolated two special proteins in barley grass, naming them P4-D1 and D1-G1 (See Dr KUBOTA Kazuhiko’s “Barley and I“) . Early studies carried out on suggested the proteins, P4-D1 and D1-G1, have a role in protecting cells from ultraviolet radiation and certain carcinogens, apparently due to stimulation of DNA repair. (reference).
Anther antioxidant found in high concentrations in barley grass thought to offer potent protection against radiation and free radicals is alpha-tocopherol succinate, a potent relative of vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) to which the plant’s anti-tumor action is attributed. Though the workings remain unknown, alpha-tocopherol succinate appears to inhibit several types of cancer, including leukemia, brain tumors and prostate cancer. More recent 2009 research confirms the antioxidant properties of barley grass leaves.
Barley grass contains an active ingredient called proanthocyanidin – a powerful plant chemical that works at a cellular level. The article “Proanthocyanidin Power” reviews the scientific research on proanthocyanidins, calls these chemicals “super-antioxidants and says they are ”are a class of flavonoids. … Proanthocyanidins deserve their stellar reputation as antioxidants that quench free radicals and potentiate other antioxidants.”
Barley also contains beta -glucan, a fiber also found in oat bran and reported to reduce cholesterol levels and to be effective in protecting against cancers. In animal experiments, therapy with beta-1, 3-D glucans reportedly enhances recovery after radiation exposure and results in improvements in the bone marrow, spleen and white blood count and was shown to result in rapid tumor shrinkage. (Source: Cancer Alternative Treatment 70/Beta Glucan)
In an experiment at George Washington University’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Allan L. Goldstein Ph.D., and his colleagues exposed leukemic cancer cells to dehydrated barley grass extract. The extract killed virtually all of them. Encouraged, the researchers then subjected brain cancer cells to the extract. 30 to 50 percent of the cancer cells were eradicated. In a third trial, the extract inhibited the growth of three types of prostrate cancer by 90 to 100 percent.
A clinical study by Ya-Mei Yu and Chingmin E. Tsai from Fu Jen University in Taipei and other Taiwanese researchers from China Medical College in Taichung concluded that supplementation with barley grass helped reduce the levels of cholesterol and oxygen free-radicals in the blood of type 2 diabetics. In the study, 36 randomly selected type 2 diabetics were randomly assigned to receive daily supplements of barley grass, a combination of vitamin C and E or a combination of barley grass and vitamins C and E for four weeks. Past research has indicated that antioxidants vitamin C and E when taken together may promote cardiovascular function. The researchers found that supplementation with barley grass reduced the levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and oxygen free-radicals, in addition to protecting LDL-vitamin E content and inhibiting LDL oxidation. The authors noted that barley grass “acts as a free radical scavenger.” Particularly noteworthy are the data showing barley grass, when taken with vitamins C and E, more effectively lowers the level of free radicals than either barley grass or the vitamins when taken alone. The researchers concluded that supplementation with barley grass in combination with antioxidative vitamins may have a protective effect and promote healthy cardiovascular function.
Supplements of aojiru young barley grass are readily obtainable from any pharmacy in Japan as well as the supermarket and most department stores.
Incidentally, the Barley Green powder supplement has been the primary form of nutritional supplements that our family has been consuming since my kids were infants. Barley Green is sweeter than kale or goya aojiru products and so are less objectionable to children and infants. Below are palateable ways to take aojiru into our systems:
Mix 1-2 teaspoons of Supergreen Powder into juice, smoothie, salad dressing or other food. Once or twice daily. [But most days, we just stir hard the aojiru powder into a cup juice/milk to be drunk quickly.]
Best taken on an empty stomach and ensure six glasses of water daily.
Children 1/2 to 1 teaspoon daily.
When the children are ill, a teaspoonful of the powder can be administered medicinally and sublingually under the tongue. This allows the powder to dissolve by saliva action and be delivered quickly and directly into the blood stream and in pure and unadulterated form.
Barley grass can be obtained in powder or tablet form or in fresh grass juice in cartons, cans or plastic packets. But fresh juice or powder forms dried at cold temperatures contain healthful enzymes not found in heat-dried grass powder and deliver benefits of potent concentrates. Alternatively, you can try aojiru drinks at juice bars or certain large department store supermarkets offer these juices.
Caution: Be careful if you have celiac disease or even a milder form of gluten intolerance. Gluten is too often ruled out as being only related to wheat, but is said to be also present in many other grains, including barley (See Side effects of Barley). Note also that you can get barley and other cereal grasses in powder or tablet form. However, fresh grass juice contains healthful enzymes not found in heat-dried grass powder and is likely to be higher in just about every phytonutrient found in cereal grass. Many juice bars and health-oriented markets offer these juices on their menus.
However, you might want to know one of the reasons why young barley grass took the health world by storm was the efficacy of the barley grass powder form and its rich nutritional profile. CO2 dried at cold but not frozen temperatures is the best processing method that preserves the enzymes of the barley grass in an active and live as well as concentrate form.
Although Super Barley Green (aomugi) was thought to be the superior Supergreen (see “Why is Green Barley a Super Food?”) in many health circles, there are today other alternative Supergreens such as spirulina, chlorella, wheatgrass, kale and goya.
Spirulina and chlorella therapies were resorted to by the Russians in the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster. According to the research report “Spirulina-natural sorbent of radionuclides“, “Spirulina reduced urine radioactivity levels by 50% in only 20 days. This result was achieved by giving 5 grams a day to children at the Minsk, Belarus Institute of Radiation Medicine. The Institute program treated 100 children every 20 days. In a 1991 study of 49 kindergarten children aged 3 to 7 years old in Beryozova, spirulina was given to 49 children for 45 days. Doctors found T-cell suppressors and beneficial hormones rose, and in 83% of the children, radioactivity of the urine decreased.”
Based on the Institute of Radiation Medicine in Minsk, the Belarus Ministry of Health concluded that spirulina accelerates the evacuation of radionuclides from the human body with no side effects registered (i.e., it helps accelerate the removal of particles that emit gamma rays or radiation). The Ministry thus considered this food ideal for the treatment of people subject to radiation effects.
Russian research published in 1994 ”Means to normalize the levels of immunoglobin E. using the supplement spirulina“, reported that studies of 270 children living in highly radioactive areas with abnormally high immunoglobin levels, showed that consuming about 5 grams per day of spirulina tablets normalized IgE within 6 weeks. Children not consuming spirulina did not change IgE levels. No side effects were observed. Spirulina lowers the amount of IgE in the blood, which in turn normalizes and reduces allergies in the body.
Previous research in China in 1989 showed a natural polysaccharide extract of spirulina had a protective effect against gamma radiation in mice. An unpublished 1993 report confirmed 1990-91 research, concluded that “spirulina decreases radiation dose load received from food contaminated with radionuclides, Cesium-137 and Strontium-90. It is favorable for normalizing the adaptive potential of children’s bodies in conditions of long-lived low dose radiation.”
The Russians received a patent award in 1994 for the use of spirulina as a medical food to reduce allergic reactions from radiation sickness – based on a study of 270 children living in highly radioactive areas who suffered from chronic radiation sickness and elevated levels of Immunoglobulin (IgE), a marker for high allergy sensitivity. Thirty five were prescribed 20 tablets per day (about 5 grams) for 45 days. Consuming spirulina lowered the levels of IgE in the blood, which in turn, normalized allergic sensitivities in the body. The available research on spirulina is reviewed in Earthrise’s online article here.
Chlorella is said to be the most researched algae in the world with numerous studies showing chlorella has a radio-protective effect towards gamma-ray induced chromosomal damage. As the highest source of chlorophyll in the plant kingdom, this fresh water algae has the most photosynthesis activity and generates the most oxygen of all plants. Chlorella is used as a supplement during radiation treatment for cancer. Its abundance of chlorophyll is known to protect the body against ultraviolet radiation.
Scientific studies show that nutrients in chorella stimulate the immune system and exert cancer-protective action. It is a nutrient-dense superfood that contains 60% protein, 18 amino acids (including all the essential amino acids), various vitamins, minerals, fibre, enzymes. Chlorella provides all of the dietary-essential amino acids in excellent ratios. More than 20 vitamins and minerals are found in chlorella, including iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, pro-vitamin A, B1, B2, B2, B5, B6, B12, E and K, biotin, inositol, folic acid, plus vitamins C, E and K. It is also a reliable source of essential fatty acids (EFAs) that are required for many important biochemical functions, including hormone balance. Chlorella also contains high levels of beta-carotene and nucleic acids RNA and DNA. One of its unique properties is a phytonutrient called CGF. The Anti-mutagenic activity of chlorophyll, beta-carotene and high levels of DNA/RNA in chlorella helps protect against the side effects of radiation exposure and actually assist in protecting and repairing the nucleic acids (RNA/DNA) of the cells.
Chlorella is a powerful internal cleanser and its main use in cancer therapy is to help remove radioactive particles from the body after radiation treatment. Recently, it was found that chlorella could reduce the accumulation of toxicity in the body(see next section). Chlorella also known to be an effective intestinal deodorizer, offering up its rich supply of chlorophyll to kill bacteria that produce unpleasant odour and gas.
Scientific research shows:
* Chlorophyllin is effective in inhibiting aflatoxin B1 which can cause liver cancer (Source:
Cancer Research, 1995, 55:57-62)
* The intake of chlorella can reduce absorption of toxins such as dioxin and this is a significant detox effect and benefit in maintaining good health (Source: 2005 study) as well as increasing immunoglobin A concentrations in breast milk (source: 2007 study).
(J. Nutr, 129 (9): 1731-736, 1999 Sept) See this page for a summary on “Chlorella-research“
* Certain sea algae such as chlorella contain relatively large percentages of Nucleic acids — RNA and DNA have both been shown to have radio protective qualities and to increase the survival rate of mammals exposed to irradiation. Source: Singh, SP et al. “Post-exposure radioprotection by Chlorella vulgaris (E-25) in mice” 1995 (Note: Onions, bee pollen, nutritional yeast also contain RNA.)
100% fresh-water chlorella, grown on the coral reef island of Ishigaki, is grown in Japan and available from Yaeyamachlorella.com. Chlorella may enhance health naturally by supporting the immune system and promoting energy, vitality, and natural cleansing. Yaeyama Chlorella is rich in chlorella growth factor (CGF), vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, beta-carotene, and other phytonutrients. It is spray dried using a special process that breaks the cell wall, yet preserves the nutrients within, ensuring a highly digestible and nutrient-rich product that contains no added binders, fillers, or flow agents. (Note: As the Kuroshio Currents flow from the far south northeastwards towards the Fukushima coast at the time of the disaster, the waters should still be uncontaminated at the time of writing.)
Kale aojiru, also very popular with Japanese and widely available here, has been shown to support a healthy immune system enhancing NK cell activity and to help the human body by enhancing the elimination of carcinogens before they can damage DNA.(Source: Enseki Aojiru Kale).
Kale is by far the best source of Cysteine, a natural amino acid helps counteract several kinds of radiation … watercress and brussel sprouts are good sources too.
Caution: Cysteine as a separate supplement can be a dangerous excitotoxin like glutamate (MSG) or aspartate in abnormal quantities. It occurs in sulfur containing vegetables most of which are in the cabbage family so fresh is best. The research and anticancer benefits of kale are well reviewed in this article Kale: Powerful Cancer and Healthy Eye and Heart Benefits (Life Extension Magazine)
Most types of aojiru have now become so inexpensive in Japan as well as more palateable and easy to mix into juices or milk, and so aojiru is a good health supplement option for the whole family. However, even if you can’t afford Super Greens supplements, never fear … the benefits and power of including in your diet other potent greens for boosting immune systems, are well documented.
What about goya (bitter gourd) aojiru?
Goya aojiru not being one of the leafy chlorophyll-rich groups, is the “odd man out” in having joined the ranks of the other SuperGreen aojirus. Its lofty status is due to its having been identified as a key component of the healthy and longetivity diet of Okinawans in the 25 year long study called the Okinawa Centenarian Study Program.
The claims: ”In Okinawa, bitter gourd (or bitter melon) is traditionally eaten in summer when it is valued as a “medicine for the heat.” Certainly, bitter gourds are packed with goodness. They are about seven times higher in vitamin C than lemons, contain twice the potassium of bananas, and offer lots of other vitamins and minerals too. The only drawback is the taste, which is extremely bitter. That is why it is usually eaten with scrambled eggs or tofu, in the famous stir-fry dish called goya champuru. Older islanders recall that nearly every family used to have its goya vine growing in the yard.” — Linda Inoki, Japan Times Aug. 2, 2006
Bitter melon notably contains phyto-nutrient, polypeptide-P; a plant insulin known to lower blood sugar levels. In addition it also contain hypoglycemic agent called charantin. Charantin increases glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in the cells of liver, muscle and adipose tissue. Together, these compounds are thought to be responsible for reduction of blood sugar levels in the treatment of type-2 diabetes. The vegetable also an excellent source of health benefiting flavonoids such as b-carotene, a- carotene, lutein, zeaxanthins. It also contains good amount of vitamins A and C. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging, cancers and various disease processes. The vegetable is also good source of Niacin (vitamin B-3), Pantothenic acid (vit.B-5), Pyridoxine (vit.B-6) and minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium, manganese and magnesium.– Source: Bitter gourd (Bitter melon) Nutritional Facts.
The evidence?
Bitter melon was able to kill leukemic cells in the bone marrow in an in vitro research study, according to Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In animal subjects, bitter melon had the ability to slow the growth of breast cancer tumors, says Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In laboratory studies, an extract from bitter melon was able to slow the growth and kill breast cancer cells, according to an article published in February 2010 in Drugs.com (healthy cells were not affected by this extract) and according to a study published in October 2010 issue of “Cancer Science, an extract from bitter melon helped prevent the spread of cancerous cells to lungs from a prostate tumor. (Sources: Livestrong.com here and here)
The evidence from research shows Cucurbitane-type triterpenoids from the fruits of Momordica charantia may have cancer chemopreventive effects. Thirteen cucurbitane-type triterpene glycosides, including eight new compounds named charantosides and five known compounds, were isolated from a methanol extract of the fruits of Japanese Momordica charantia. Their inhibitory effects in mouse skin carcinogenesis tests as well as upon Epstein Barr Virus (source: A 2007 study) and in rat colon carcinogenesis tests (source: A 2004 study). (Clinical trials have proven goya’s ability to lower blood sugar in diabetics.)
The role of chlorophyll
According to information provided in the book by Bill Bodri, “How to Support the Body’s Healing after Intense Radioactive or Radiation Exposure,” chlorophyll-rich diets increased the survival rate of experimental animals after given lethal doses of radiation. There is scientific evidence that chlorophyll and the nutrients found in green foods offer protection against toxic chemicals and radiation. In 1980, Dr. Chiu Nan Lai at the University of Texas Medical Center, reported that extracts of wheat grass and other green vegetables inhibit the cancer-causing effects of two mutagens (benzopyrene and methylcholanthrene). The more chlorophyll in the vegetable, the greater the protection from the carcinogen.
That chlorophyll can reduce the ability of carcinogens to cause gene mutations has been verified by several laboratories in the last decade. Chlorophyll-rich plant extracts, as well as water solutions of a chlorophyll derivative (chlorophyllin), dramatically inhibit the carcinogenic effects of common dietary and environmental chemicals. Testing shows that chlorophyllin neutralizes the cancer-causing action of mixtures of coal dust, tobacco, fried beef, red wine, and other compounds. In this capacity, chlorophyllin is more effective than vitamin A, vitamin C, or vitamin E against mutations induced by the same mixtures. (Source: Chlorophyllplus.com)
Chlorophyll-rich greens
Green vegetables provide protection from radiation damage in test animals. This information has been reported in the scientific literature since the early 1950s. Early reports showed that certain vegetables significantly reduced mortality in rats exposed to lethal doses of X-rays. Irradiated guinea pigs lived longer if they ate broccoli or cabbage (see Kurzer, S. Mindy, “Reduced Radiation Damage from Ingesting Cabbage Family Plants“).
All cabbage family plants – including arugula, turnips, radishes, cauliflower, mustard greens, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, broccoli d’rappe, kale, collards, and of course broccoli – protect your cells from the damaging effects of radiation. But in a later study, dark green broccoli were shown to reduce the damage caused by radiation and to offer more protection than the lighter green cabbage . These protective effects were more pronounced when even darker green vegetables such as mustard greens and alfalfa leaves were used. When two or more of the green vegetables were fed together, the positive resistance to radiation was greatest.
Scientists at John Hopkins University School of Medicine have identified the ingredient in broccoli that worked as a powerful anticancer compound in laboratory experiments. The chemical sulforaphane, boosts the production of an an important enzyme known to neutralize carcinogens before they trigger tumor growth. In addition to broccoli, sulforaphane is found in bok choy, ginger, scallions, and other vegetables.
While still on the topic of dark greens, I should like to put the spotlight on the humble tenderstem broccoli (菜の花 | なのはな ), a vegetable known to us as nanohana in Japanese (and for the production of canola oil), those of us living in Japan will find a familiar sight the golden fields of yellow that nanohana gives us in spring to early summer (nanohana is easy to grow too …like a weed). The simply steamed/boiled unopened flowershoots of this brassica plant, topped only with soya sauce, ground sesame seed and sesame oil is a staple salad of Japanese homecooking. Research spotlighting this vegetable as the King of the broccoli took the health market by storm last year. Rachel Sixsmith writes for Horticulture Week on the latest scientific findings:
“The superior nutritional attributes and tenderness of Tenderstem broccoli have been proven in new research by scientists at Warwick HRI.
The popular variety was shown to contain the highest levels of beneficial glucosinolates – the potent chemicals understood to have cancer-fighting properties – compared to the ten other Brassica varieties tested in the research.
Five other broccoli varieties – including Bellaverde and purple sprouting broccoli – were tested as were three cauliflower and two cabbage varieties.
Tenderstem had approximately 110 micromoles of glucosinolates per 100g – more than ten times the amount found in some of the other Brassica whose scores ranged from approximately 10 to 35 micromoles/100g. …
The tests also showed that Tenderstem was the most tender form of broccoli. It outperformed the other long-stemmed and traditional varieties – being between 25 and 30 per cent more tender than purple sprouting broccoli, for example. This means that it requires the least amount of preparation and cooking – making it the best option for retaining a higher proportion of nutrients when consumed.
Tenderstem broccoli was also highlighted in the research as having high levels of vitamin C, carotenoids and folic acid.
It had a higher concentration of vitamin C than regular types of broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage and, in this study, no other type of broccoli demonstrated higher levels of carotenoids, which are thought to help both fight cancer and reduce the risk of heart disease.” Source: ”Scientists prove Tenderstem health benefits” Horticulture Week (23 July 2010)
Try out the tenderstem recipes found here, here and here (mustard-less non-spicy version) and the Kyoto nuka fermented version (perfect for the bento-box too).
The protective effect of fruit, cereal, grains, seeds, nuts and seeds
Apart from greens, other foods such as fruit, grain and seeds also protect from cell damage.
Herbalist Brigitte Mars says, “There are a number of foods that can better help our bodies tolerate the effects of pollution. Eating lower on the food chain minimizes our chemical intake. Consuming more whole grains has a multitude of benefits. Their high fiber content binds with toxins and lessens intestinal transit time. Their vitamin B6 content nourishes the thymus gland and their vitamin E content helps the body to better utilize oxygen. The grain buckwheat is high in rutin and helps to protect against radiation and stimulates new bone marrow production.
The foods more popularly classified as seeds include sesame seeds, flaxseed, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. The seed buckwheat for example, is high in rutin and research has shown it to be particularly potent in inhibiting the growth of gastric carcinomas.
Seeds contain protease inhibitors, which acts as antioxidants, inhibiting the growth of cancer. Sesame seed is a source for sesamin, an antioxidant that counteracts cancer processes in the body. Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, and are a traditional Chinese remedy used to prevent or treat prostate cancer as well as breast cancer but there are warnings against the former treatment. Pumpkin, sesame and flaxseeds are abundant in iron.
Beans, grains, lentils and peas can also be classified as seeds. “Peas, beans, lentils and cancer” cites research, indicating that pulses and legumes have anti carcinogenic effects due to the various compounds including dietary fibre and folate in them. They may also have anticancer effects due to their containing selenium, saponins, isoflavones, protease inhibitors, lectins, phytates and zinc.
The pomegranate fruit, used in ancient Ayurveda system of medicine extensively as a source of traditional remedies for thousands of years, is high in ellagic acid, a polyphenol with potent antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-atherosclerotic properties (see a list of references on the scientific evidence for this at the Dana Herbert blog). Research by University of Wisconsin–Madison on the fruit’s potential for preventing or for reducing the growth of lung cancer cells was noted in the Science Daily 2007, Apr 28 article.
Other fruit and vegetable foods that are said to fight cancer are: Tea, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Spinach, Soy, Strawberries, Apples, Apricots, Asparagus and Avocados, Garlic, Onions, Grapes, Guava, Mango and Papaya, Eggplants, Figs, Flaxseed Oil, Spinach, Soy, Strawberries, Nuts, Oats, Oranges and Citrus Fruits. See also 19 foods to naturally detox radiation for a further helpful list. But my longtime favorite nutrition Bible is still Super Immunity for Kids by Dr Galland, an expert on immunology (Boost Your Child’s Immune System: A Program and Recipes for Raising Strong, Healthy Kids is good reading too) .
Given our current radiation-concerns, we might do well to note that in one of the first studies of the relationship between “Diet and Leukemia“, researchers found a strong correlation between total caloric intake and both lymphoid and total leukemia incidence, especially among males:
“The findings from this rigorous analysis of international data strengthen and expand the hypothesis based on previous simple correlation analyses and animal experiments that an underlying biological relationship exists between diet, particularly energy intake, and international variations in the incidence of certain types of human leukemia.”
Moving on from the Super Greens /Superimmunity Greens topic, also much touted are the health benefits of the Super Oranges-Reds, i.e., the efficacy of …
Beta-carotenes
Beta-carotenes (β-carotenes) are found in abundance in the red and orange fruit and veggies because it is a strongly-coloured red-orange pigment. It is an organic compound chemically classified as a hydrocarbon. Natural beta-carotene (inactive form) is a precursor to vitamin A but is converted in the body to vitamin A. It is an antioxidant, like vitamins E and C.
Research pro-beta carotene anti-cancer use is of particular interest to those of us exposed to radiation contamination and damage in Japan at the moment:
Particularly salient right now is the report by Russian scientists that beta carotene-rich foods and dietary therapy helped people suffering from the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Ukraine. (Source: L. M. Iakushina et al., “The Effect of Vitamin- and Beta-Carotene-Enriched Products on the Vitamin A Allowance and the Concentration of Different Carotenoids of the Blood Serum in Victims of the Accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station,” Vopr Pitn (1):12-15, 1996.)
Japanese researchers found that diets high in carotenes significantly reduced DNA damage in humans exposed to radiation. A study led by Upadhyaya demonstrated that beta-carotene dependently induced apoptosis and cell differentiation in cultured leukemia cells but not in normal cells. Microscopic observation revealed that beta-carotene formed apoptotic bodies (causing cell changes, death, shrinkage) in the leukemia cells. The study concluded that beta-carotene could reduce damage-caused radiation therapy and decrease local cancer recurrence.
A Canadian study was conducted on 540 cancer patients who were treated with radiation therapy. They found that dietary intake of the antioxidants beta-carotene result in fewer adverse effects and a lower risk of cancer recurrence. Eating lots of orange along with the aforesaid dark green foods (sweet potatoes, winter squash, beets, carrots, kale, collards, chard, and spinach, for example) can protect you from radiation-induced cancers. The intake of vitamin E had no such effect. However, supplements of beta-carotene (or of vitamins C or E) did not show this effect.
Controversy and Cautions:
There is however, some controversy surrounding the safety of beta-carotene consumption, particularly supplements. (See also “Why Megadoses of Beta-Carotene may promote lung cancer“, Food and Research Nutrition Briefs)
Research against beta carotene use: In another study, research was carried out for 9 years on 7,600 women over the age of 40 who took a beta-carotene supplement or a placebo every other day (the supplement was 50 milligrams of beta-carotene). In that time, 624 of the women in the study developed some type of cancer (with 176 dying from cancer). Researchers concluded there was no link between cancer risk and whether people were taking a placebo or the beta-carotene study. Bottom line: For the women in this study (over aged 40), beta-carotene had no effect on cancer risk.
There has been some research suggests that supplementing beta-carotene actually increases the risk of premature death slightly, particularly among smokers … though researchers are not yet sure why supplementing beta-carotene has this negative effect.
A 1994 study out of New England ”found no reduction in the incidence of lung cancer among male smokers after five to eight years of dietary supplementation with alpha-tocopherol or beta carotene. In fact, this trial raises the possibility that these supplements may actually have harmful as well as beneficial effects.”
In yet another New England study, researchers studied the effects of beta-carotene on cancer risk in 29,133 male smokers who took 20 milligrams of beta-carotene, a placebo, a form of vitamin E or both beta-carotene and vitamin E. For the men who took beta-carotene only, there was an 18% increase in their rate of lung cancer and an 8% increase in overall mortality. In other words, for these men who smoked cigarettes, beta-carotene increased their risk for lung cancer and their overall risk of death over a 5- to 8-year period.
The research for the moment shows that eating a natural diet of foods with beta-carotene can protect you from radiation-induced cancers, but that beta-carotene supplements, have no beneficial effect and may even be harmful for some.
A word about Beets
Beet root contains an amino acid betaine which has anticancer properties. Red beet therapy consisting of consumption of approximately two pounds of raw, mashed beets daily, has been favorably reported for cases of leukemia and tumors (includes cancer). Research also shows that beet juice can help inhibit the development of colon and stomach cancer. Beets have been shown to rebuild haemoglobin of the blood after exposure to radiation. Rats fed a diet of 20 percent beet pulp were able to prevent cesium-137 absorption and 97 to 100 percent more effectively than rats given no beets (for research sources see a 1969 study here here) but it has been noted that the excretory effect of cesium increased in conjunction with a diet that included potassium (read journal extracts here and here). Beet juice helps stimulate the function of liver cells and protect the liver and bile ducts. Studies have also revealed that beet are good in preventing colon cancer, as it contains the pigment betacycaninis, which counteracts cancer. Nitrates used in meats as preservatives, cause the production of nitrosamines compounds in the body resulting in cancer. Studies reveal that beet juice inhibits the cell mutations caused by these compounds. Researchers in Hungary have also discovered that beet juice and its powdered form slows down tumor development.
Finally, London’s Queen Mary University research team observed that drinking beet juice lowered blood pressure in test subjects within 24 hours, and proved that the organic form of nitrate found in beet juice is the source of the vegetable’s blood pressure lowering benefits. Nitric oxide acts as a biological messenger in the body and functions to increase blood flow circulation, leading to a lower blood pressure.
CAUTION: Beet juice is so powerful that it you may feel dizzy during cleansing, this discomfort is normal as toxins are being eliminated. It is advised to drink plenty of water with it or that the beet juice should always be mixed with other vegetables because pure beet juice can cause hives and other side effects.
Phytochemicals, polyphenols and antioxidants in plants
Other than essential nutrients, thousands of known plant chemical compounds called phytochemicals that are still thought hold the key to preventing some of our most deadly diseases such as cancer, and the phytochemicals and their workings that are still being discovered by researchers have implications for designing a diet that could have the potential to cure or to prevent a wide range of ailments. They can have either an antioxidant effect or hormone-like actions. For example, broccoli and other vegetables contain compounds such as dithiolthiones, which speed up the action of the enzymes involved in the body’s detoxification process. This produces a flood of molecules called glutathiones, which can destroy toxins such as carcinogens.
Some phytochemicals fall under the category of antioxidants which are “substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) which can cause damage. Antioxidants act as “free radical scavengers” and hence prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals. Health problems such as heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, cancer are all contributed by oxidative damage. Antioxidants may also enhance immune defense and therefore lower the risk of cancer and infection. (Source: Antioxidants 101)
Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, is a white crystal that is an organic compound with the chemical compound C6H5OH. The molecule consists of a phenyl (-C6H5), bonded to a hydroxyl (-OH) group. Polyphenols are water-soluble compounds of structured classes or groupings of the organic chemicals characterized by the presence of large multiples of the phenol units. The number and characteristics of the phenol substructures determine the unique physical, chemical, and biological (metabolic, toxic, therapeutic, etc.) properties of particular members of the class.
Studies on potential health promoting or cancer preventive effects of polyphenolrich food or food preparations have been conducted in healthy volunteers or individuals at high risk of developing cancer. Phenolic extracts or isolated polyphenols from different plant food have been studied in a number of cancer cell lines representing different evolutionary stages of cancer. For example, berry extracts prepared from blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, cranberry, strawberry and the isolated polyphenols from strawberry including anthocyanins, kaempferol, quercetin, esters of coumaric acid and ellagic acid, were shown to inhibit the growth of human oral, breast, colon, and prostate tumor cell. Studies on ethanol extracts of 10 edible berries showed effectiveness on human leukemia cells and that bilberry extract was the most effective. Other studies showed the anticancer effect of raspberry extract in human cervical cancer cells was predominantly associated with ellagitannins, and also that the key component that related to the inhibition of cancer cell growth could be ellagitannins from the Rubus family (raspberry, arctic bramble, and cloudberry) and strawberry, whereas that of lingonberry was due to predominantly the presence of procyanidins.
Recently, acai berries have joined the ranks of the healthfad craze after the news that scientists discovered that the Brazilian berry contains 300% times more antioxidants than common fruit such as apples or cherries. Nutritional companies are touting the supplement as a means to cleanse our colons and flush out toxins.
In addition, growth inhibitory effects of a number of polyphenols such as flavones (apigenin, baicalein, luteolin and rutin), flavanones (hesperidin and naringin) and sesame lignans (sesaminol, sesamin, and episesamin), which are not so extensively studied previously, have been examined in different cancer cell lines including colon, prostate, leukemia, liver, stomach, cervix, pancreas and breast.
Sifting through the studies, the authors found overall results show a significant decrease of DNA oxidation damage, protein and lipid peroxidation, and NF-κB (a cellular factor that plays an important role in inflammation, autoimmune response, cell proliferation, and apoptosis by regulating the expression of genes involved in these processes) binding activity, and an increase of glutathione level and status during juice uptake. The paper noted the proven inhibitory effect of natural phenolics in carcinogenesis and tumor growth, the improvement of antioxidant status and/or protection against oxidative stress that was observed in short term intervention studies with various polyphenol-rich food including fruit juices, red wines, chocolates and fruits such as strawberries, as well as food preparations such as lyophilized blueberry powder, black currant anthocyanin concentrate, grape seed concentrate, dealcoholized and lyophilized red wines. They attributed the reduction in oxidative (cell) damage to the especially high anthocyanin/polyphenol content of the juice and also concluded that consumption of antioxidant berry juices appears to be a promising preventive measure to reduce chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease in population subgroups exposed to enhanced oxidative stress like hemodialysis patients.
The paper’s conclusion on the beneficial effects of natural phenol substances was unequivocal:
“In summary, natural phenolics have been found to intervene at all stages of cancer development. In addition to their antioxidant action, the inhibition of cancer development by phenolic compounds relies on a number of basic cellular mechanisms, involving a spectrum of cellular basic machinery. Moreover, the extensive studies of this class of compounds will provide clues about their possible pharmaceutical exploration in the field of oncology.”
“The initial enthusiasm for antioxidant therapy to prevent or treat cardiovascular disease has been substantially tempered by a series of negative clinical trials for both vitamins E and C and β-carotene. Most of the vitamin E results have been in secondary prevention trials, whereas β-carotene has not been efficacious even in primary prevention. The only recent trial to show a possible benefit of vitamin E was for secondary prevention in patients with end-stage renal disease. The Alpha Tocopherol Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Trial reported an increase in cerebral hemorrhage for participants who were taking 50 mg of vitamin E daily compared with placebo”.
The role of vitamins, minerals and trace minerals in fruit & vegetables
“Vitamins A, C and E are known to have certain antioxidant properties. It’s believed that these antioxidants work by stopping damage to the DNA; or if the DNA is already damaged, they help in its repair. But there are also other properties in vitamins that work to prevent cancer. — Anti Cancer Society” (Source: Daniel Nixon, American Cancer Society) However, Pediatric Gems cautions that “Most vitamin E sold today are not produced properly. Too little gamma tocopherol and oil fillers are used which can produce free-radicals as they go rancid. E-Logic™ E-Complex is properly formulated and made oil-free in a GMP and ISO 9001:2000 registered facility.”
IMPORTANT to know: There are six minerals that you need in greater than trace amounts. They are magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chloride and potassium. They must all be obtained from food or supplements and are essential elements. Magnesium works in tandem with the other major minerals and the nine trace elements to maintain many body functions. All the trace elements can be toxic in high doses, but used properly, all are ingredients for good health. The main minerals are touched upon next, because supplements for these are commonly sought after.
Calcium: By the mechanism of selective uptake, calcium blocks or decreases the absorption of strontium-90, calcium-45 and other radioactive isotopes by the skeletal system. Calcium also helps to eliminate radioactive isotopes that are lodged in the bones. The Calcium Factor: The Scientific Secret of Health and Youth, and “A Closer Look: The Calcium Factor,”are both books on the benefits of calcium, another alkalizing therapy. Written by Dr. Carl J. Reich, M.D. and Robert R. Barefoot, touted to be two of the world’s foremost experts on the benefits of calcium, but who has also been placed on several quackwatch blacklists (see Quackwatch.org and here). The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a trade group representing 70 large supplement companies, urged the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration to “end Mr. Barefoot’s highly visible and deceptive marketing campaign for coral calcium, and to prevent Mr. Barefoot from further fraudulent activities.” (source) Coral Calcium or calcium carbonate therapy is still rather popular today but note: Dr. Takuo Fujita, founder of Japan’s Calcium Research Institute and author of more than 400 scientific papers on calcium, is a one of the world’s leading experts on the mineral. Coral calcium, he says, is essentially calcium carbonate —the same stuff used in supplements. “It is no more available to the body than other forms of calcium,” he says.
Magnesium: Like calcium, magnesium prevents the uptake of radioisotopes and helps to eliminate already stored strontium-90. The second-most abundant element in human cells and the fourth-most important positively charged ion in the body, magnesium is vital to good health and well being as it helps to regulate the activity of more than 325 enzymes and performs a vital role in orchestrating many bodily functions, from muscle control and electrical impulses to energy production and the elimination of harmful toxins.
Excerpted from “Superimmunity for Kids“, Dr Galland writes: “If your magnesium supplies are low, you will lose more of the calcium you take in, making less available for you and your unborn baby. For maximum effectiveness most authorities recommend that you balance calcium and magnesium in a two-to-one ratio. … It’s hard to get enough magnesium on a typical American diet, which is short on such magnesium-rich foods as beans and nuts. In addition, stress depletes the supplies of magnesium your bones and cells do cotnain. …
Should you take a supplement that combines calcium and magnesium? While such preparations are increasingly popular, most of them rely on calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide, a combination that may be difficult for your body to absorb. Magnesium oxide, like calcium carbonate, dissolves only in stomach acids–and, …most women don’t produce enough stomach acid to do the job. But there’s another hitch, as well–the calcium carbonate may block absorption of the magnesium oxide.
In any case, calcium-magnesium tablets are often packed so tightly compacted that they pass intact right through your digestive system. *I recommend taking calcium and magnesium separately: calcium in the form of calcium nitrate, and magnesium as magnesium citrate or magnesium chloride.”- end of excerpt.
One reason not to use synthetic vitamin D (Calciferol) is that it can combine with magnesium and carry it out of the body. Calciferol is contained in much commercial milk. Fluoride also leaches calcium from the body among other horrendous things. The optimal diet should contain about ½ as much magnesium as calcium. The RDA for calcium is 350 mg. to 700 mg. The high end should not be exceeded but since the Standard American Diet or SAD does not supply enough magnesium, supplements are recommended. (Source:
Epsom Salt Industry Council, June 6, 2008)
Iron: A number of studies indicate exposure to radiation significantly decreases levels of iron in the body. Radioactive iron and plutonium, isotopes similar in structure to iron, can be carried to iron storage sites such as liver, bone marrow, ovaries or testes, and lungs if the body is deficiency in iron. After exposure to radiation or loss of blood, supplementation of approximately 10 to 18 mg. for children; 18 mg. for women, 30 to 60 mg. daily if pregnant or more if lactating; 10 mg. for men, and is recommended by the National Research Council. (Source: The Importance of Trace Minerals | Magnesium & Trace Elements)
Potassium: If there is a deficiency, radionuclides like cesium-137, cesium-134, potassium-40 and potassium-42, are absorbed through selective uptake etc. Sufficient potassium intake into the system may be necessary, if the detox effects of other substances such as beet, are to work effectively (see journal abstracts of the results of animal experiments here and here). According to the CDC, potassium can play a major role in protecting the body and thyroid gland after an internal contamination, as in the example of the Japanese nuclear reactor explosion. Good natural sources include spinach, bananas, broccoli and prunes. Potassium Orotate is the best form of potassium to use for radiation exposure and can prevent the accumulation of Cesium-137. In fact, getting enough potassium from food such as bananas is a good first step at preventing radioactive cesium 137 retention. That said, potassium in the diet may not be enough (source of advice). The lack of potassium has been shown to exacerbate other conditions. Researchers say potassium neutralizes the heart-damaging effects of salt, and that although those most at risk are those who consume too much sodium, those who get too little potassium “were twice as likely to die from a heart attack as those who ate about the same amount of both nutrients” (see Salt diet dangers may be influenced by potassium Jul 12, 2011).
It has been pointed out by Dr Sartori that cancer is virtually unknown among the Hopi Indians of Arizona and the Hunza of Northern Pakistan, so long as they stay in the same environment (and this is being repeated all over the internet. The common factor in their water was the high content of potassium which is what is thought to be protecting them from cancer. The Hopi water is rich in Rubidium and potassium. The Hunza water is rich in Cesium and potassium, making both of the water supplies rich with very caustically (alkaline) active minerals.
[CAUTION: Too much potassium can be dangerous. Potassium and sodium work together in the body, so if you don't get enough sodium it could cause excess potassium levels. Too much potassium can cause the muscles and nerves to malfunction, leading to irregular heartbeat. Other indications are stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, gastrointestinal bleeding, muscle spasms, irritability, fatigue, thready pulse and heart failure. It can also cause the skin on the hands, feet and tongue to tingle with a "pins and needles" sensation. The balance of potassium in the body is maintained by the kidneys. They process any excess potassium, so problems with kidney function can cause toxic levels to build up. People with diabetes or Addison's disease can be at higher risk for potassium overdose as well. Some medications can upset the balance of potassium in the body, especially diuretics used for high blood pressure. (Source:
Potassium Overdose Symptoms ;
Sustained-release potassium chloride overdose)
{Cesium: Caesium is an alkali metal and has physical and chemical properties similar to those of rubidium and potassium. The metal is extremely reactive. The rationale for "High pH" therapy, resides in changing the acidic pH range of the cancer cell by cesium (or rubidium) towards weak alkalinity in which the survival of the cancer cell is endangered, and the formation of acidic and toxic materials, normally formed in cancer cells, is neutralized and eliminated. [In addition, note the relationship between oxygenation and pH: The lack of oxygen has long been suspected in carcinogenesis because it leads to an anaerobic metabolism where, essentially, glucose is converted into lactic acid and the pH in the cancer cells becomes acidic. The acidic pH because of lack of O2 may cause breakdown of RNA and DNA and damage the cellular control mechanisms involved. The development of acidic toxins usually will lead to the destruction of cell structures. Therefore, reversing this condition requires adequate oxygenation. There are certain elements, e.g., germanium, which may prove beneficial for cellular oxygenation. Germanium possesses 8 valences and therefore can carry 4 atoms of oxygen and may provide the oxygenation needed for the cancer cell to evoke anticancer effect. Ginseng normally grows only on germanium rich soil and should provide a good source for this phenomenon.
One of the most comprehensive explanations and reviews of the research taken on cesium therapy has been done by H.E. Sartori. M.D. in conjunction with the cesium therapy that is conducted for cancer patients: see "Nutrients and Cancer: An Introduction to Cesium Therapy"; Cesium Therapy in Cancer Patients" here. ]
There is also (as of Feb 2003) an organization providing information on Cesium treatment of cancer, (Dr. Keith Brewer’s High Ph Cancer Therapy with Cesium).In 1984 Keith Brewer, PhD (Physics) translated Warburg’s theories into a practical, cost efficient treatment protocol for cancer. Brewer successfully treated 30 patients with various cancers, using Cesium, nature’s most alkaline mineral.
The results of Brewer’s work – all 30 survived. Source: Cesium Science
Note: Cesium chloride is an unproven treatment for cancer; it is not currently endorsed by the medical “establishment”. There are some intriguing case studies, but the documented scientific evidence is pretty murky at this point. The few references in the official literature are mostly in obscure journals. There are a couple of early articles on Cesium therapy in “Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior” Vol. 21, supplement 1, pp 7-15, 1984, which you may be able to locate if you have access to a major medical library. American Cancer Society says, “Relying on this type of treatment alone and avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer may also have serious health consequences.” Source: American Cancer Society, Cesium Chloride. CancerTreatment.net and the American Cancer Society have put cesium chloride practitioners on the quackwatch blacklist:
CAUTION: The cesium therapy treatment is currently highly questionable, as its proponent Dr Sartori’s medical license was revoked in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington state, has been jailed in Thailand during an international investigation into the death of patients who received his “Doctor Ozone” anti-cancer injections. Sartori was arrested on July 9, 2006 in Chiang Mai and charged with commercial fraud, and practicing without a medical license, after injecting at least two patients in their Chiang Mai hotel rooms, including Australian ovarian cancer patient Kathleen Preston who died in February Source: “US Cancer Quack “Doctor Ozone Jailed in Thailand“
“Cancer Cesium chloride cancer treatment is an unproven and potentially dangerous or life-threatening bit of quackery used by opportunistic people hoping to take financial advantage of people desperate for a cancer cure. While each person is entitled to pursue the treatment they believe is the best one for them and their cancer, they should also be equipped with the facts.” Source: Cesium Chloride (CancerTreatment.net)
However, Dr James Howenstine reviews the research on cesium therapy and makes a defense for its use with cancer patients with terminal malignancy. Other supporters of cesium therapy in conjunction with other treatments are Dr Robert Barefoot (source) whose complete protocol for terminal cancer patients, is headed by cesium chloride (3 grams a day), DMSO, and other items (including coral calcium).
In any case, anyone going the self-treatment route should be very careful dosing themselves (or anybody else). Although cesium chloride is not particularly toxic compared e.g., to soluble lead, mercury, or barium salts, or to conventional chemotherapeutic agents, the dosages recommended in the “therapy” (up to a few grams a day) are at the point where neurological symptoms and other physiological effects can start to appear. These include potentially fatal cardiac arrythymias. Sax’s “Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials” speaks of “hyperirritability” in rats fed cesium in amounts equivalent to the potassium content of their diet. The effect is due to cesium acting as an analog for, and competing with potassium in neural ion channels. The effects may depend on dietary levels of potassium, other minerals, and other complex factors, and thus may appear somewhat unpredictably. Cesium may also interfere with other medications, so it should be used with extreme caution if other drugs are being used.
Anyone taking large amounts of cesium would certainly want to make sure they were getting enough potassium and other minerals (specifically calcium) in their diet along with the cesium. On the other hand, as mentioned above, cesium is not, in more moderate amounts, particularly toxic as far as anyone can determine (though long term studies of human exposure have not been done). It does not accumulate in the body like some heavy metals do, so symptoms should disappear fairly quickly when the cesium levels are moderated.” Source: Randal Nelsen on Cesium Cancer Therapy}
Trace Elements These are elements your body needs in amounts less than 1 milligram a day.
Chromium helps your body’s insulin keep your blood sugar stablized, an important job during pregnancy because hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia can harm your baby. Studies show chromium deficiency leads to diabetes, which can be relieved by an intake of barley grass. Chromium intake can be blocked by diets high in sugars and the body cannot readily absorb all dietary forms of chromium, see Chromium: Cause of Cancer or Miracle Cure? Also the article cautions on overdosing on chromium supplements, noting an FDA study that concludes chromium can cause chromosome damage in human cells in lab tissue. Scientists who worked on the 2009 National Toxology Program reported that their two-year animal study “clearly demonstrates” that the compound is carcinogenic in drinking water. Mice and rats contracted malignant tumors in their small intestines and mouths when they drank water containing several different doses of hexavalent chromium. Previously, it was only known that people could contract lung cancer when inhaling hexavalent chromium, also known as Chromium VI (Source: “Chromium in drinking water causes cancer“, Scientific American, Feb 20, 2009, and which another recent study in 2010 concluded is found in 89% of US sampled cities’ drinking water).
Selenium: Selenium helps prevent birth defects, cancer and heart disease. It fortifies the immune system, reduces the rate of cancer in humans and helps to alleviate leukopenia, (abnormal decreases of white blood cells). It is most effective when taken with vitamins A and E. Brazil nuts are one of the richest sources of food selenium which is crucial for the support of the thyroid – especially with radiation exposure. Sprouting your nuts gives you 600-1000% better nutritional value.
Iodine is essential for the development of your unborn baby’s thyroid gland. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy produces a mentally retarded baby. Seafood is a rich source of iodine. If you don’t eat three servings of seafood a week, you need an iodine supplement.” Sufficient iodine intake is a crucial issue when faced with radioactive contamination. This issue is dealt with further along in the section on iodine, miso and kelp benefits.
The benefits of eating fruit and vegetables, in particular fruit
In a review of 200 studies that examined the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and cancer at selected sites, researchers found that consumption of fruit and vegetables offered a significantly protective effect in 128 of 156 dietary studies in which results were expressed in terms of relative risk. Overall, the relative risk of cancer was about twice as high for those eating few fruits and vegetables compared to those who ate plenty of these foods. For most cancer sites, persons with low fruit and vegetable intake (at least the lower one-fourth of the population) experience about twice the risk of cancer compared with those with high intake, even after control for potentially confounding factors. For lung cancer, significant protection was found in 24 of 25 studies after control for smoking in most instances.
Fruits, in particular, were significantly protective in cancers of the esophagus, oral cavity, and larynx, for which 28 of 29 studies were significant. Strong evidence of a protective effect of fruit and vegetable consumption was seen in cancers of the pancreas and stomach (26 of 30 studies), as well as in colorectal and bladder cancers (23 of 38 studies). For cancers of the cervix, ovary, and endometrium, a significant protective effect was shown in 11 of 13 studies, and for breast cancer a protective effect was found to be strong and consistent in a meta analysis. It would appear that major public health benefits could be achieved by substantially increasing consumption of these foods.
The anticancer benefits of eating fruit have been shown in numerous studies. The cancer cell is known to produce large amounts of mucus which shields the cancer cells from the immune system and from being penetrated by chemotherapeutic agents. Use of certain agents help to dissolve the blocking effect of the mucus. This includes the use of beta-carotene which decomposes blocking mucoid proteins mediated by electric charge. Compounds like bromelain, papain (in green papayas) will not only break down mucus but also destroy leukemic cells. (Source: Sartori, “Nutrients and Cancer: An Introduction to Cesium Therapy“)
Pectin from apples (peaches, etc)
Many fruits contain pectin: tart apples, crab apples, sour plums, concord grapes, quinces, cranberries, gooseberries, and red currants are high in pectin concentrated in the skin and cores. Canning pectin may be obtained in powder or liquid form. Regular larger molecule pectin is utilized mainly in the intestines. Citrus pectin is from the peel/skin of fruit (grapefruit, lemons, oranges) that contain vitamin C.
Apple pectin was used after the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster in 1986, research has proven that apple pectin has the ability to remove heavy metals, and even radioactive Strontium 90 preventing damage from radiation exposure. According to an Asaichi TV programme, Chernobyl studies showed levels of cesium in children living in the contaminated areas who ate apples, went down by 63.7%, compared to those who did not. Pectin in apples is shown to be effective in removing the toxic substances from the body through efficient bowel movements.
A Swiss Medical Weekly report in 2004 “Apple Pectin Reduces the 137Cs Radioactive Cesium Load in Chernobyl Children“ confirmed that apple pectin was seen to reduce the 137Cs cesium uptake in Ukrainian children after the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster. The study led by V.B. Nesterenko at the Belrad Institute of Radiation Safety was performed to see if orally administered apple pectin was effective in binding 137Cs in the gut for food contaminated by radiation, or if eating “clean,” non-contaminated food was enough. The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving children from contaminated villages near the disaster area.
Radiation levels were measured at the beginning of the study and one month later. At the end of the trial, 137Cs cesium levels in children who were given apple pectin were reduced by 62%. Children who had received “clean” food and a placebo had reduced radiation levels by only 13.9%. The results were determined to be statistically significant. (Source: Apple_pectin_and Radiation)
Modified citrus pectin is considered a cutting edge means of radiation treatment. To date the only proven brand in clinical trials is Pecta-Sol which is micronized citrus pectin which is small enough to get into the blood stream.
Resveratol in grapes
It is widely known that grapes contain a phytochemical that protect the body’s cell DNA from damage. Resveratrol has been ascertained in studies to act as an anti-oxidant and antimutagen, blocking other cell-changing agents from starting cancer. It also acted in a number of ways to stop the promotion of cancer, and inhibited the progress of human leukaemia-cell forniation. Cancer is the largest cause of death worldwide, taking one life in five. ‘Resveratrol merits investigation as a potential cancer chemo-preventive agent,” the scientists concluded in a study reported by Guardian Weekly (19-1-97) “Anti-cancer agent found in grapes”
Resveratol (found in at least 72 species including mulberries, peanuts and grapes with its highest concentration in the grape skin, which contains 50-100 micrograms per gram).
The 2008 findings of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine were that the antioxidant resveratrol, found in red wine and in numerous plants, could help protect against radiation exposure. They gave acetyl-altered resveratrol to mice before exposure to radiation and discovered that the rodents’ cells were protected from radiation-related damage. Acetylated resveratrol are small molecules which can be easily stored, transported and administered are optimal radiation protectors and mitigators that easily can be accessed and administered during emergencies. The team is conducting further studies. to determine whether acetylated-resveratrol can help protect humans.
However, Quackwatch.org believes caution in flocking to buy resveratol supplements is warranted. The concentration of resveratol being highest however in grape skins and particularly in red wine, the fermentation process of the alcohol beverage concentrates the resveratol in muscat grapes used to make red wine. This according to Quackwatch, means that the amount of resveratol extracted from grapes is insignificant, and given that there is also the downside of drinking alcohol to be considered, the value of resveratol may be overstated.
In the midst of ongoing concerns about radiation exposure from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, scientists are reporting that a substance similar to resveratrol — an antioxidant found in red wine, grapes and nuts — could protect against radiation sickness. The researchers studied whether resveratrol — a natural and healthful antioxidant found in many foods — could protect against radiation injuries. They found that resveratrol protected cells in flasks but did not protect mice (stand-ins for humans in the laboratory) from radiation damage. However, the similar natural product called acetyl resveratrol did protect the irradiated mice. It also can be produced easily in large quantities and given orally. The authors caution that it has not yet been determined whether acetyl resveratrol is effective when orally administered. The report appears in ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters. (Source: ScienceDaily, May 4, 2011)
Consuming a diet essential for making the Glutathione molecule
On the note of diet, Dr Mark Hyman tells in his video “Glutathione: The “mother of all antioxidants” tells us that the most vital thing to do to stay healthy or recover from sickness is to build up in our body the levels of glutathione, the preeminent molecule, through a diet filled with essential nutrients. He lists the following as important sources for the building the antioxidant: multivitamins, folate, fish oils, sulfurous family of vegetables, the whole family of antioxidants, NAC amino acids, selenium, Alpha Lipoic Acid, milk thistle, lactic acids (must be protein that is bio-active, from non-pasteurized milk), regular exercise. Others: asparagus, whey protein, Brazil nuts, acorn squash, avocado, broccoli, cantaloupe, grapefruit, broccoli, avocado, spinach, okra, oranges, peach, potato, spinach, strawberry, watermelon, zucchini, apples, carrots, cauliflower, walnuts, and raw tomatoes. Raw eggs, garlic, Indian curry spice, curcumin (turmeric), and fresh unprocessed meats contain high levels of sulphur-containing amino acids (see listing of foods here). Dr Hyman says the research is plentiful — over 70,000 studies have been done.
Go to MedicineNet.com to read much more about: Glutathione: New Supplement on the Block | Cure- all or Snake Oil?. Both Dr Hyman and MedicineNet say that the one thing all people who have cancer, AIDS, or other terminally ill disease have in common is that they are invariably depleted in glutathione. All the research suggests that glutathione is extremely important for maintaining intracellular health.”
Extracts from the article elucidate:
What Is Glutathione?
“Glutathione is a very interesting, very small molecule that’s [produced by the body and] found in every cell,” says Gustavo Bounous, MD, director of research and development at Immunotec and a retired professor of surgery at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. “It’s the [body's] most important antioxidant because it’s within the cell.”
Antioxidants — the most well known of which are vitamins C and E — are important for good health because they neutralize free radicals, which can build up in cells and cause damage. Because glutathione exists within the cells, it is in a prime position to neutralize free radicals. It also has potentially widespread health benefits because it can be found in all types of cells, including the cells of the immune system, whose job is to fight disease.
Glutathione occurs naturally in many foods, and people who eat well probably have enough in their diets, says Dean Jones, PhD, professor of biochemistry and director of nutritional health sciences at Emory University in Atlanta. Those with diets high in fresh fruits and vegetables and freshly prepared meats are most likely just fine. On the other hand, those with poor diets may get too little. …
Glutathione is probably not well absorbed into the body when taken by mouth. One way to get around that is to take it by vein. A more practical solution is to take the precursors — that is, the molecules the body needs to make glutathione — rather than glutathione itself. While there is no solid proof this works, the consensus among experts is that that doing so will increase the amount of glutathione in the cells.
Who Does Glutathione Help?
Animal and laboratory studies have demonstrated that glutathione has the potential to fight almost any disease, particularly those associated with aging, since free radical damage is the cause of many of the diseases of old age.
Other notable foods deserving of mention for special properties that counter radiation, free radicals or cancerous cells include Garlic, Ginger, Turmeric, Holy Basil, Burdock, Aloe, Mushroom, Konnyaku, Milk Thistle, Japanese mugwort, Coriander, Olive and Sesame Oils among other oils.
Garlic
Garlic is well known for its antiviral/bacterial and anticholesterol properties activates liver enzymes. Research also indicates that garlic diminishes a process that creates cancer-causing compounds in your body. According to Gloria Tsang, RD, in “Benefits of Garlic in cancer” which reviews the scientific evidence:
“the first scientific report to study garlic and cancer was performed in the 1950s. Scientists injected allicin, an active ingredient from garlic, into mice suffering from cancer. Mice receiving the injection survived more than 6 months whereas those which did not receive the injection only survived 2 months.
Many studies showed that the organic ingredient of garlic, allyl sulfur, another active ingredient in garlic, are effective in inhibiting or preventing cancer development. Many observational studies in human being also investigated the association of using garlic and allyl sulfur and cancer. Out of the 37 studies, 28 studies showed evidence that garlic can prevent cancer. The evidence is particularly strong in prevention of prostate and stomach cancers. This particular study looking at the risk of stomach cancer was especially interesting. This study was conducted in China. Researchers found that smokers with high garlic intake have a relatively lower stomach cancer risk than smokers with low garlic intake.
A large-scale epidemiological Iowa Women’s Health Study looked at the garlic consumption in 41,000 middle-aged women. Results showed that women who regularly consumed garlic had 35% lower risk of developing colon cancer.
It is thought that the allyl sulfur compounds in garlic prevent cancer by slowing or preventing the growth of the cancer tumor cells.
Caution: Please be cautious if you are taking garlic supplements and blood thinners such as aspirin and warfarin at the same time. Garlic supplements will further thin your blood. In addition, it is suggested to discontinue garlic supplementation at least 7 days prior to surgery.”
A 2001 analysis of data from seven population studies showed that the higher the amount of raw and cooked garlic consumed, the lower the risk of stomach and colorectal cancer. (See Fleischauer AT, Arab L. Garlic and cancer: A critical review of the epidemiologic literature. Journal of Nutrition 2001; 131(3s):1032S–1040S)
A number of randomized trials involving humans, showed that the risk for all tumors combined was reduced by 33 percent and the risk for stomach cancer was reduced by 52 percent for the group that received allitridum, a garlic extract and selenium; 67 percent of the low-garlic intake group developed new colorectal adenomas(tumors) compared with 47 percent in the high-garlic intake group; the application of garlic extracts to some skin tumors may be beneficial with changes in tumor size ranging from an 88 percent reduction to a 69 percent increase, with an overall median reduction of 47 percent.(Source)
One study however, bucked the trend, finding in another randomized trial involving individuals with precancerous stomach lesions found that garlic supplementation (800 mg garlic extract plus 4 mg steam-distilled garlic oil daily) did not improve the prevalence (number of existing cases) of precancerous gastric lesions or reduce the number of new cases of gastric cancer. (Source)
Caution: ”Garlic occasionally causes allergies that can range from mild irritation to potentially life-threatening problems. Ingestion of fresh garlic bulbs, extracts, or oil on an empty stomach may occasionally cause heartburn, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Some animal and human studies suggest that garlic can lower blood sugar levels and increase insulin.
Garlic has been shown to interfere with several prescription drugs, especially the HIV medication saquinavir (brand names Invirase® and Fortovase®). Garlic can lower the serum levels of saquinavir by as much as 50 percent. Garlic also acts as a natural blood thinner and, thus, should be avoided by pregnant women, people about to undergo surgery, and people taking blood thinners, such as warfarin (brand name Coumadin®).
Garlic bulbs are sometimes contaminated with the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. C. botulinum can grow and produce botulinum toxin in garlic-in-oil products that are not refrigerated and do not contain antibacterial agents.
In addition, chemical burns, contact dermatitis, and bronchial asthma can occur when garlic is applied to the skin. Garlic should also be avoided by people who are prone to stomach conditions, such as ulcers, as it can exacerbate the condition or cause new ones.”–Garlic and Cancer Prevention (National Cancer Institute)
Ginger
Ginger is also known for its cancer-therapy and anti-inflammatory uses. Evidence from a few studies suggests that ginger reduces the severity and duration of nausea (but not vomiting) during chemotherapy. High phenolic content and antioxidant activity of ginger was recognized in a 2010 study. More research is, however, needed to confirm these results and establish safety.
Holy Basil
Holy Basil
It is said this Indian aromatic herb also shows promise for protection from radiation poisoning. Studies have shown that Holy (or Sacred) Basil has antioxidant properties, lowers cortisol levels and influences the neurochemistry of the brain in a manner similar to antidepressant medications. Regular use of this herb strengthens nerve tissue, promotes clarity of mind, increases memory and eases nervous tension.
“Research conducted at Dartmouth Medical School confirmed that sacred basil contains phytonutrients that are strong COX-2 inhibitors. These phytonutrients contain anti-inflammatory and cancer-preventive qualities. The book Beyond Aspirin, by Thomas M. Newmark and Paul Schulick, notes that “the research on holy basil’s radioprotective properties is impressive. The term radioprotective describes the herb’s ability to protect the DNA of the body from the dangerous, mutating power of various forms of radiation. We are assaulted by the destabilizing influence of radiation in many ways and at many different levels of intensity. The daily effect of exposure to sunlight provides one type of radiation; at the other extreme is the profound assault that accompanies conventional radiation therapy. With every additional moment of excess exposure to the sun…and with every exposure to discrete bursts of higher intensity radiation from other sources, our cells absorb and store the cumulative destabilizing inflammatory effects. At a certain point, the DNA becomes so weary from absorbing the repeated blows, it just collapses.” A number of studies have shown how holy basil protects healthy cells from the toxicity of radiation and chemotherapy and helps limit the damage that radiation causes to the bone marrow and digestive tract.” (Source: “Sacred Basil“, Maine Organic Farmers and Garderners Association)
Burdock as “blood purifier” and detoxer
In Japan and some parts of Europe, burdock is eaten as vegetable. Burdock contains inulin, a natural dietary fiber, and has also been used traditionally to improve digestion. In fact, recent studies confirm that burdock has prebiotic properties that could improve health. Burdock has been used for centuries to treat a host of ailments. It has been traditionally used as a “blood purifier” to clear the bloodstream of toxins, as a diuretic (helping rid the body of excess water by increasing urine output), and as a topical remedy for skin problems such as eczema, acne, and psoriasis. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, burdock is often used with other herbs for sore throat and colds. Extracts of burdock root are found in a variety of herbal preparations as well as homeopathic remedies. No harmful effects or interactions with drugs have been observed so far. Supporting research are annotated at a webpage of the University of Maryland Medical Center.
However, very few studies in toto have really explored burdock’s health effects. Still animal-research suggests that a type of fiber extracted from burdock may promote the growth of probiotics (immune-regulating bacteria naturally present in the human digestive tract). Other tests show the burdock may help fight free radicals and alleviate liver damage induced by alcohol consumption. Herbal formulas of Essiac and Flor-Essence are being marketed as wonder remedies for people coping with cancer with claims that burdock can shrink tumors, prolong survival and many more claims
CAUTION: A 2006 study found Essiac and Flor-Essence may actually stimulate the growth of human breast cancer cells. Furthermore, since burdock may potentially lower blood sugar, it has been cautioned that people on diabetic medication should avoid this herb. It is also said to trigger an allergic reaction in people sensitive to daisies, chrysanthemums or ragweed.
Turmeric (or curcumin)
Jacqueline Strax reviews the research in “Tumeric” for the Prostrate Cancer Survivor Support Group: ”Several studies indicate that curcumin slows the development and growth of a number of types of cancer cells. In Japan this year researchers defined curcumin as a broad-spectrum anti-cancer agent. Its induction of “detoxifying enzymes,” the researchers say, indicate its “potential value … as a protective agent against chemical carcinogenesis and other forms of electrophilic toxicity. The significance of these results can be implicated in relation to cancer chemopreventive effects of curcumin against the induction of tumors in various target organs” (Iqbal M, et al. Pharmacol Toxicol. 2003 Jan;92(1):33-8).” and that “scientists at M. D. Anderson, Texas, wrote in January 2003: “Extensive research over the last 50 years has indicated [curcumin] can both prevent and treat cancer. The anticancer potential of curcumin stems from its ability to suppress proliferation of a wide variety of tumor cells … .” In their latest of a series of reports the M. D. Anderson say: “Curcumin can suppress tumor initiation, promotion and metastasis. Pharmacologically, curcumin has been found to be safe. Human clinical trials indicated no dose-limiting toxicity when administered at doses up to 10 g/day…”
Caution: Apart from a review of tumeric’s benefits, Strax also picks up on research that suggests there may be ill effects: “Of note, a study of curcumin to prevent cataracts found, unexpectedly, that in rats low doses indeed did lower cataract rates but heavy doses raised the rate of cataracts (Molecular Vision 2003; 9:223-230, full text free online). Another study found that rats fed large amounts of turmeric for 14 days developed enlarged, damaged livers.”
Mushrooms
Mushrooms have received a great of attention for their health benefits, however, some of the mushrooms are better known for their anti-viral, cholesterol-lowering or asthma relief benefits, rather than for their anti-cancer or anti-tumor benefits.
Ongoing studies on various types of mushrooms (white button mushrooms, have demonstrated initially promising results for their ability to inhibit breast and lung cancer cell activity and slow tumor growth.
Studies have found various kinds of beneficial effects that mushrooms can have for humans :
- anti-viral effects (active against: herpes, human papilloma virus, Epstein Barr virus)
- anti-bacterial effects
- stimulation of cytotoxic T cells and enhanced natural killer (NK) cell activity
- anti-cancer effects (i.e. pro-apoptosis, anti-angiogenic, inhibition of tumor cell migration and invasion, etc.)
- The extract “PSK” (see below) has shown to have anti-cancer effects as an adjuvant therapy in a variety of cancer types: gastric, esophageal, colorectal, breast and lung cancers.
One of the fungi that seems to be most consistently associated with these beneficial effects is, Kawaratake, Yun Zhi or Turkey Tail, (Latin: Coriolus versicolor, also known as: Trametes versicolor, Polyporus versicolor, Polystictus versicolor). Extensive research has identified 2 polysaccharide-protein (proteoglycan) components of Coriolus versicolor (CV) that are responsible for most of these effects:
- Polysaccharide Kurcha or Polysaccharide-K (called PSK or Krestin for short)
- Polysaccharide-protein complex (PSPC or PSP for short).
PSK and PSP are widely used in China and Japan to improve the outcomes of patients with cancers of the gastrointestinal system, breast cancers and lung cancers. Frequently these extracts are combined with conventional therapies (i.e. chemotherapy, radiation therapy). Complications and side-effects attributable to PSK, PSP or whole mushroom supplements are rarely reported. (Source: Integrative Oncology Essentials)
Maitake, shiitake, and reishi (the first two, cheaply and abundantly available at supermarkets here in Japan), have been shown to boost heart health; lower the risk of cancer; promote immune function; ward off viruses, bacteria, and fungi; reduce inflammation; combat allergies; help balance blood sugar levels; and support the body’s detoxification mechanisms. While all three types of mushrooms show promise in lowering the risk of or treating cancer, they have specific known uses. Maitake is specifically recommended for the stomach and intestines, as well as blood sugar levels; shiitake for treating nutritional deficiencies and liver ailments; and reishi promotes respiratory health and general well-being (Source: Benefits of medicinal mushrooms: maitake, shitake and reishi).
Maitake mushroom extracts have been shown in laboratory studies to reduce the growth of cancer in animals. Maitake extract does not kill cancer cells directly. It is believed to work through and to enhance the immune system. Researchers are conducting this study to see whether maitake mushroom extract proves neutrophil count and function in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome. Neutrophils are white blood cells that help to fight infection. Ongoing clinical trials are going on at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre.
The effect of shiitake on cancer patients was studied in clinical trials in Tokyo, lentinan administered with chemotherapy has increased the life span of cancer patients, improved the effectiveness of chemotherapy and kept tumors from growing. In 1969, researchers at Tokyo’s National Cancer Center Research Institute isolated a polysaccharide compound from shiitake that they named lentinan. Doses of 0.5 to I mg lentinan per kilogram of body weight caused tumors in laboratory mice to regress or disappear in 80 to 100% of the subjects. Researchers have since demonstrated that lentinan works by stimulating immune system cells to rid the body of tumor cells. In Japan, lentinan is approved for use as a drug to prolong the lives of patients undergoing chemotherapy for stomach. In another 2002 cancer study in Singapore, lentinan that was extracted from shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes) via a new cost-effective procedure that resulted in high purity (88%) when orally administered, significant regression in tumor formation was observed in mice and human colon-carcinoma cells. In a 2006 study on the effects of the shiitake medicinal and supplemental compounds LNT and MME (Lentinan (LNT) is sold as a medicine, and Micellapist (MME) sold as a food supplement, both LNT and MME are beta-glucans isolated from the Shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes)), tumor growth was significantly suppressed in the LNT-treated group but not in the MME administered group. The LNT and MME two substances have been thought to be the same component of Shiitake.
Agaricus blazei (Reishi) is said to be probably the most potent/powerful mushroom extract on the planet – it is anti-mutagenic and known to offset effects of radiation therapy and short wave UV as well as a host of other conditions. (Source: Agaricus blazei limits damage from Radiation and Mutagens Int J Mol Med. 2005 Mar;15(3):401-6 . A 2005 study suggests Reishi can act as a radioprotective agent; Another 2003 study organic extracts of A. blazei lineage AB97/11 presented its bio-antimutagenic type protective activity.
The Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) has been used in folk medicine in Russia, Poland and most of the Baltic countries to treat cancers but until recently, limited information existed on the exact substances in the mushrooms that had protective effects against cancer. A Korean study carried out on the underlying anticancer effects of the major component of I. obliquus in vivo howed that the pure compounds (3β-hydroxy-lanosta-8,24-dien-21-al, inotodiol and lanosterol, respectively) separated from I. obliquus inhibited tumor growth in mice bearing Sarcoma-180 cells (S-180) in vivo and the growth of human carcinoma cells in vitro while another study indicated that the Chaga mushroom has the capacity to scavenge free radicals at concentrations higher than 5 μg/ml and that the polyphenolic extract had a strong antioxidant activity, and the extract containing triterpenoids and steroids presented a relatively strong antioxidant effect that could protect cells against oxidative stress.
Most of us will be happy to know that the common button mushrooms contain as much anti-oxidants as expensive ones (Feb. 12, 2008) according to research reported in the SCI’s Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, in some cases, may have more anti-oxidant properties than more expensive matsutake and maitake varieties. Hundreds of peer-reviewed studies have been published indicating the wide-range of positive health effects of fungi (click here to see a breakdown of effects for various mushroom species), with much of the research focusing on varieties more commonly found in Asia.
Konnyaku (Amorphophallus konjac, Devil’s Root)
Anyone lives or who has lived in Japan will know how ubiquitous this dense gelatinous ingredient made from the konnyaku corm of the konjac plant is in Japanese cooking, and how kids love their konyaku jellies (infants and toddlers have been known to choke on them). According to research, konnyaku is the food that both mothers and daughters like with oden and boiled konnyaku dishes at the top ranking of dishes, students on diet eat the most for its dietary fiber role and for fighting obesity (konnyaku expands about 30-50 times in the digestive system giving the feeling that the stomach is full and is also known to clean the digestive tract of toxins). Dietary fiber activates the function of the intestines and allows the harmful things to go quickly out of your body and a 2010 study shows konnyaku can remove toxins and reduce the risk of colon, intestinal or bowel cancer. New findings suggest that konnyaku glucomannans belong to a class of mannans, complex polymers of glucose and mannans with immunostimulatory effects. They are thought to be potent anticancer agents, polysaccharides with anti-tumor properties (see The biological activities of mannans and related complex carbohydrates). Konnyaku is a uniquely alkaline food that is rich in mineral. A 100 grams block type of Konnyaku contains 75 milligrams of calcium. A 100 grams noodle-shaped Konnyaku contains ȋ milligrams of calcium. Moreover, calcium in Konnyaku would be readily soluble in gastric juices. As you can see in the table* below, the assimilation rate of calcium in Konnyaku is almost equal to that of milk. (See anticancer meal including konjac) Below are the findings on more benefits from the “Okinawa Program”:
Konnyaku’s major component is glucomannan, which is similar to bran, methylcellulose, pectin, and other dietary fiber, both in composition and action. Glucomannan has been shown in numerous studies to be effective in the treatment of constipation and high cholesterol, which may be due to its ability to help balance the natural bacteria of the colon. It also may help reduce cholesterol levels and possibly help lower the risk for lung cancer, although further study is needed. …
Caution. Konnyaku and glucomannan are generally regarded as safe because of their use for many years in the Far East. As with most dietary fiber, excessive consumption of konnyaku may produce diarrhea, loose stools, bloating or intestinal gas. Those on cholesterol-lowering or diabetes medications may have to take a lower dose because of additive effects. And you should always drink six to eight glasses of water perday when taking it, since intestinal obstruction has been reported in patients who ingest excessive amounts of plant fiber without adequate liquid.”
In a few cases, glucomannan tablets have caused obstruction of the esophagus when they expanded before reaching the stomach.Source: Effect of konjac fibre; Glucomanna diet tablets
Milk Thistle
Used for over 2,000 years as a liver tonic and to treat chronic liver disease, only recently is research beginning to indicate possible therapeutic and medical uses.
In a 2009 study published in the journal Cancer, and reported in the Science Daily(Dec 27, 2009), milk thistle showed promise in reducing the liver damaging effects of chemotherapy in clinical trials involving 50 children. Children receiving milk thistle had improvements in their liver enzymes compared with children receiving a placebo. Taking milk thistle also seemed to help keep fewer patients from having to lower the dose of their medications: chemotherapy doses were reduced in 61 percent of the group receiving milk thistle, compared with 72 percent of the placebo group. The study also concluded “milk thistle appeared to be safe for consumption”. The research team in a 2007 study found that the major biologically active compound of this plant, silibinin in a highly purified form, could suppress the growth of cancer cells.
Japanese Mugwort or Artemisia princeps
Artemisia or mugwort family of plants is a common folk remedy in many countries. J. mugwort (yomogi in Japanese) is also commonly used to make a Japanese culinary mochi dish.
Dried leaves of Artemisia princeps var. orientalis smoke as well as water extracts preparations were shown in a 2007 anticancer research study to inhibit the growth of breast cancer tumor cells MCF-7 cells. The study concluded that the data suggested that A. princeps smoke and water soluble extracts may represent a novel adjuvant for the treatment of breast cancer. Hayashi 1997 (See also Cytotoxic components of Artemisia princeps. Ryu 1997)
Caution: Possible allergic reaction to Artemisia plant may result (People allergic to ragweed pollen (aka Ambrosia) also show sensitivity to the Artemisia plant as well, study shows)
Coriander or cilantro
According to the American Cancer Institute, Coriander is rich in coriandrol, which is believed to help combat breast and liver cancers(http://www.womenfitness.net/herbs_for_bc.htm). In animal studies, coriandrol stops aflatoxin from binding to DNA and from causing liver cancer in some people.
Free radical production in experimental animals was shown to be reduced through the antioxidant properties and radical scavenging activity of coriander, thereby decreasing the incidence of degenerative diseases, such as, cancer, arthritis, atherosclerosis and so on. Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol) and total cholesterol are also reduced. High Density Lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol) levels are increased.
The phytonutrient content of cilantro is attributed with all the therapeutic effects, cited above. Volatile oils, such as elemol, limonene, carvone, linalool, borneol, camphor and geraniol are a rich source of phytonutrients (besides their anti microbial properties) Active phenolic compounds like, chlorogenic and caffeic acid are seen in cilantro. Flavanoids in coriander seed are rhamnetin, kaempferol, epigenin and quercetin. Research shows that cilantro helps in fighting with skin cancer. It is also a good source of magnesium, iron, manganese and dietary fiber. Dodecenal is a chemical compound isolated from cilantro. Research reveals the increased intensity of its bacteriostatic property, in comparison with gentamicin, a commonly used antibiotic. (Sources: Benefits of Cilantro; “Maximizing the Use of Culinary Herbs Increases Protection Against Cancer, American Institute for Cancer Research 21 July 2000; The Poor Man’s Chelation Therapy)
Detox effects: In 1996, Dr. Yoshiaki Omura discovered almost by accident that the leaves of the coriander plant can accelerate the excretion of mercury, lead and aluminum from the body. He performed a study in which three amalgam fillings were removed from an individual using all the precautions available to prevent absorption of the mercury from the amalgam. Significant amounts were later found in the individual’s lungs, kidneys, endocrine organs, liver and heart. There was no mercury in these tissues prior to the amalgam removal. Without the help of any chelation agents, cilantro was able to remove the mercury in two to three weeks. (Source: Acupunct Electrother Res 96;21(2):133-60)
Caution: Side effects include allergic reactions for people allergic to plants in the carrot family and increased sensitivity to the sun which can put one at risk of sunburn and skin cancer. When coriander comes in contact with the skin, it can cause skin irritation and inflammation.
Oils
Dr. James Ashikava found that mice will survive normally lethal doses of x-rays if they are given common edible unprocessed vegetable oils—especially olive or peanut oils. It is reported from Mexico, that those who work or live near sources of radiation, such as atomic labs or nuclear power plants, eat or rub vegetable oils on their skin for greater protection.
Olive oil
In one mice study, olive oil taken internally fully protected rats against progressive doses of x-rays ranging from 300 to 2,400 roentgens. The olive oil provided optimal protection when is comprised about 15 percent of the totalcalories of the diet. Olive oil and sesame oil are more resistant to breaking down from heat while cooking and have a longer shelf life.
Many studies have documented and reported on the effect of olive oil, the Mediterranean or Greek Diet on cancer… showing that olive oil may play a part in reducing rates or risk of some types of cancer, particularly colon, breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers. A 2004 study at the German University of Heidelberg analysed the components of olives and olive oil. It reported that olives and olive oil contain antioxidants in abundance, and that olives … contain up to 16 g/kg typified by acteosides, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol and phenyl propionic acids. Olive oil, especially extra virgin, contains smaller amounts of hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol, but also contains secoiridoids and lignans in abundance. Both olives and olive oil contain substantial amounts of other compounds deemed to be anticancer agents (e.g. squalene and terpenoids) as well as the peroxidation-resistant lipid oleic acid. The research team concluded “it seems probable that olive and olive oil consumption in southern Europe represents an important contribution to the beneficial effects on health of the Mediterranean diet.”
A study published in the January 2005 issue of Annals of Oncology has identified oleic acid (the main component of olive oil) as having the ability to reduce the effect of an oncogene (a gene that will turn a host cell into a cancer cell). This particular oncogene is associated with the rapid growth of breast cancer tumors. The conclusion of the researchers was that oleic acid, when combined with drug therapy, encouraged the self-destruction of aggressive, treatment-resistant cancer cells, thus helping to combat the cancer. Olive oil has been positively indicated in studies on prostate and endometrial cancers as well.
Several studies have come from Barcelona, Spain, that demonstrate the protective effects of olive oil in cancer treatment and prevention. A 2008 University of Granada research team revealed for the first time that all the major complex phenols present in extra-virgin olive oil drastically suppress overexpression of the cancer gene HER2 in human breast cancer cells. The team tested olive oil extracts against breast cancer cells in lab experiments. All the fractions containing the major extra-virgin phytochemical polyphenols (lignans and secoiridoids) were found to trigger cancer cell death and to effectively inhibit HER2. However, the team noted that the tumoricidal effects they achieved were through the application of active phytochemicals (i.e. lignans and secoiridoids) at concentrations that are unlikely to be achieved in by consuming olive oil in real life.
In the same year, another Spanish study concluded that “compelling evidence exists about the protective effect of olive oil consumption on the appearance and progression of some cancers, mainly those of the breast, colon, and prostate. Both its main monounsaturated fatty acid, OA (oleic acid), and some specific minor components could account for the biological effects of olive oil on the distinct stages of carcinogenesis through different molecular mechanisms of action.” A more recent study from Ireland demonstrated the role of olive oil in an anti-cancer diet. It seems that the lycopene of tomatoes is more effectively utilized to prevent skin cancer when combined in the diet with olive oil.
A 2001 study from Japan found that hairless mice exposed to damaging doses of sunlight then soothed with olive oil developed fewer skin cancers. We don’t know if people’s skin will react the same as hairless mice, but it is likely that the antioxidants in olive oil could help prevent cancer in humans too. Sunlight damages DNA and creates free radicals that cause oxidative damage. Olive oil has polyphenols and other natural antioxidants that could prevent the type of damage that leads to cancer. Cheaper refined olive oil didn’t seem to help the mice as much as fresh, extra virgin olive oil.
See “Cancer (The Olive Oil Source)” for all of the above research on olive oil and cancer.
Sesame oil
Used before and after radiation treatments, sesame oil helps neutralize the flood of oxygen radicals which such treatment inevitably causes. Sesame oil, in fact, has the fourth-highest concentration of polyunsaturated fats of any oil and is dubbed the “Queen of oils”. Modern science now knows that sesame oil is a powerful antioxidant (a substance that reduces the presence of harmful chemicals in the body), high in polyunsaturated fats and an excellent source of vitamin E and minerals. Due to anti-oxidant properties of lignans which are phytoestrogens, it is suggested that sesame oil could be used in the treatment of certain types of cancer, among other benefits. Sesame oil has been the subject of multiple clinical studies and continues to be examined as a potential treatment for cancer, menopause, gum disease, high blood pressure and heart disease.
On the skin, oil-soluble toxins are attracted to sesame seed oil molecules which can then be washed away with hot water and a mild Soap. Internally, sesame seed oil absorbs quickly and penetrates through the tissues to the very marrow of the bone. It enters into the blood stream through the capillaries and circulates. The oil molecules attract oil soluble toxins and carry them into the blood stream and then out of the body as waste. (Source: Benefits of sesame-oil)
A Canadian study investigated the total phenolic content (TPC), total antioxidant status (TAS), free radical scavenging capacity, inhibition of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and metal chelating capacity of extracts of whole black and whole white sesame seeds. The study results demonstrated considerable antioxidant activity of sesame — especially of black sesame hulls.
An ingredient found in sesame oil, called sesamin, has been found to inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors and even lower cholesterol. This was discovered on animal studies. Sesamin also contains phytic acid, which is a potent antioxidant. Recent studies have shown that sesamin can also recycle, and boost vitamin E in your body, a vital component in your antioxidant intake. Sesamin is one of the lignans found exclusively and abundantly in sesame oil. It is known for its multiple health benefits including the reduction of cholesterol [1], anti-carcinogenic activity [2] and anti-hypertensive effect [3, 4, 5]. Sesamin has also been reported to protect against alcohol and carbon tetrachloride induced liver toxicity (Source: Yi-Zhun Zhu, “The Antioxidant and Free Radical Scavenging Effects of Sesamin” ‘Chap 18 of “From Novel Compounds From Natural Products in the New Millenium : Potentials and Challenges”)
While olive oil and sesame oils are sources of Omega-6 EFA oils, other oils that have gained wide acceptance for their health benefits are the Omega-3 EFA (Essential Fatty Acid) oils, namely, flaxseed oil and fish oils such as cod liver oil. (Note that flax seed oil only contains significant amounts of Omega-3 alpha-linoleic acid (LNA), while cod liver oil contains significant amounts of Omega-3 eicosopentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA), so they are complementary). These supplement oils are administered (often recommended for children) to prevent the development of autoimmune diseases or disorders. Fish oils are said to be effective with no evidence of toxicity (Source: Superimmunity for Kids) and supplements are recommended if you are unable to have at least 3 servings of fish a week. We are most familiar with oft touted cod liver oil, however, there has been research to the effect that “liver oils containing Vitamin A very weakly absorbed, if at all” (Source: Paper 11: The Conversion of Beta-Carotene to Vitamin A). Also, it is important to take them with food low in omega-6 fats because the linoleic acid in omega-6 fatty acids(sunflower, safflower, corn and canola oils) competes with the omega-3 acids and interferes with their absorption. A Norwegian study that was published in 2006 in the journal “Lipids” concluded that “fish consumption is more effective in increasing serum EPA and DHA than supplementing the diet with fish oil.” (Read more here) Other studies (Steenbock, Irwin, and Weber (1936)) found that halibut liver oil and cod liver oil were absorbed more rapidly than were lard, corn oil, and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. We are also warned against ingesting cod liver oils in animal gelatin capsules form because these are made using a 2% toxic preservative guarding against rancidity and may cause nausea and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
Not to complicate the issue somewhat, we also need to know it’s not just a matter of having more of a good thing like more of Olive Oil as such. According to ”Get a Grip on Fatty Acids” (Health Central), the ratio between omega 6 fatty acids and omega 3 should be between 1:1 and 4:1 [or ideally at 2.3:1 (Source: Kris-Etherton, P.M., et al. 2000. "Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Food Chain in the United States." Am J Clin Nutr. 71(1 Suppl):179S-188S.)] but the typical American diet is more like 11:1 to 30:1.
Aloe
Alternative medicine proponents claim aloe is the most healing of herbs and that aloe boosts the immune system and acts directly on abnormal cells, thus preventing or treating cancer. The main aloe product promoted as a cancer cure is an unapproved drug called T-UP, which comes in an oral form or can be injected. Commission E (Germany’s regulatory agency for herbs) has approved aloe for treating constipation. A common dosage is 50 to 200 milligrams of aloe latex (the bitter substance from inside the outer lining of the leaf), taken in liquid or capsule form once a day for up to ten days. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ruled that aloe products cannot be sold as nonprescription drugs for treatment of constipation because of insufficient information on safety and effectiveness. Aloe products can be sold as dietary supplements in the United States.
Aloe proponents claim it is effective against all types of cancer, including liver and prostate cancer, although the American Cancer Society cautions people that the available scientific evidence does not support these claims (follow up on further ACS’ readings and references here). Aloe is usually a component of PH or alkalizing therapy, a controversial therapy or practice.
The aloe anti-cancer claims:
Of the more than 200 species of Aloe, these species have shown evidence of being radio-protectants: aloe barbadensis (aloe vera), aloe arborescens, aloe striatula, and aloe saponaria. Emulsions can prevent the development of local reactions in radiation therapy and treating radiation burns of second and third degrees. Aloe also accelerates the process of tissue repair and normal cell growth. It is optimal to use its fresh form direct from the juicy leaves of the plant. Read more at “Can aloe vera prevent and cure cancer“ (Natural News) which summarizes the available literature on the anti-cancer benefits of aloe vera?
Caution: The American Cancer Society, however, while supporting the use of aloe for treating minor burns and skin irritations, warns us:
“Available scientific evidence does not support claims that aloe can treat any type of cancer. In fact, used as a cancer treatment, aloe is dangerous and may even be deadly….
There are mixed reports about the safety of taking aloe internally. One report suggested that aloe taken by mouth might increase cancer risk to humans. Side effects of the internal use of aloe may include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and electrolyte (chemical) imbalance in the blood, especially at high doses. It should not be used as a laxative for more than two weeks. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use aloe internally.
Taking aloe internally may cause dangerous interactions with prescription drugs and with other herbal supplements. Aloe injections are dangerous, illegal in the United States, and have caused the deaths of several people.
Some people who have used aloe gel for long periods of time have had allergic reactions such as hives and rashes. Those who are allergic to garlic, onions, tulips, and similar plants may be more likely to have an allergic reaction to aloe. Relying on this type of treatment alone and avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health consequences.”
Nucleic acids: RNA and DNA have both been shown to have radio protective qualities and to increase the survival rate of mammals exposed to irradiation. Bee pollen (see research reviewed here), nutritional yeast and certain sea algae such as chlorella contain relatively large percentages of nucleic acids. Onions contain RNA. Yeast: Besides having Vitamin E, it also contains the nucleic acids RNA and DNA. It has been shown to help rebuild and regenerate cells damaged by radiation. Nutritional yeast has a good amount of many important nutrients. Yeast bonds with and absorb heavy metals such as uranium, lead and mercury.(Source: Pediatricgems.com)
Bee Pollen Benefits?
The claims: It is recommended that freeze-dried pollen best preserves the nutrients in the bee pollen and avoids the processing of heat dried pollen that kills the sensitive enzymes. Bee pollen is said to be rich in (among other things) the B vitamin complex (which gives energy), carotenes, including vitamins C and E, two potent antioxidants, and is made up of protein and approximately 55% carbohydrates. Bee pollen is also recommended by some herbalists to enhance athletic performance, reduce side effects of chemotherapy, and improve allergies and asthma.
Caution: Bee Pollen side effects
However, WebMD says that “after years of research, scientists still cannot confirm that bee pollen has any health benefits … It should also be noted that severe allergic reactions such as anaphylactic shock is possible if you are already sensitive or allergic to bee products. See also NCAHF considers bee pollen a product to have no health value.
Another part of bee pollen clinical studies that took place in 1983 showed that patients that took excessive amounts of bee pollen suffered from laxative like effects. However it is pointedly unclear whether this effect was due to the patient being overly sensitive; or due to poor quality pollen.
Bee pollen side effects are skin flushing, which usually signals an allergy to bee products, wheezing, headache, itchy throat, hives, and dizziness.
The rebuttal to this is by Information on Bee Pollen Clinical Studies which asserts that “there have been over forty bee pollen clinical studies conducted throughout the world. The results were almost always conclusive … read more here.
Miso and kelp (konbu)
Herbalist Brigitte Mars says “The mucilaginous fiber in seaweed helps to prevent the reabsorbing of radioactive strontium 90.” Japanese miso soup was said to help some of their citizens survive the fallout after the Americans attacked two of their cities.
Do these claims have any sound basis in science or clinical trials? Let’s look at the available information so far…
A study by Japan’s National Cancer Center reported that people who eat miso soup daily are 33 percent less likely to contract gastric (stomach) cancer and 19 percent less like to contract at other sites than those who never eat miso soup. The 13 year study involving 265,000 men and women over forty, also found that those who never ate miso soup had a 42 percent higher death rate from coronary heart disease …and higher mortality from all other causes.”
Researchers from the Hiroshima University Medical Center experimented on rats with two radioactive isotopes, the iodine-131 and the caesium-134, elements produced in nuclear reactor accidents. When the human body is exposed to radiation, the iodine-131 is absorbed in the thyroid gland, and the caesium-134 accumulates in intestines and muscles.
The researchers discovered that several hours after being exposed to radiation, compared to the control group, the group of rats fed with miso had their blood levels of iodine-131 diminished (reduced) by 50 %.
In further studies (1990), Hiromitsu Watanabe professor of cancer and radiation at Hiroshima University’s atomic bomb radiation research center states that people who eat miso regularly may be up to five times more resistant to radiation than people not eating miso. In other tests at Hiroshima University, it has already been shown that miso has the property of eliminating radiation from the body and can help relieve liver cancer. Plans for further studies include how miso affects cancer of the large intestine and stomach as well as the effect of radiation on blood pressure.
Miso also contains something called “dipilocolonic acid” which chelates (binds together) with heavy metals, such as radioactive strontium, and helps discharge (release) them from the body. Japanese researchers (including Dr Morishita Keiichi) in 1972 identified the active ingredient in miso called zybicolin in Japanese (or dipicolinic acid), which acts as a binding agent to detoxify and eliminate radioactive elements (such as strontium) and other pollutants from the body.(Source: The Book of Miso by Shurtleff and Aoyagi, p. 256)
Sources: “Miso Protects Against Radiation,” Yomiuri Shinbun, July 16, 1990; “People Who Consume Miso Regularly Are More Resistant to Radiation,” Nikan Kogyo Shinbun (Daily Business and Technology Newspaper), July 25, 1990. | Boost your body’s defenses against radiation
Research by Japan’s National Cancer Centre that studied the eating habits of 21,852 women aged between 40 and 59 for 10 years from 1990 concluded that isoflavones inhibit the development of breast cancer. They discovered women who had three or more bowls of miso soup each day reduced their risk of getting breast cancer by about 40% to those who had only one bowl. Those who had two bowls daily cut their risk by 26%. So the research published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute does suggest that women who eat a lot of soya may enjoy some protection against breast cancer. On the other hand, the BBC news article ‘Miso soup cuts breast cancer risk‘ that reviewed the research said that the study is too small to be definitive and more work is needed in this promising area and that previous studies looking at the effects of eating soy-based foods have produced inconsistent results.
In Anna Bond’s Working Alchemy: The Miracle of Miso, she reviews more research (an excerpt of which follows below):
“Studies in Japan’s Tohoku University have isolated chemicals from miso that cancel out the effects of some carcinogens.
Miso and Radiation Sickness
Thanks to nuclear accidents and leakage worldwide, we may be exposed to ionizing radiation as well. In the decades since the first atomic bombings, scientists have confirmed that miso(as well as sea vegetables) help protect the body from radiation by binding and discharging radioactive elements. Two weeks after the Chernobyl nuclear accident, all miso and seaweed disappeared from European store shelves.
At the time of the world’s first plutonium atomic bombing, on August 9, 1945, two hospitals were literally in the shadow of the blast, about one mile from the epicenter in Nagasaki. American scientists declared the area totally uninhabitable for 75 years. At University Hospital 3000 patients suffered greatly from leukemia and disfiguring radiation burns. This hospital served its patients a modern fare of sugar, white rice, and refined white flour products. Another hospital was St. Francis Hospital, under the direction of Shinichiro Akizuki, M.D. Although this hospital was located even closer to the blast’s epicenter than the first, none of the workers or patients suffered from radiation sickness. Dr. Akizuki had been feeding his patients and workers brown rice, miso soup, vegetables and seaweed every day. The Roman Catholic Church—and the residents of Nagasaki—called this a modern day miracle. Meanwhile, Dr. Akizukiand his co-workers disregarded the American warning and continued going around the city of Nagasaki in straw sandals visiting the sick in their homes.
Since the 1950s, Soviet weapons factories had been dumping wastes into Karachar Lake in Chelyabinsk, an industrial city 900 miles east of Moscow. Many local residents began to suffer from radiation symptoms and cancer. In 1985, Lidia Yamchuk and Hanif Sharimardanov, medical doctors in Chelyabinsk, changed their approach with patients suffering from leukemia, lymphoma and other disorders associated with exposure to nuclear radiation. They began incorporating miso soup into their diet. They wrote: “Miso is helping some of our patients with terminal cancer to survive. Their blood improved as soon as they began to use miso daily.”
Miso protects against radiation — the evidence?
Over a 25-year period, the Japanese Cancer Institute tested and tracked 260,000 subjects, dividing them into three groups. Group one ate miso soup daily, group two consumed miso two or three times a week, while group three ate no miso at all. The results were stark: those who had not eaten any miso showed a 50% higher incidence of cancer than those who had eaten miso.”
In August, 1945, at the time of the atomic bombing of Japan, Tatsuichiro Akizuki, M.D., was director of the Department of Internal Medicine at St. Francis’s Hospital in Nagasaki. Most patients in the hospital, located one mile from the center of the blast, survived the initial effects of the bomb, but soon after came down with symptoms of radiation sickness from the fallout that had been released. Dr. Akizuki fed his staff and patients a strict macrobiotic diet of brown rice, miso soup, wakame and other sea vegetables, Hokkaido pumpkin, and sea salt and prohibited the consumption of sugar and sweets. As a result, he saved everyone in his hospital, while many other survivors in the city perished from radiation sickness.
“I gave the cooks and staff strict orders that they should make unpolished whole-grain rice balls, adding some salt to them, prepare strong miso soup for each meal, and never use sugar. When they didn’t follow my orders, I scolded them without mercy, ‘Never take sugar. Sugar will destroy your blood!’. . .
“This dietary method made it possible for me to remain alive and go on working vigorously as a doctor. The radioactivity may not have been a fatal dose, but thanks to this method, Brother Iwanaga, Reverend Noguchi, Chief Nurse Miss Murai, other staff members and in-patients, as well as myself, all kept on living on the lethal ashes of the bombed ruins. It was thanks to this food that all of us could work for people day after day, overcoming fatigue or symptoms of atomic disease and survive the disaster free from severe symptoms of radioactivity.” (Sources: Tatsuichiro Akizuki, M.D., Nagasaki 1945 (London: Quartet Books, 1981); Tatsuichiro Akizuki, “How We Survived Nagasaki,” East West Journal, December 1980 | Kushi Institute of Europe)
Kazumitsu Watanabe, professor of cancer and radiation at Hiroshima University’s atomic bomb radiation research center concluded that people who eat miso regularly may be up to five times more resistant to radiation than people not eating miso. This is the conclusion of scientific studies conducted by
In laboratory experiments, he tested the cells in the small intestine of mice. These cells absorb nutrients and are particularly sensitive to radiation. They are easily destroyed by radiation. The victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki suffered from severe cases of diarrhea after the atomic bomb because of massive destruction of these cells.
Forty-nine-week-old mice were given miso as 10 percent of their food for seven days prior to exposure to radiation. Mice were exposed to full body X-rays 1400 to 2400 times stronger than a regular medical X-ray (7-10 curies). Three days later their cells were examined. The loss of cells was less severe in the miso-eating mice than in regular mice. When 9 curies were administered, the gap between miso-eating and regular mice’s loss of cells became greater. Ten curies is a lethal dose for humans. When 10 curies were given to miso-eating mice, 60 percent survived, compared to only 9 percent of the mice which did not eat miso.
“I don’t know specifically what element in miso is effective,” Professor Watanabe told the South Western Japan Conference on the Effects of Radiation. “The small intestines of mice and humans are quite similar. Therefore this study indicates that miso is a preventive measure against radiation.”
In other tests at Hiroshima University, it has already been shown that miso has the property of eliminating radiation from the body and can help relieve liver cancer. Plans for further studies include how miso affects cancer of the large intestine and stomach as well as the effect of radiation on blood pressure.
Sources: “Miso Protects Against Radiation,” Yomiuri Shinbun, July 16, 1990; “People Who Consume Miso Regularly Are More Resistant to Radiation,” Nikan Kogyo Shinbun (Daily Business and Technology Newspaper), July 25, 1990 – Retr. from Erica Angyal’s article “Boost your body’s defenses against radiation”
More on the research by Watanabe (Source: Katoh and Watanbe, unpublished data) showed that fermented miso has the effect of radiation protection:
“We can conclude that the fermented substances protected not only against gastrointestinal but also bone marrow death by radiation but not against whole-body radiation.
Cytokine-like substances in miso may thus play an important role in the prevention and/or the recovery and repopulation of critical tissue elements when given prior to and during radiation exposure. However, to our knowledge there are no reports regarding extraction of cytokines from miso。 160 to 180 days old miso was the most effective against radiation injury. The freeze dried miso fed to the animals was just as effective as the miso paste. The salt in miso did not induce hypertension in hypertension-prone animal models.”
For research on the radioprotective effects of miso,refer to Hiroshima University’s researchers Ohara and Watanabe (and team)’s studies of 2001 and of 2002..
Later research studies have been clarifying which substances and the processes in miso fermentation that have produced the radioprotective effects of miso:
Watanabe et al. (unpublished data) reviewed the results of other studies carried out on the consumption of soybean products, concluding that the isoflavone has a preventive effect on breast cancer and hormone-related organs but no specific effect against intestinal cancer. Hence, the determined that melanoidine like substances in 180 days fermented miso might be considered to have radioprotective effect and that during fermentation of miso, the substance to suppress cell proliferation is generated and it might work as a factor in preventing colonic cancer. What was also interesting was that the study observed that while 180 days fermented miso inhibits the development of AOM-induced ACF in the rat colon, 10% miso (3-4 days miso) did not have the same effect.
Yanagihara et al in “Antiproliferation effects of isoflavones on human cancer cell lines established from the gastronintestinal tract” (Cancer Res, 53, 5815-5821, 1993) reported that by using digestive tract cells, a group of isoflavone-like substance in miso such as biochanin A and genistaine prevented the growth of gastric tumor cells and caused the destruction of the cells by apotosis. The reports suggested that isoflavone substances contained in miso destroyed or degenerated carcinogens.
In Rajendran’s later 2002 study, ”
Binding rather than metabolism may explain the interaction of two food-grade Lactobacillus Strains with Zearalenone and its derivative a-Zearalenol” indicated in their investigations into the interaction between two Fusarium mycotoxins, zearalenone and its derivative a-zearalenol , with two strains of Lactobacillus, that 55% of the toxins were bound instantly after mixing with the bacteria. The study showed that binding was dependent on the bacterial concentration, and that since both heat-treated and acid-treated bacteria were capable of removing the toxins, the study concluded that binding, not metabolism, is the mechanism by which the toxins are removed from the media. It is suggested that the results are significant for developing a new approach for detoxifying mycotoxins from foods and feeds.
Canadian researchers reported that sea vegetables contained a polysaccharide substance that selectively bound radioactive strontium and helped eliminate it from the body. In laboratory experiments, sodium alginate prepared from kelp, kombu, and other brown seaweeds off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts was introduced along with strontium and calcium into rats. The reduction of radioactive particles in bone uptake, measured in the femur, reached as high as 80 percent, with little interference with calcium absorption. “The evaluation of biological activity of different marine algae is important because of their practical significance in preventing absorption of radioactive products of atomic fission as well as in their use as possible natural decontaminators.”
The researchers at McGill University say radioactive strontium binds to the algin in brown seaweeds to create sodium alginate, a compound easily and harmlessly excreted. – Source: Y. Tanaka et al., “Studies on Inhibition of Intestinal Absorption of Radio-Active Strontium,” Canadian Medical Association Journal 99:169-75, 1968.
Note: While Watanabe concluded that isoflavones only had protective effect on hormone-related organs, studies in Okinawa and in Singapore have found that fermented soy-bean products might have inhibitory effects on lung cancer, noting the inverse association between tofu/soy intake and lung cancer. A study in Yunnan China supported these conclusions, reporting an inverse relationship between tofu consumption and the risk of lung cancer.
Kennedy’s studies published
in 1994 and
in 2008 have declared that soybean-derived Bowman-Birk inhibitor suppresses carcinogenesis and should be considered one of the biological effective compounds in miso that should be the focus of future investigations.
Iodine, Kelp and other cancer-fighting sea vegetables (seaweeds)
The good news is that Kombu (Saccharina japonica and others), several Pacific species of kelp, are readily available to all of us here in Japan since it is a staple in Japanese cooking especially for making dashi stock base. (The bad news is some of it harvested from around the Tohoku coast may have been contaminated – see news here and here. So we will need to buy last year’s stock, or Chinese or Korean kelp or that which has been harvested further south.) The Japanese typically have a high intake of iodine from seaweed (and seafood) about 100 times the amount of daily iodine as Americans. The mucilaginous fibers in seaweed (such as kelp, kombu, arame, nori, sea lettuce, dulse, wakame and hijiki) help to prevent the reabsorption of radioactive strontium 90, barium, cadmium and radium by binding with them and carrying them out of the body. Sea vegetables are also high in natural iodine, which can load the thyroid, so that radiation is not absorbed. Eat two tablespoons daily for protection and be careful of overdoing. The seaweeds should be from clean waters. (See www.seaweed.net, or www.seaveg.com.)
The anti-cancer nutrient in seaweed is fucoidan, which prevents cancer development, or slows down the cancer if it is already present. There are more than 2,500 varieties of seaweeds, which include kelp, nori, sea lettuce, dulse, and Irish moss. Some types are rich in B vitamins, the antioxidant vitamin C, and beta-carotene, which the body converts into the antioxidant vitamin A. Seaweed are also abundant in iodine, which the thyroid gland needs to manufacture hormones that regulate metabolism.
According to scientific studies, seaweed is able to neutralize radioactive isotopes in the body. Canadian researchers at McGill University of Montreal, in 1968 found that sea vegetables contained a polysaccharide called sodium alginate, which selectively bound radioactive strontium and eliminated it from the body. The Russians have isolated a polysaccharide U-Fucoidan from their own kelp, which has been found to be another radioactive detoxifier. Add seaweed to meals, cook w beans, grains and stews or chew on seaweed raw or roasted for crunchier texture. (Source: Radiation protection and detox solutions).
In 1974, Japanese scientists first reported (publication source) that several varieties of kombu and mojaban, common sea vegetables eaten in Asia and traditionally as a decoction for cancer in Chinese herbal medicine, were effective in the treatment of tumors in laboratory experiments. In three of four samples tested, inhibition rates in mice with implanted sarcomas ranged from 89 to 95%. The researchers concluded that “the tumor underwent complete regression in more half of the mice of each treated group. Similar experiments on mice with leukemia showed promising results.
Other dietary and longevity benefits of kombu are legend – they help to convert indigestible sugars and thus reduce flatulence, and In 2010 a group of U. of Newcastle researchers found that a fibrous material called alginate in sea kelp was better at preventing fat absorption than most over-the-counter slimming treatments in laboratory trials. As a food additive it may be used to reduce fat absorption and thus obesity. (See “Is Seaweed The Answer To A Dieter’s Prayer?”. Sky News. March 22, 2010. Retrieved March 23, 2010)
More importantly now, with its high concentration of iodine, brown kelp (Laminaria) has been used to treat goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland caused by a lack of iodine, according to since medieval times. In 2010 a group of researchers in the University of Newcastle found that a fibrous material called alginate in sea kelp was better at preventing fat absorption than most over-the-counter slimming treatments in laboratory trials. As a food additive it may be used to reduce fat absorption and thus obesity (See article report).
These positive beneficial claims now appear to supported in recent scientific research (2008), see the U. of Delaware article Iodine Helps Kelp Fight Free Radicals and May Aid Humans Too which reports:
“when brown kelp (Laminaria), a kind of seaweed, is stressed, the plant flushes large quantities of iodide as a powerful antioxidant out of its cells, which combines with highly reactive oxygen in the water and air to produce molecular iodine, which commonly is used in hospital surgeries as an antiseptic. In fact, the process can generate clouds of iodine near the ocean surface that can ward off the damaging effects of ozone, thus affecting coastal climate.
The findings, made by an international team of scientists from the United Kingdom, Germany, United States, Switzerland, France and the Netherlands, reveal iodine’s biological role as an inorganic antioxidant–the first to be described in a living system–and also point to the intriguing effects of iodine in scavenging free radicals in human blood cells.
The research, published last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientific journal of the National Academy of Sciences in the U.S., was led by Frithjof Kupper from the Scottish Association for Marine Science. George Luther, the Maxwell P. and Mildred H. Harrington Professor of Oceanography at the University of Delaware, and UD alumnus Timothy Waite were part of the research team, conducting a series of chemical analyses for the study in Luther’s lab at the UD College of Marine and Earth Studies in Lewes.
Brown kelp is a species of marine algae. It contains algin, a common emulsifying agent used in products ranging from pudding to paint, beer to make-up.
Now scientists have determined that brown kelp, which boasts the highest concentration of iodide of any plant or animal, passively takes in this element from seawater and then releases it when needed to detoxify harmful reactive oxygen species, which are generated by such external forces as pollution and intense light, as well as by internal metabolic processes.
“It’s only one atom and it’s charged. It’s the simplest antioxidant you could possibly find,” Luther notes.
Although there are relatively small amounts of iodide in seawater compared to chloride and bromide, brown kelp has the ability to concentrate the element in its interstitial fluids, the liquids that bathe and surround the plant cells.
“Brown kelp has 1,000 times more iodine than what is in the sea, and it is always taking it on,” Luther says.
“When the kelp is exposed to stress, it dumps the iodide, which is easily converted into molecular iodine,” he explains. “Molecular iodine goes into the atmosphere, where it helps form clouds that decrease the heat from the sun. It’s one way of getting rid of ozone close to the ocean surface,” Luther says.
At UD’s Lewes campus, Luther and Waite measured the electrochemistry of iodide–the transfer of electrons between molecules–in brown kelp using a mercury-drop method Luther invented more than 20 years ago.
Iodine is an important element for thyroid function in humans. Since medieval times, these brown seaweeds have been used to treat goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland caused by a lack of iodine.
Additional studies by the research team suggest that iodine may play an important role in fending off human health threats presented by free radicals.
Currently, research is under way by scientists around the globe to assess iodine’s impact on maladies ranging from thyroid disease to breast cancer, Luther says…” End of excerpt. Listen to Drs Stan and Flechas on “The Role of Iodine“, Iodine Insufficiency and Cancer – Jorge D. Flechas, MD or read more at Dr. Michael Schahter’s “The Role of Iodine in Health and Disease“
The available information on supplementing iodine is highly controversial, with various camps for and against different products.
Our starting point on this however is, the research on this post-Chernobyl Modiflan supplements.
Said to be a potent radioactive elements flusher, MODIFILAN, a concentrated brown seaweed extract, was developed in Russia by a group of scientists who worked in the State Rehabilitation Institute, where victims of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe, underwent treatment. The healing qualities of seaweed had been known for centuries, so the Russian government instructed scientists to find an effective and powerful remedy for the radiation poisoning of that particular population. After trying out various forms of algae, one type yielded the best scientific data for this purpose. It was the brown seaweed known as Laminaria japonica, which grows wild in the northern Pacific Ocea off the coast of uninhabited islands far to the east of Russia, known as the Kurils.
One of the main qualities of Laminaria is its high content of sodium alginates, which enhanced by the extraction process used to produce MODIFILAN. Alginates are the most effective organic elements that enable the human body to get rid of heavy metals and toxins. Not all “algae” have alginates; blue or green algae do not. According to scientific testing, only this brown seaweed does! The unique methods of extraction, as well as the quality of this seaweed, are key. MODIFILAN has about 50% of the highest quality alginates.
The low-temperature processing of MODIFILAN causes a sloughing off the heavy outer fibers of the seaweed, while retaining the essential properties of the plant. This process further enhances its bioavailability, making the Laminaria more digestible. …
And it is not cooked. The oldest Japanese recipes of preparing seaweed tell us to eat seaweed raw, rather than cooked.
Modern science affirms that an anti-cancer substance called Fucoidan, as well as beneficial polysaccharides, will break down if the seaweed is cooked. This was determined when studies were performed on the Japanese island of Okinawa, known for its lowest cancer death rate in Japan.
The Center for Preventive Medicine had 332 subjects in their study. For six moths, 158 of the 332 subjects took Modifilan every day. After this time, those who had taken Modifilan had:
a. Significant shrinking of the lymph glands which had been enlarged
b. Improved digestive systems
c. Decrease in the incidence of bronchitis by 29.5%
d. No side effects
The Institute of Immunology carried out research on volunteers from the Chernobyl region, who were exposed to radiation and heavy metal poisoning.
The results of this research showed:
a. Modifilan is safe to use; is nontoxic and nonallergenic
b. Modifilan is very effective in preventing the absorption of and
promoting the excretion of radioactive elements (e.g.
strontium and radioactive iodine)
Some volunteers began growing back their hair which had fallen out due to exposure to radioactive elements.
Results of the research at Biophysical Institute are:
a. Modifilan is effective in preventing the absorption of and in
promoting the excretion of radioactive elements (e.g.
strontium, cesium, and radioactive iodine)
b. Modifilan works to protect the thyroid glands by decreasing
the accumulation of radioactive iodine. As a result of this
research, Modifilan was recommended both as a healing
and preventive food supplement.
The State Technical Medical Center concluded upon completion of their research that Modifilan is:
a. A safe food supplement
b. Recommended to increase lipid metabolism
c. Recommended to improve the function of the immune system
d. Safe to use and has no harmful effects on any bodily functions
or organs
At the Cardiovascular Center at the Sakhalin Hospital, patients were given up to ten grams of Modifilan every day for three months. The results showed:
a. Decrease of cholesterol by 26.5%
b. Decrease of B-lipoproteins by 25.1%
c. Decrease of triglycerides by 32.1%
No negative reactions were found in the kidneys, the liver and other organs. No side effects were found.”
Since Modifilan is a commercial product, the usual “caveat emptor” is likely to apply. It may be as effective (or perhaps more effective) and a lot cheaper to buy and consume the raw brown Laminaria seaweed itself.
– Source: Modifilan.com, Modiflan Laminaria Japonica (Modifilan available from Amazon USA Note: Eating 8 capsules of extract a day provides the same amount of good, organic micro- and macro-elements contained in entire plate of this nutrient-rich seaweed. Forty pounds of raw Laminaria are required to make one pound of MODIFILAN. )
Note: With the news of the increasing contamination of the Pacific Ocean waters around Fukushima and beyond, cesium has been found in Pacific kelp, one wonders what are the implications for obtaining uncontaminated fresh brown kelp or kelp supplements? There is anecdotal evidence that contaminated sources of kelp creates separate problems (read Julie’s story at Earth Clinic).
Preventive uses of potassium iodide
The issue of using of potassium iodide (KI) tablets was covered by various official sources in the first few critical weeks, talking about it is a bit after-the-fact now since its use is preventative. Nevertheless …let’s take a look at the rationale for taking potassium iodide pills – which is that the release of radioactive iodine from Fukushima poses a special risk to health since exposure of the thyroid to high levels may lead to development of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer years later (on the prognostic value of early Iodine therapy see ” Delayed Initial Radioactive Iodine Therapy Resulted in Poor Survival in Patients with Metastatic Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: A Retrospective Statistical Analysis of 198 Cases“ and on the risk see: Increased Risk Of Thyroid Diseases Linked To Exposure At Chernobyl, Study Shows (Science Daily, Feb. 22, 2008); Chernobyl Incident Had Fewer Long-Term Health Impacts Than Expected (Apr. 9, 2007). See also The Case for Maintaining Current Regulations On I-131 Therapy)
“Following a radiological or nuclear event, radioactive iodine may be released into the air and then be breathed into the lungs. Radioactive iodine may also contaminate the local food supply and get into the body through food or through drink. When radioactive materials get into the body through breathing, eating, or drinking, we say that “internal contamination” has occurred. In the case of internal contamination with radioactive iodine, the thyroid gland quickly absorbs this chemical. Radioactive iodine absorbed by the thyroid can then injure the gland. Because non-radioactive KI acts to block radioactive iodine from being taken into the thyroid gland, it can help protect this gland from injury.
KI cannot prevent radioactive iodine from entering the body. Also KI can protect only the thyroid from radioactive iodine, not other parts of the body. KI cannot reverse the health effects caused by radioactive iodine once damage to the thyroid has occurred. KI cannot protect the body from radioactive elements other than radioactive iodine—if radioactive iodine is not present, taking KI is not protective.” — CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response
CAUTION by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), the American Thyroid Association (ATA), The Endocrine Society and the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) issued a joint statement in March 2011 following the Fukushima incident:
“the statement cautions KI should not be taken unless there is a clear risk of exposure to high levels of radioactive iodine. While some radiation may be detected in the United States as a result of the nuclear reactor accident in Japan, current estimates indicate radiation levels will not be harmful to the thyroid gland or general health. If radiation levels did warrant the use of KI, the statement recommends it should be taken as directed by physicians or public health authorities until the risk for significant exposure dissipates.
The statement discourages individuals needlessly purchasing or hoarding of KI in the United States. Since there is not a radiation emergency in the United States or its territories, the statement does not support the ingestion of KI prophylaxis at this time. KI can cause allergic reactions, skin rashes, salivary gland inflammation, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism in a small percentage of people.”
Are other synthetic iodines like Lugol’s Iodine or Iosol Iodine safe?
["We have received numerous reports of people taking 25 mg to 50 mg of potassium iodide-containing supplements each day, typically in the form of Lugols or Iodoral. I do not support the use of this protocol as the form of iodine used is inferior and the chance of congesting the thyroid with insoluble potassium iodide is elevated - a needless risk to take for any person trying to improve their health. I have never had any trouble helping people balance thyroid function on far less iodine intake, especially when synergistic thyroid support nutrition is used."--Source: World Wide Health.com
On the other hand, Sarah Cain debunks the idea that synthetic iodines like Lugol's Iodine which is widely recommended by health practitioners, in "The Dark Side of the Alternative Health Movement: Promoting Ingested Iodine":
"It is important for everyone to know that synthetic iodine is poisonous when orally consumed. The problems that ingested iodine cause with the central nervous system mimic other well known poisons; for instance, the metallic taste it produces is also found in arsenic poisonings.
There are rogue people in the alternative health movement who advocate drinking as much as three teaspoons of synthetic iodine daily; to supposedly cure and prevent countless illnesses. This is a case of snake oil. Their advice is incredibly irresponsible and dangerous; as shown by the many cases of their followers giving it children.
The poisonous short term effects of ingested iodine are well known, but the consequences of trace amounts being ingested, over a period of years, are unknown. I have written this hoping that those considering following such horrendous advice will research enough to find the truth prior to hurting themselves, or their loved ones. ... see list of symptoms of iodide poisoning here.
The people who are advocating oral iodine intake allege that the synthetic iodine itself is not toxic, and the toxic effects are a result of methanol being inside over-the-counter products. They mention Legol's Iodine as the gold standard for ingestible iodine, and boast about its lack of methanol. However, the National Institutes of Health specifically cites Lugol's Iodine as being poisonous, and even its fumes are dangerous whenever it is heated. ...
Some of those who are consuming pharmaceutical iodine (and even giving it to their children) believe that the synthetic iodines must be safe because iodine is added to salt and bread, in order to compensate for our modern dietary deficiency of it. This is actually not the case. It is normally trace amounts of potassium iodide (not iodine) that is present in food items, which is a non-toxic chemical relative of iodine that helps relieve some of our deficiencies. While iodide can also be found in Lugol's solution, and inside other standard iodine solutions, it is also mixed with toxic synthetic iodine. It is worth noting that iodine is much safer when combined with carbohydrates like bread, because starches are known to somewhat neutralize its toxic effects."
What about Iosol Iodine?
The promoter's claim: Byron J. Richards, of Wellness Resources, the promoter of Iosol Iodine, an alternative iodine product, says that Iosol Iodine is a better and safer alternative to potassium iodides:
"Iosol Iodine is a proprietary iodine formulation that has been in widespread use since 1945. I am often asked what the difference is between this iodine supplement and others, and many have asked what the source of the iodine is that is used in Iosol.
Iosol Iodine is in my opinion the premier iodine supplement on the market today. This is because of the superior water solubility of the iodine. This feature makes free iodide readily available for your body to use.
There are two sources of iodine in the Iosol formulation. One is from kelp. Iodine in kelp is naturally in the form of potassium iodide. However, potassium iodine is not very soluble in water and may be difficult for your body to easily use. For example, if you get liquid potassium iodide on your clothes it causes a permanent stain of red. If you get Iosol Iodine on your clothes the red will evaporate out in a few minutes or readily come out with washing. In fact, potassium iodide has been shown to congest the thyroid gland when taken in high doses and is how Hashimotos thyroiditis was first discovered (Japanese citizens consuming too many sea vegetables). This is why I don't use potassium iodide.
During the production of Iosol, iodine is extracted from kelp and made into pure iodine crystals. This is not potassium iodide, rather it is an unbound form of iodine.
The second form of iodine used is ammonium iodide, a form that readily dissolves in water. These two forms of iodine are combined in a proprietary manner in a base of vegetable glycerin.
Ammonium iodide is a combination of the mineral iodine and ammonium (NH4). This is a synthesized compound, not derived from a food source. It has superior bioavailability as the iodine readily disassociates from the ammonium upon exposure to water, producing a free iodide ion exactly what your body would like to use in metabolism.
Some people think that ammonium (NH4) sounds like some sort of toxin, compared to potassium or sodium iodide. This is far from the case. As different from ammonium, ammonia (NH3) is an irritant gas with a pungent odor. Anhydrous ammonia (meaning no water in the ammonia) is the third most synthesized chemical in the U.S., with one-third of it used by the farming industry as fertilizer and animal feed. The ability to fix nitrogen in some type of compound is vital to the growth of plants and crops. Many household cleaning products use ammonia in the form of NH3 plus water.
On the other hand, ammonium is a primary source of nitrogen for humans. It is involved in many cellular chemistry reactions necessary for health. As dietary protein is metabolized ammonium is produced. The liver converts any extra ammonium to urea, which is easily cleared through the urea cycle. The amount of ammonium in Iosol can act as a nutrient in normal cell metabolism or it can readily be cleared by the liver. The amount of ammonium in a dose of Iosol is trivial compared to the amount of ammonium produced in routine protein metabolism.
The bottom line is that Iosol Iodine is a very safe and effective form of iodine to use as a dietary supplement. In my experience over the past twenty years it has routinely produced outstanding results."
Sarah Cain on using Iosol Iodine, "We would not recommend ingesting Iosol iodine, either. This form is generally seen as better than others because it was extracted from a natural source (kelp), however, the end product is very different from the initial extraction. It is extracted as potassium iodide, which is a safe form. However, it is transformed (bastardized) to iodine in a lab. Feel free to apply the iodine tropically though, and let it sink in through the skin at its own pace. See the above article for more on that.
It has been known that ingesting iodine is poisonous for a long time-Iodine Poisoning If in doubt, call your poison control center, and they will assure you of it.
Further resources on Iodine supplements:
Why take iodide for radiation poisoning? Health risks associated with taking KI; Prenatal Vitamins Should Contain Only Potassium Iodide, Not Other Sources Of Iodine, Scientists Urge (Science Daily, Mar. 1, 2009)
Dr. Hulda Clark PhD ND (Dr Hulda Clark Information Center) has been quoted as saying "the correct iodine is sodium iodine (not potassium iodine) in the form of 5% iodine (known as lugols) which can be taken internally in the correct dosages …" however, Dr Clark has been placed on the Quackwatch list, read more at Stephen Barrett's The Bizarre Claims of Hulda Clark".
Prussian Blue ... is this something we would like to use?
"It is used in medicine to help speed up the body's elimination of certain metals or chemical elements. It works by binding to the metals in the digestive tract to keep the body from absorbing them. Prussian blue is used to treat people who have been contaminated with radioactive cesium or thallium, or non-radioactive thallium. (source: www.revolutionhealth.com)
*Prussian blue is said to cut down the length of time that cesium-137 stays in the human body by two thirds, and the World Health Organization has recommended that all countries keep stocks on hand. It was approved for sale in Japan in October last year.
*The pigment Prussian blue, which is also used in paints, was found to encourage the ejection of cesium-137 when it was used on 46 people exposed to the isotope in an incident in Brazil in 1987. It was found to be particular effective on adults. However, almost no other data on Prussian blue's medical use exists.
* Prussian Blue reduces the biological half-life of cesium in the body from about 115 days to about 40 days, and that of thallium from about 8 days to about 3 days. Because Prussian Blue reduces the time that radioactive cesium and thallium stay in the body, it helps limit the amount of time the body is exposed to radiation. Prussian Blue has been long used since the 1960s as an orally ingested drug to increase fecal excretion of cesium and thallium from the body without itself being absorbed by the intestines in the process. People are therefore commonly prescribed Prussian Blue during an emergency when cesium or thallium has entered their bodies.
*Prussian Blue is probably the first internal therapy that would be useful in reducing the body's exposure to radioactive particles by removing the contaminants in the body. Radioactive cesium and thallium whether ingested or inhaled, end up in the intestines and Prussian Blue works by binding the particles in the gut -- trapping these materials in the intestines -- and keeps them from being absorbed by the body. The radioactive materials then move through the intestines and are excreted in bowel movements so that they are eliminated.
*Prussian Blue must be taken 3-4 times a day for up to 150 days, depending on the extent of the contamination, under the supervision of a doctor. The drug is safe for all adults, children, and infants, including pregnant women and women who are breast-feeding their babies. [Note: There are conflicting claims from different sources as to how safe Prussian Blue is .. see cautions below]
CAUTION: Prussian Blue may not be recommended for people who have had constipation or blockages in the intestines. The main effects of Prussian Blue are constipation and upset stomach. People will have blue faeces during the time that they are taking Prussian Blue.
CAUTION: Prussian Blue is said to be possibly harmful for pregnant women (Source: www.emedicinehealth.com) and may cause an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. (Source: Revolutionhealth.com)
*A German pharmaceutical company put the pigment into capsule form and began selling it in 1997 under the name Radiogardase.
When to use Prussian Blue:
* “The government is warning people to only take radiation medicine as prescribed by doctors, saying that the pigment Prussian blue, meant to be taken after heavy doses of radioactive cesium, is not known to have an effect on low-dose radiation and might even cause side effects such as irregular heartbeat.”
*”The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s disaster response headquarters has commented that its intended use of Prussian blue is for “workers engaged in repair work at the power plant who are subjected to acute radiation dosages.” It added that, “side-effects are considered possible, and we do not recommend that people obtain or use Prussian blue on their own.”
On the website of the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), it is suggested that if a patient’s internal radiation exposure is around 300 millisieverts then there is reason to give Prussian blue, but if the exposure is a tenth of that at 30 millisieverts, then the drug should not be administered.”(Source: “Experts warn that drug’s benefits unproven for low dosages“, Mainichi July 10, 2011)
Note: SI multiples are the millisievert (1 mSv = 0.001 Sv) | microsievert (1 μSv = 0.000001 Sv).
You can check or gauge your approximate level of exposure against this contamination map here. Also for a rough guide on symptoms and effects of acute radiation (dose received within one day):[*]
- 0 – 0.25 Sv (0 – 250 mSv): None
- 0.25 – 1 Sv (250 – 1000 mSv): Some people feel nausea and loss of appetite; bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen damaged.
- 1 – 3 Sv (1000 – 3000 mSv): Mild to severe nausea, loss of appetite, infection; more severe bone marrow, lymph node, spleen damage; recovery probable, not assured. More here..or visualize it here.
Benefits of brown rice extracts and enzymes
Brown rice is rich in at least eight different phenols, which a year 2000 study investigated the potential colon and breast tumor-suppressive properties or rice, due to phenols in brown rice. The study concluded the consumption of brown rice “may be advantageous with respect to cancer prevention.
Locally, the benefits of GABA rice or germinated brown rice( GBR) (also known as Hatsuga genmai in Japan) are widely touted and featured on TV shows (see online tutorial on how to prepare GABA rice).
According to Korean research, “Brown rice extracts with enhanced levels of GABA have an inhibitory action on leukemia cell proliferation and have a stimulatory action on the cancer cell apoptosis” (this among other numerous health benefits see here and here).
Brown rice is rich in at least eight phenols, namely protocatechuic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, methoxycinnamic acid and tricin. The article concludes that the consumption of rice bran or brown rice, instead of milled white rice “may be advantageous with respect to cancer prevention.” One-half cup of brown rice also contains 67 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for thiamine. Low thiamine levels has been linked with an increased risk of prostate cancer.
Inositol hexaphosphate, a naturally occurring molecule found in high-fiber foods such as brown rice, is a compound that has been shown to demonstrate cancer prevention properties. Inositol hexaphosphate holds great promise in strategies for the prevention and treatment of cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is an extremely virulent form of cancer with few effective treatments. An in vitro study has suggested that inositol hexaphosphate may be a therapy for treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Lactic acid bacteria from rice wash
Lactic acid bacteria is also known to produce enzymes and natural antibiotics aiding effective digestion, eliminate toxins and have antibacterial properties, including control of salmonella and e. coli. Research has shown Lactobacillus spp. and other lactic acid bacteria to possess potential therapeutic properties including anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. A study by researchers from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the UCLA in 2009 demonstrated the protective effects of some strains of these bacteria for anti-tumor and anti-cancer effects. Dietary administration alleviated the risks of certain types of cancers and suppressed colonic tumor incidence, volume and multiplicity induced by various carcinogens.
Taking the benefits of brown rice further, I attended a private workshop that taught the production of live lactic acid bacteria or rice enzymes from rice wash with a method that is a variation of this one found online only simpler. Simply store the first wash from your rice before cooking in a used but sterile soda bottle, add a tablespoonful or two of raw brown or canesugar and a slightly less amount of salt, and leave to ferment. Shake daily and release a little of the gas that could make the bottle explode. After 3 or 4 days, add more brown sugar, which will feed and keep the lactobacillus alive and expanding. Keep away from sunlight in a cool place. In higher summer temperatures, the end product will be ready after 3 or 4 days, in cooler temperatures, in up to about 10 days. In the end, you essentially get a sort of yoghurt that can be added to curry rice, stews, dumpling mixtures and all sorts of meat dishes as well. As in yogurt production, when the acidity rises due to lactic acid-fermenting organisms, many other pathogenic microorganisms are killed. The bacteria produce lactic acid, as well as simple alcohols and other hydrocarbons. Add a couple tablespoonfuls of the resulting rice wash lactobaccillus effluent to water in spray bottle with an aromatherapy essential oil (it smells a bit sourish) and you have a household decontamination spray cleanser (used in the same way as bicarbonate soda to wipe surfaces or mop flooring – there is surprisingly no sticky residue at all )…the live lactic bacteria in the will “binds” or “eats” up radioactive substances in the home. (There is no expiry date on the mixture as long as you keep adding fresh rice wash and feeding it brown sugar every few days.)
Alternatively, you can purchase a rice enzyme Kitchen Detergent, made out of the natural enzymes attained through fermentation by EM* of the rice, for the hoursehold cleansing, purification purposes. (*EM, an abbreviation of Effective Microorganisms, is a helpful microorganism aggregate that have been used for foods fermentation etc such as enzyme, lactobacillus, aspergillus etc from long time back. These microorganisms are said to be able to cleanse and purify surfaces of radioactive contaminants when used in the household. A commercially made rice enzyme kitchen detergent is manufactured by Korean company.
One study have shown that the benefits of fermenting brown rice and its particular species of lactic bacteria the L. casei subsp. casei 327 species was determined to be the most effective in preventing the growth of other types of bacteria. Several studies have shown the inhibitory effects of lactic acid bacteria on bacterial pathogens as well as that Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota inhibits Helicobacter pylori growth. Another study shows that rice-fluid have an antibiotic effect on H. pylori and an anti-inflammatory effect on the H. pylori -associated gastritis.
Higher amounts of phytic acid, polyphenols, dietary fiber and oil were found in brown compared to milled rice and the difference in some physicochemical properties of the rice samples such as minimum cooking time and degree of gelatinisation. The study concluded that brown rice is more beneficial for diabetes type 2 and hyperglycemic individuals than milled rice.
Brown rice is rich in at least eight phenols, namely protocatechuic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, methoxycinnamic acid and tricin. The article concludes that the consumption of rice bran or brown rice, instead of milled white rice “may be advantageous with respect to cancer prevention.”
One-half cup of brown rice also contains 67 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for thiamine. Low thiamine levels has been linked with an increased risk of prostate cancer.
Inositol hexaphosphate, a naturally occurring molecule found in high-fiber foods such as brown rice, is a compound that has been shown to demonstrate cancer prevention properties. Inositol hexaphosphate holds great promise in strategies for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Pancreatic cancer is an extremely virulent form of cancer with few effective treatments. An in vitro study has suggested that inositol hexaphosphate may be a therapy for treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Black Tea, Green Tea, Rooibos and Jasmine Tea
Common black tea exhibited the same anti-radiation effects in several Japanese studies.”
In “Fighting Radiation and Chemical Pollutants with Foods, Herbs, and Vitamins” (Vitality, 1991), Steven Schecter tells us that both black and green tea showed “radioprotective effects” whether taken before or after exposure to radiation. Among other modes of operation, tea catechins absorb radioactive isotopes and remove them from the body before they do damage. The action is similar he says, to that of sodium alginate (the “active ingredient” in kelp seaweed).
Rooiboos tea is a tasty tea that doesn’t contain a high content of tannins so it is drinkable for children. Plus it contains high levels of antioxidants ( aspalathin and nothofagin) and also a number of phenolic compounds, including flavanols, flavones, flavanones, and dihydrochalcones. The study “Radioactive effect of antioxidative flavonoids in showed rooibos tea also contain the flavonoid compound luteolin that helps the body withstand radiation in gamma-ra irradiated mice”. (Carcinogenesis, 1994, Nov; 15) In particular it protects DNA from radiation-induced free radicals. When Japanese researchers gave mice pure luteolin, it dramatically protected their bone marrow and spleen against radiation damage, and this flavonoid’s radioprotective properties were better than any other plant compound ever tested.
A 2009 study to evaluate the antioxidant activity of rooibos flavonoids found the most potent radical scavengers to be aspalathin and EGCG, followed by quercetin and nothofagin. Researchers concluded Quercetin and EGCG were the most effective inhibitors of lipid peroxidation. Aspalathin and catechin displayed similar potencies.
“Rooibos the healthy tea” informs us:
“The tea offers protection in various ways. It is a potent anti-oxidant, which means that it ‘mops up’ free radicals. These are highly reactive molecules that are also produced during normal bodily processes. Free radicals can damage the DNA of cells, but anti-oxidants bind to the free radicals and inactivate them before they can cause any damage.
The tea also increases the level of natural anti-oxidants in the liver, which means that the liver’s anti-oxidant status is increased.
Furthermore, the tea stimulates the liver enzymes that metabolise (break down) carcinogens when they enter the body. Carcinogens are cancer-causing substances. In a liver cancer test, rats that drank the rooibos tea (at a similar concentration that humans drink) had fewer and smaller pre-cancerous lesions in the liver than those who drank water.”
According to “The Okinawa Longevity Program (see also Okinawa Diet)”, jasmine tea most closely resembles green tea in its ingredients that act as the most powerful antioxidants in the body and it is better than black tea because it is less oxidized so that more of the original antioxidants remain present. Black tea is black because the original green leaves are oxidized–essentially dried and heated–in a natural fermentation process that diminishes the quantity of flavonoids. And the benefits of tea are dose-dependent, the more tea you drink, the more benefits. An excerpt from the book stated, “The health benefits of jasmine tea may actally surpass those of green or black teas. Its flavonoid content is roughly equivalent to that of green tea, since it is minimally fermented, but it has a higher lignan content, giving it more antioxidant bang for the buck. … One animal study that did focuse exclusively on jasmine tea, conducted by Dr. Hiroko Sho at the University of the Ryukyus found it could lower cholesterol levels. This has been seen in several studies of jasmine tea. Other studies found that fruit flies lived twenty percent longer when jasmine tea was added to their drinking water. Japanese researchers at Nagasaki University School of Medicine reported similar findings with laboratory rats that ingested tannins. More study is needed, but these findings are exciting nonetheless.
Multiple studies have also supported the potential role of tea flavonoids in cancer prevention, including cancers of the skin, lung, breast, prostate, bladder, stomach, and colon.” [End of excerpt]
CAUTION: Drinking extremely hot tea has been associated with cancer of the oropharynx and esophagus, likely due to recurrent heat injury (Source: Goldblatt, “Tea consumption and cancer“).
Foods to avoid
On the topic of dietary nutrients, detox and anticancer diets, a couple of points might be noted. Are there any foods to be avoided?
The quackwatch-blacklisted Dr. Sartori has these pieces of advice in conjunction with cancer therapy and detox diets:
Foods with high contents of sugar, alcohol, citrus fruits, refined carbohydrates, salt, pork in everyform, as well as the mucus-producing foods … may also increase the specific mucus production of cancer cells. The common (kosher) practice of not eating other items with milk is of significant bearing in this respect because (cow’s) milk produces a mucus that coats all the food, and thus prevents all the nutrients from being absorbed.
The cancer cell is known to produce large amounts of mucus which shields the cancer cells from the immune system and from being penetrated by chemotherapeutic agents. It is recommended [by Dr Sartori] in conjunction with cesium cancer therapy,therefore, to avoid all mucus producing foods, e.g. all dairy products, except goat milk derivatives, egg whites (whereas soft yolks are highly beneficial). He also recommends not eating certain crustaceans eg., lobster, shrimp, crayfish, due to their high content of nucleic acids which can be detrimental to the cancer patient.
Alan Aragon, a nutritionist examines all the claims about milk being bad for you here: Does milk really do a body good? (Men’s Health, 1/4/2008). He finds on balance that milk has many benefits because of its 80% whey content and that the dangers are overstated. Another article also examines the various anti-milk claims noting excepting a few circumstances, recent research shows the the virus-fighting properties of lactoferrin and that milk protects against colorectal cancer, see Is Milk Bad for You?. In the case of milk allergies, research in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reported that up to 75% of children with milk allergy can tolerate heated milk (see “Tolerance to extensively heated milk in children with cow’s milk allergy“, J Allergy Clin Immunol 2008; 122:342–347.e2).
What about the claims that milk causes mucus production in the respiratory tracts and that the mucus binds toxins to the body. However, Australian studies (reported in “Milk consumption does not does not lead to mucus production or occurrence of asthma, J Am Coll Nutr December 2005 vol. 24 no. suppl 6547S-5555) ”show that these “effects were not specific to cows’ milk[but are more likely due to physical characteristics of some beverages] because the soy-based milk drink with similar sensory characteristics produced the same changes. In individuals inoculated with the common cold virus, milk intake was not associated with increased nasal secretions, symptoms of cough, nose symptoms or congestion. Nevertheless, individuals who believe in the mucus and milk theory report more respiratory symptoms after drinking milk. According to different investigations the consumption of milk does not seem to exacerbate the symptoms of asthma and a relationship between milk consumption and the occurrence of asthma cannot be established. However, there are a few cases documented in which people with a cow’s milk allergy presented with asthma-like symptoms….According to different investigations the consumption of milk does not seem to exacerbate the symptoms of asthma and a relationship between milk consumption and the occurrence of asthma cannot be established. However, there are a few cases documented in which people with a cow’s milk allergy presented with asthma-like symptoms.” The article concludes: “People with asthma are sometimes advised to abstain from the consumption of dairy products, but research shows that consumption of milk does not significantly change various lung function parameters. In addition, limiting dairy food consumption can lead to low intake of many nutrients, including calcium.” [See related research here]. ]
However, the New York University School of Medicine reports asthmatics have decreased lung function following consumption of whole milk, although drinking skim milk does not cause a decrease in lung capacity.
Sodium
Sea salt is sodium plus other impurities from the sea. Sodium is of greatest importance in osmotic regulation of extra-cellular fluid balance and acid balance, as well as renal, cardiac and adrenal functions. It is needed to maintain the sodium-potassium pump, which transports sodium out of the cell and potassium into the cell. Sodium maintains the proper acid-base equilibrium for the proper osmotic balance. This electrical pump creates a small amount of voltage across the cell membrane and is what nerve conduction depends upon. The value of sodium is based on its relationship to potassium, chloride, pH, etc…(Source: Sodium)
This is what Dr. Leo Galland in “Superimmunity for kids” has to say about Sodium. “Common salt, sodium chloride, is naturally present in many foods. The amount found in unprocessed foods is enough for children living in temperate or cold climates. But large amounts of salt are used in processing foods: American children eat three or more times as much sodium as they need. This not only contributes to the development of high blood pressure, it also increases the amounts of magnesium, a co-factor nutrient, and potassium that are lost in the urine. This constant depletion means that children have to get much more of these two key minerals in their food or in supplements.”
Benefits of Sea Salt?
Sea salt is perceived to be healthier than table salt, while others are using sea salt because of the perceived Dangers of Sodium Chloride or Table Salt. There is a health fad and trend in Japan to buy sea salt (many types of sea salt are locally available), the articles linked below elucidate the benefits of ingesting sea salt: Sea Salt Benefits; 10 Health Benefits of Sea Salt; The Benefits of Celtic Sea Salt :
“Among the live minerals and trace elements found in Celtic sea salt are iodine, iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium and zinc. The 84 trace minerals provide the necessary nutrients and protect the body from the harshness of sodium chloride that we consume from commercial salt. The appropriate magnesium content ensures that unused sodium is quickly and completely eliminated from the body through the kidneys to prevent harm.”
In Is sea salt better for you than regular salt? The Straight Dope’s Cecil Adams says:
“Both rock salt ( i.e., from mines) and sea salt contain, besides sodium chloride, such chemicals as calcium, potassium, and magnesium sulfates. However, when a large body of water evaporates, the chemicals in it precipitate out in stages – calcium compounds get deposited first, then sodium, and finally magnesium and potassium. Because of this, a rock salt deposit is often a more homogenous mass of sodium chloride than what you get by drying out seawater commercially. Since rock salt destined for human consumption is typically processed to remove grit and other impurities, by the time it reaches the shaker table salt is nearly pure sodium chloride.
Sea salt generally is far from pure – the impurities are its big selling point and frequently an identifying mark, such as the tiny bits of clay that give gray sea salt its color, or the iron-rich red volcanic clay added to Hawaiian sea salt. Although fans tout sea salt’s trace elements, the major constituents are the aforesaid calcium, potassium, etc. The importance of minerals in the diet can’t be dismissed; after all, the iodine commonly added to table salt helps prevent thyroid conditions. But there’s little (actually, from what I can tell, no) research demonstrating that consuming sea salt is helpful in ways that consuming the ordinary kind isn’t.
Conceivably a benefit will someday be shown; for example, a few studies claim mineral-rich Dead Sea water – when bathed in, not drunk – is useful in treating psoriasis.
Meanwhile, as with all health fads, be careful that in your quest for self-improvement you don’t make things worse. You’re right in supposing that sea salt can be contaminated – industrial water pollution, in fact, has led some French sea-salt works to shut down. Sea salt also usually contains less iodine than you find in iodized table salt. Goiter has largely disappeared in the developed world; why help bring it back?”
Sodium salts from citrus sources – Sodium citrate
Radiationdetox.com recommends the use of sodium citrates for uranium poisoning cases.
The research so far:
Donnelly, et al.”The stimulating influence of sodium citrate on cellular regeneration and repair in the kidney injured by uranium nitrate“ (R.L. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics75, 11-17, 1942.) experimented on dogs given 5 mg uranyl nitrate alone showed acute signs of toxicity and 12 of 13 dogs died between 9 and 13 days after uranium treatment. But when 230 mg sodium citrate was given (i.v.) each day for 5 days before and 5 days after U treatment, only 1 dog died and survivors showed little, if any signs of intoxication from the same dose of U.
Gustafson, et al. “Effect of sodium citrate on uranium poisoning in dogs“. (Arch Intern Med. 1944;74(6):416-423), this study showed that sodium citrate administered either intravenously or orally gave dramatic protection from uranium poisoning. All 7 dogs given sodium citrate orally and all 3 given sodium citrate intravenously survived a lethal dose of uranyl nitrate (i.v.), whereas 5 of the 10 dogs not receiving sodium citrate died within 10 days from uremia. Renal lesions in citrate treated animals were much less severe and recovery was rapid compared to animals receiving uranyl nitrate only.
However, only animal studies so far have been conducted. Sodium citrates are currently medication used to to treat kidney stones and disease, to prevent gout.
Side effects, according to Medicinenet.com could include:
“Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain may occur. Mixing the medication with water or juice, taking it after meals, and drinking more fluids will help prevent these side effects. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur: swelling of the hands/ankles/feet, tingling/numbness of the hands/feet, weakness… rare but very serious side effects occur: fast/slow/irregular heartbeat, mental/mood changes (e.g., confusion, restlessness), muscle spasms, seizures. A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.”
Caution: High sodium intake is linked to the risks of heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. A 2010 study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Stanford University and Columbia University shows that even a modest decrease in daily salt intake can lead to dramatic health benefits. The authors documented an annual drop of as many as 120,000 cases of heart disease, 66,000 instances of stroke and 99,000 heart attacks caused by high blood pressure after a 3-g-per-day reduction in sodium (reported by Time magazine) (See also “Reducing salt in teen diet could have big impact on future health“; Salt diet dangers may be influenced by potassium; The Dangers of Sodium & 3 Ways to Cut Back).
What about Epsom Bath Salts?
The claimed benefit for for using Epsom Salt is mainly that it contains the mineral magnesium sulfate—when magnesium sulfate is absorbed through the skin, such as in a bath, it draws toxins from the body, sedates the nervous system, reduces swelling, relaxes muscles, is a natural emollient, exfoliator, and much more. Source: 13 Ways to Use Epsom Salts; Epsom Salts Council
Epsom Salt recommends that you use it as a bath salt:
“Although magnesium can be absorbed through the digestive tract, many foods, drugs and medical conditions can interfere with the effectiveness of this deliver method. Therefore, soaking in an Epsom Salt bath is one of the most effective means of making the magnesium your body needs readily available.
Epsom Salt also delivers sulfates, which medical research indicates are needed for the formation of brain tissue, joint proteins and the mucin proteins that line the walls of the digestive tract. Studies show that sulfates also stimulate the pancreas to generate digestive enzymes and help to detoxify the body’s residue of medicines and environmental contaminants. Studies indicate that sulfates are difficult to absorb from food, but are readily absorbed through the skin.”
Now that you’ve heard the claims, do the salts really work? It was actually pretty hard finding much published anywhere on Epsom Salts other than what I’ve just written above, but the one really good and surprisingly interesting read I did uncover was Paul Ingraham’s Reality Check! article “Do Epsom Salts Work? in which he says:
“The detoxification claim implies either that Epsom salts somehow “suck” toxic substances out of your muscle tissues, or that Epsom salts get into your system and then somehow “clean up” some toxic substances that they encounter. There is no scientific evidence at all for either of those basic detoxification scenarios, and both involve some seriously optimistic assumptions, leaps of logic, avoidance of detail … all made by people who are usually trying to sell the stuff. …
My search for scientific evidence concerning Epsom salt baths was disappointing. I was unable to find even a single scientific paper studying their effect on body pain.4 Folk remedies are often generally neglected by researchers, but not usually so completely. There are usually at least a few experiments testing popular remedies kicking around. Why wouldn’t the use of Epsom salts for muscle soreness be similarly blessed?
There is plenty of research relevant to other medical uses of Epsom salts.5For instance, on my package of Epsom salts, instructions are also given for internal usage as a laxative — which does work67 and is actually FDA approved and probably the most common and generally known medical usage. Other uses of magnesium sulphate include the treatment of irregular heart rhythm, low blood magnesium,8 eclampsia,9 and severe tetanus.10
But there appears to be simply nothing at all published about alleviating aches and pains or “detoxification.” Apparently, researchers just aren’t interested, or (more likely) they simply can’t get funding for the work.
Strangely, Epsom salt baths do not even rate a mention in Home Remedies: Hydrotherapy, massage, charcoal, and other simple treatments, a large and credibly referenced compendium of traditional remedies assembled by a pair of doctors. They describe five medicated baths — alkaline (soda) baths, starch baths, oatmeal baths, peroxide baths, and sulfur baths — for conditions ranging from poison ivy rashes to diabetic gangrene (!), but they never mention Epsom salt baths. …
But, judging from the established medical uses of Epsom salt, there is definitely no particular reason so far to believe that having more magnesium or sulphate in your blood is going to be much use to you — unless you have eclampsia or tetanus or autism.22
The closest thing there is to a relevant science experiment is one study of injected magnesium sulphate which found that it “did not reduce muscle pain” and caused “unpleasant side effects.”23Yuck! Not exactly encouraging!”
Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) is called 重曹-Juso in Japanese, was previously popularized as an environmentally-friendly cleaning agent on TV shows, but has now become all the rage on TV shows as a household method for countering radiation partly because it is the least expensive addition to our defense against radioactive contamination. See this page on how it is commonly used in the home and this page on the medical uses of a bicarbonate of soda paste or solution as well as on the claims about the benefits of a bicarbonate bath:
“This bath counteracts the effects of radiation, whether from X-rays, cancer treatment radiation, fallout from the atmosphere, or television radiation: 1 cup of baking soda and 1 to 2 cups of ordinary coarse salt (or epsom salts or sea salt) to a tub of water. You can soak for 20 minutes.” (Source: Our Little Place).
Quackwatch says:
“Baking soda cancer treatment is the colloquial term for sodium bicarbonate cancer treatment, arguably one of the most asinine and pseudoscientific loads of pure bunk ever to make its way to cancer patients. Like most quack therapies, baking soda cancer treatment is built upon a fallacy with no scientific basis. Contrary to most quack therapies, baking soda cancer treatment does have the capacity to cause side effects, including but not limited to: fatigue, thirst, fevers, hypertension, and hypotension.
Overwhelmingly, this quackery is the brainchild of one man, Dr. T. Simoncini, an alleged oncologist from Italy. He authored a book entitled “Cancer is a Fungus”… which Quackwatch says has been systematically dismantled by Respectful Insolence’s A fungus among us in oncology?“
So is there scientific basis for the application of sodium bicarbonate?
According to Radiation Detox, kidneys are usually the first organs to show chemical damage upon uranium exposure. Military manuals suggest doses or infusions of sodium bicarbonate to help alkalinize the urine if this happens. This makes the uranyl ion less kidney-toxic and promotes excretion of the nontoxic uranium carbonate complex. It is also suggested to switch to drinking slightly alkaline water and to favor a non-acidic diet to assist in this detoxification and to undertake various measures, take supplements and heavy metal detoxifiers, such as miso soup, chlorella, spirulina and seaweeds.
IMVA’s Dr Mark Sircus seems to think so as he recommends reducing radiation-damage with sodium bicarbonate. Supporting the bicarbonate soda bath practice, he writes, “What does bicarbonate really do? Well, instead of a muscleman with a mallet, an even better image would be a strong janitor mopping up the messes and carrying the poisons away. This strong janitor protects tissues and leaves an alkaline film or trail behind to make sure everything stays safe. In medicine, sodium bicarbonate is the cleaning and security man proven loyal through decades of faithful service and he can be brought in to provide some sort of protection in cases where people are suffering from radiation toxicity.”
Dr Sircus further avers:
“There is no better therapy for radiation sickness then intense sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and magnesium baths with the appropriate clay added in. Even sodium thiosulfate can be added to these baths and that instantly neutralizes any chlorine in the bath water while simultaneously providing sulfur for the vital sulfur pathways.
Normally I recommend someone start with using one pound of bicarbonate in a bath but that could easily be two or three pounds in an emergency situation. It is not a joke that one can get 50 pounds of the most powerful medicines on earth for 35 bucks. You will also need a lot of magnesium salts and the very best and most penetrating of them is the magnesium chloride in the form of magnesium bath flakes. (Read more about his “Magnesium and Cancer” research”). Dead Sea salt is also quite fine for this application”.
The IMVA website has much more on the benefits of sodium bicarbonate:
“The oral administration of sodium bicarbonate diminishes the severity of the changes produced by uranium in the kidneys. The kidneys are usually the first organs to show chemical damage upon uranium exposure. Old military manuals suggest doses or infusions of sodium bicarbonate to help alkalinize the urine if this happens. This makes the uranyl ion less kidney-toxic and promotes excretion of the nontoxic uranium-carbonate complex. The oral administration of sodium bicarbonate diminishes the severity of the changes produced by uranium in the kidneys.“
So useful and strong is sodium bicarbonate that at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, researcher Don York has used baking soda to clean soil contaminated with uranium. Sodium bicarbonate binds with uranium, separating it from the dirt; so far, York has removed as much as 92 percent of the uranium from contaminated soil samples. I started writing about baking soda after discovering that the United States Army recommends the use of bicarbonate to protect the kidneys from radiation damage.
Blaise W. LeBlanc, a former research chemist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture identified the byproduct hydroxymethylfurfural, (HMF) as a potential culprit in colony collapse disorder of bees. LeBlanc has a solution to minimize HMF toxicity: By adding bases (such as sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, lime, potash or caustic soda) to HFCS, the pH rises and HMF levels drop.
Sodium bicarbonate can safely remove paint, grease, oil and smoke residue, decreasing workers’ exposure to harsh chemicals and eliminating much of the hazardous waste associated with other cleaners. “Sodium bicarbonate is able to clean in areas where other substances pose fire hazards, because baking soda is a natural fire extinguisher,” says Kenneth Colbert, a general manager for Arm & Hammer. This is the reason it’s used by oncology centers to control chemo agent spills and its actually used intravenously to protect patients from the hazardous toxicity of chemotherapy.” (Extracted from IMVA‘s Reducing radiation damage with sodium bicarbonate) …
Finally, regarding internal radiation by breathing in radioactive contaminants, including plutonium, Dr Mark Sircus’ answer is Glutathione and Bicarbonate Nebulization treatment. Exposure to radiation causes a cascade of free radicals that wreak havoc on the body. Radiation decimates the body’s supply of glutathione. “Nebulization is one of the best ways to quickly increase glutathione levels as is the use of glutathione suppositories. The main cancer risk from inhaled uranium oxide and other airborne radioactive particles would be from tiny insoluble particles lodged deep in the lungs. That’s a good reason to nebulize both glutathione and bicarbonate directly into the lungs and one must wonder why governments and health officials have not sponsored this treatment.
Dr. Sarah Mayhill, speaking about uranium oxide says, “It can be inhaled by soldiers and civilians, it sticks to the lining of the lungs, it is taken up by cells of the immune systems and gets into lymph glands, bone, brain, hormone producing glands, ovaries and testes. It stays in these organs for many decades and is only very slowly excreted in urine.” Nebulization transdermally treats the lung tissues allowing for best effect on contaminated lung tissues.”
Of the benefits of using nebulizers, he says, the ” application of sodium bicarbonate of soda through the the nebulizer delivery system to deliver treatments not just to the lungs but to the whole body to treat chemical poisoning (inter alia, lung cancer, pneumonia, tuberculosis, as well as the influenza). Dr Sircus says “For pediatricians and parents nebulizers are a God send because our babies cannot pop pills and we don’t really want to be sticking needles in them every day. Transdermal medicine offers the most to the world of pediatrics with the administration of medicines through their baths and their breathing.
The great strength of nebulizers though is their capability of delivering medications and moisture directly to the tracheobronchial tree. Contrary to other treatment options, higher concentrations in respiratory secretions can be achieved with aerosol therapy. With the use of this localized delivery system effective antimicrobials can have a direct effect on surface organisms in the bronchial system.”
Dr Sircus also cites Dr. Chris Shade’s writing:
“Uranium is one of the only metals that get significant bonding from carbonate. Just flushing a lot of bicarbonate through the system, along with whatever kidney support you are going to use, will be very helpful..”
Boron
“Boron is the only mineral capable of accepting and ionizing radiation that never changes the innards or the nucleus of the cell. Spoken simply, boron can take radiation and release it without upsetting its own very delicate balance.
Boron is used extensively in the nuclear industry. Sodium borate is regularly used for standby liquid control systems, in case of emergencies. It was used in Cheronbyl in 1986 mixed with sand to prevent further radiation leakage. It was also used in 1999 in Tokaimura, Japan, to absorb the massive amounts of radiation after an accident at a plant. Currently it is being dumped on fuel rods and in surrounding waters of the Fukushima plant. Boron is widely recognized as extremely safe and can be used to capture radioactivity on our soils, gardens, orchards, etc. It also can be safely ingested by humans and animals. Boron will accept radiation and ionize it within our bodies, after which our bodies will safely excrement the boron and radioactivity.
We have begun feeding our cows and goats sodium borate at milking times, as well as adding it to free choice kelp and water troughs. In the past years we have monitored boron and other minerals in the soil and have added as necessary to bring levels up to recognized healthy levels. As a safety measure we are planning to implement a boron dosage to all of our pastures, as well as neighboring pastures. For humans, boron can safely ingested at a dosage of 4-10 mg per day. Borax, 11% boron, can be used as a tea and sprayed on your gardens, or land surrounding your home, at a rate of 10# of Borax per acre, 1#, if using elemental boron.”
Several clinical trials were carried on the efficacy of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy for zapping cancerous tumors with mixed results. BCNT us an experimental form of radiotherapy that uses a neutron beam that interacts with boron injected into a patient. The therapy method relies on initial targeting of tumor cells by an appropriate chemical compound tagged with Boron which preferentially concentrates in tumor cells. The MIT trials failed to show the efficacy of BNCT but more encouraging clinical studies done in Japan by Hatanaka for the treatment of malignant gliomas and those of Mishima for melanoma. The 1992 study led by Japanese researcher Hiroshi Hatanaka suggested that BNCT is a radiotherapy that can produce “cure” of both malignant and benign brain tumors while preserving a good quality of life if conducted without conventional radiotherapy. BNCT has been used in Japan for head and neck cancers since 2009 and Taiwan started treating head and neck cancers in 2010.
Boron is a trace element known to be non-carcinogenic, non-mutagenic. It has been used internally to protect the astronauts in space as they leave the earth’s protective magnetic field. Red wine and coffee are significant sources of boron. Non-citrus fruits, red grapes or currants, plums, pears, apples, avocados, kiwi, sultanas, dates, vegetables, soybeans, legumes and nuts are rich sources of Boron. Peanut butter, red kidney beans, tomato, lentils, olive, onion, and potato are also notable sources of boron. Boron is currently being used medicinally (vaginal yeast treatment) or as health supplements for building strong bones, treating osteoarthritis, as an aid for building muscles and increasing testosterone levels, and for improving memory, thinking skills and muscle coordination. Boric acid is also applied to the skin as an astringent or to prevent infection; or used an eye wash. (Source: Medline Plus)
Brimhall and Cooter produced a paper for health professionals suggesting that their paper was the first report of boron’s beneficial role (in combination with other nutrients) for neutralizing the effects of several heavy metals’ toxicities.
NuShield is the manufacturer that produces “a breakthrough liquid supplement that works at the cellular level by trapping heavy metals and toxins and safely removing them from the body.” NuShield claims the product is very effective in removing radiation, NuShield contains Boron as its main ingredient, but it also contains Iodine, Fulvic Minerals and 70 trace minerals. The Nutronix.com website sponsors the paper by Dr Howard W. Fisher which states the following information about the effects of boron:
“Boron is combined with steel in nuclear utility plants to trap radiation. Boron is also used for trapping neutrons in radiation therapy and it may play a protective role against uranium, radium, and radon’s damaging effects. Boron is the only one mineral that is able to accept ionizing radiation without changing the cell structure or the nucleus. The protons and the neutrons do not change under any conditions in the boron molecule, allowing this element to absorb radiation and release it without upsetting this very delicate balance. Boron may also play a positive role in helping trap radiation poisoning from uranium, radium, and radon when adequate dietary levels are maintained. …
When Boron is present in adequate concentrations in your body, your DNA is enabled with a buffering system to ward off radiation and the repair of chromosomal breaks can be facilitated physiologically. …
In 1999, there was an accident at a nuclear power facility in Tokaimura, Japan, when an improper mix caused a nuclear fission chain reaction explosion to occur. The company used mass amounts of boron to the plant to absorb the radiation. Long-term exposure to space radiation can lead to DNA damage and cancer. One of the shielding materials under study for use with astronauts is boron…
Boron neutron capture agents are used for cancer therapy and in the development of strong enzyme inhibitors. In a UCLA Public School of Health study, boron has been shown to inhibit the incidence of prostate cancer by 64% … Clinical diagnostic procedures … suggested that boron in combination with other helpful nutrients, played an important role in neutralizing the effects of several heavy metal toxicities. .. Elsair et al found that …boron may play a regulatory role in activating minerals that have primary effects on protecting the body against heavy metal toxicity.
By enhancing the levels of beneficial minerals known to affect heavy metal poisoning such as calcium, boron may play a regulatory role in helping the body block uptake of heavy metals and help expel them. It is known that deficiencies in calcium, potassium, iodine, and other minerals result in an increased uptake of toxic radioactive elements, but with increased levels of these nutrients, the body is able to excrete these toxins.”
Clay
The uses of clay for cleansing are pretty well known among the Japanese because of the local onsen hotspa culture. You can easily find available mud packs or bath packs of clay infusions commonly sold in health or beauty stores and department stores. Or you can order them from LL’s Magnetic Clay Company the Ancient Minerals bath flakes which are said to come from ancient deep underground deposits and to be the purest you can find.
The medicinal and cleansing properties and detoxifying effects of clay (even to be used internally), and the numerous clinical studies appear to be fairly well documented. Oyanedel-Craver and Smith had studied 3 kinds of bentonite clay and concluded that the organoclays studied have considerable capacity for heavy metal sorption. 1957 experiments demonstrated that vermiculite and bentonite fed to rats greatly increased fecal excretion of cesium-134 and that these materials attracted absorption of cesium-134, more so than alfafa, beet, charcoal or amberlite.
According to the CRIRAD “Spinach, salads, cabbage and other vegetables with large surface areas are among those food products that are particularly sensitive to iodine-131 contamination, if they are cultivated outside and exposed to rainwater. Washing vegetables does not help, as iodine-131 is quickly metabolized by the plants.”
To remove radiation from your produce as well as pesticides and other toxins, Perry A~ Arledge, author of Living Clay, Nature’s Own Miracle Cure, recommends washing your produce in a solution of Calcium Bentonite Clay and water. Because Calcium Bentonite Clay has a strong, negative ionic charge, it will act like a magnet when activated with water, adsorbing* and absorbing radiation, pesticides and toxins. The clay grabs these substances which get removed when the clay is washed off.
Arledge says to start with liquid clay which is Calcium Bentonite Clay mixed with water at a ratio of 1 part clay to 8 parts water. In a large non-metallic bowl, mix 1/4 cup of liquid clay with 1 quart of water. Toss your fruits or vegetables in this clay water making sure they’re completely covered and let them sit for about 10 minutes. Rinse and dry them, and store them as you normally would.
Calcium Bentonite Clay can also be added to your milk and drinking water if you’re concerned about the possibility of contamination there as well. Add approximately 1 ounce of liquid Calcium Bentonite Clay to a gallon of organic raw milk or water. Some people prefer to let the clay settle to the bottom of the liquid and discard that portion, while others prefer to shake it up and drink them together. Either is fine. Once a contaminant is ‘caught’ by the clay it will not be released, and the clay cannot be digested by your body. All contaminants adsorbed by the clay will be removed upon elimination. And it’s always a good practice to take one to two ounces of liquid Calcium Bentonite Clay twice a day, to keep your body. (Source: Remove radiation from your produce with calcium bentonite clay/)
How to Wash Your Vegetables:
Mix 1 part Calcium Bentonite Clay to 8 parts of water. In a large bowl (non-metallic), mix ¼ cup of liquid clay with 1 quart of water. Toss your produce in this clay water, ensuring complete coverage, and let sit for about 10 minutes. (for a large batch of produce, use more clay/water). Rinse, dry and store. (Source: Vites ”Remove radiation & pesticides with clay“)
Zeolite
Zeolites have the ability to capture cesium 134, 137 and strontium 90 isotopes and are ideally suited for the treatment of liquid radioactive waste effluents. Both natural and synthetic zeolites have been utilized for over a decade in other radioactive waste management programs at Hanford, Washington; Savannah River, South Carolina and others. Applications of zeolite include the removal of cesium from high-level waste water, and fixation of radioactive waste for long term storage. Natural zeolites are favored because of their low cost relative (Source: Steelhead)
During the Chernobyl disaster, over 500,000 tonnes of zeolite was dropped into the reactor to absorb radioactive material. Cattle were fed zeolite to help keep radioactive ions out of milk. Zeolite cookies were baked to help reduce radioactive absorption in children. It was found that soil contaminated with Cesium and Strontium that was treated with zeolite, the plants growing in that soil resulted in no uptake of cesium or strontium. These facts were presented in a paper at the 1998 National Academy of Sciences titled “La Roca Magica: Uses of Natural Zeolite in Agriculture and Industry“. The Clinoptilolite Zeolite in NCD zeolite has undergone a proprietary process, micronized to get into the blood stream, and activated so that its cages are “cleaned” for maximum absorption of heavy metals and toxins.
Zeolite’s use by as a filtering material for contaminated radioactive water was much spotlighted in the news after the Fukushima nuclear reactor was found to be leaking the contaminated water into the sea. (See TEPCO document for details)
Shower heads for the home are available with Zeolite filters (See Zeolite Shower Filter or Omica Shower Head Filter). The University of Texas has a patent on a Zeolite water filter application that can be used for the production of potable water from wells, bodies of water such as ponds, and/or point of use filters and water bottle filters, Surfactant Modified Zeolite (SMZ) filter is a filter that is designed to remove biological pathogens from water. Removed pathogens include bacteria, viruses, and parasitic protozoa. The material can be included in a filtration device, which can be used as a potable water filter, a point of use water filter, a water bottle filter, or a filter packet that can be placed into a body of water such as a well or a pond. The SMZ filter is especially suited and was intensively tested as a filter pack of wells. The SMZ was tested in the laboratory and in field experiments and was shown to be extremely efficient in removing bacteria and viruses from water. For example, in field experiments 100 % of E. coli and more than 99.9 % of the bacteriophages tested were removed from sewage water. After 6 months the removal efficiency for E. coli was still 100%. (Source: University of Texas)
There are some controversial claims online on which of the two forms of zeolite are more effective in detoxifying the body’s organs:
On one hand, it has been claimed that the difference between zeolite powder and liquid zeolite is that the powder form can’t get through the bowel walls and into the blood stream when consumed – and that it’s important for zeolite to get into the blood stream because that allows it to reach the kidneys and liver, where most heavy metals and toxins are stored in the body.
The other important difference between powder and “liquid” zeolite claimed is the cleansing process used to create the product. Liquid zeolite-makers claim the mined powder zeolite hasn’t been emptied or cleaned of the toxins already present and that it is important to clear out all toxins and impurities already existing in the powder. Liquid zeolite is a misnomer because it has not been liquefied, but it has been cleansed, crushed and suspended in water. Liquid zeolite, unlike powder zeolite, has been processed and treated with a mild acid bath that processes the zeolite, cleansing it of metals and toxins. Liquid zeolite is thus purified and suspended in liquid before consumption. It is thus argued that cleansing and suspending liquid zeolite that has been cleansed and suspended in a liquid allows it not only to penetrate the bowel walls and reach the blood stream, but to be more effective at bonding with metals in your body and carrying them out. Find out more by going to the zeolite page for more information.
The counterclaim by Zeohealth by the manufacturer of powder zeolite is that the above claims are plain wrong and mere marketing puff. Zeohealth says that all of the studies done on the beneficial effects of zeolite were done using powder zeolite, hence disproving the notion that powder form cannot penetrate and reach organ cells. More importantly, powder zeolite makers claim that the benefits of liquid zeolite are not proven and that the processing method itself renders liquid zeolite useless because hydrochloric acid and high heat destroy the beneficial structure and leave behind a pool of elements that originally made up the structure. The health benefits of zeolite stem from the mineral’s naturally occurring negative charge and its cage-like structure that allow zeolite to attract positively charged metals and toxins like a magnet trapping them in its cage-like structure which can then be drawn out of the body. Thus, Zeohealth says, “any manipulation of this solid (such as making it liquid) destroys the beneficial cage-like structure and negative charge, rendering what’s left (a pool of elements) useless and possibly even dangerous.“
Zeohealth also says that there are between 50-60 different types of available zeolite in the world, two of which are toxic to humans, and that Zeohealth is the first Zeolite manufacturer in the US, and that it produces zeolite from mines designed specifically for human consumption and that adhere only to strict quality controls.
The counter-reply to this, is that a recent 2009 clinical study has shown that the use of a naturally occurring zeolite, clinoptilolite, to remove these toxic substances in chelation therapy may offer an efficacious and safe alternative to the traditional approaches and treatment of chronic illness resulting from the long-term buildup of heavy metals in the body, such as chelation therapy (which present numerous clinical challenges, including undesirable side effects and unpredictable efficacy). The study evaluated the ability of activated zeolite clinoptilolite suspended in water (ACS) to remove heavy metals from the body through urinary excretion without the undesirable removal of physiologically important electrolytes. Changes in urinary concentration of the heavy metals were measured at specified time points in the study and serum samples were obtained from five individuals in each group and serum electrolytes were measured prior to and after taking the product. The study concluded that the daily use of an activated clinoptilolite suspension represents a potentially safe and effective way to remove toxic heavy metals from the body through increased urinary excretion without removing clinically detrimental amounts of vital electrolytes.
Zeolite powder is also useful in cases of diarrhea. It is said to be effective at clearing out nitrates from the intestines for individuals that consume large amounts of processed meat. In the light of the recent news on contaminated irradiated meat from Fukushima that has reached the market, zeolite may be present a cleansing or detoxifying option. Zeolite supplements can be ordered in Japan online at LiquidZeolite.jp and also at here.
DMSO sulfur compound
Sulfur has a long history of use as an antidote for acute exposure to radioactive material. Sulfur compounds are found in all body cells and are indispensable for life, they are needed for a number of chemical reactions involved in the detoxification of drugs and other harmful toxins.
DMSO dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), is an organic sulfur compound (in 1866, Russian scientist Alexander Saytzeff isolated the chemical compound that was crystalline, odor-less, non-toxic and had a garlic-like taste when consumed ), which was used only as an industrial solvent, that is, until its medical properties were discovered in 1963 by a research team headed by Stanley W. Jacob, MD.
A Japanese study showed that even low concentrations of DMSO had radio-protective effects through the facilitation of DNA double-strand break repair, providing protection against radiation damage at all cellular levels in the whole body.
DMSO is an effective pain killer, blocking nerve conduction fibers that produce pain. It reduces inflammation and swelling by reducing inflammatory chemicals. It improves blood supply to an area of injury by dilating blood vessels and increasing delivery of oxygen and by reducing blood platelet stickiness. It stimulates healing, which is a key to its usefulness in any condition.
It reduces inflammation and swelling by reducing inflammatory chemicals. It improves blood supply to an area of injury by dilating blood vessels and increasing delivery of oxygen and by reducing blood platelet stickiness. It stimulates healing, which is a key to its usefulness in any condition. It is among the most potent free radical scavengers known to man, if not the most potent one. This is a crucial mechanism since some molecules in our bodies produce an unequal number of electrons and the instability of the number causes them to destroy other cells. DMSO hooks on to those molecules and they are then expelled from the body with the DMSO.
It boosts the immune system, increasing the production of white cells and macrophages that destroy foreign material and pathogens in the body. It also has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. DMSO also increases the permeability of cell membranes, allowing a flushing of toxins from the cell.
DMSO has radioprotective properties against lethal and mutagenic effects of X-rays in cells, cellular systems and whole animals. It also has cryoprotective properties, meaning that it is capable of protecting against injury due to freezing.
DMSO has also been shown to have cholinesterase properties (Sams, 1967), in other words, it inhibits an enzyme from breaking down acetylcholine, increasing both the level and duration of action of this important neurotransmitter. Acetylcholine is responsible for learning and memory and is also calming and relaxing. Acetylcholine is also a major factor in regulating the immune system, acting as a major brake on inflammation in the body.
As a source of sulfur, DMSO aids in heavy metal detoxification. Sulfur binds with toxic heavy metals (mercury, lead, aluminum, cadmium, arsenic, nickel) and eliminates them via urination, defecation and sweating.
That DMSO is not a popular remedy for other medical conditions is partly due to the inability to test it in double-blind experiments. Blind studies, as the name suggests, requires that a study be done without knowing which patient is taking the placebo or the drug. In the case of the DMSO, a blind study is impossible since the peculiar garlic-like taste and smell (no matter the route of application) gives it away and no satisfactory placebo could be devised that would mimic this particular effect of DMSO (Steinberg, 1967). (Source: DMSO the antidote for radiation-poisoning)
Time magazine however in its 1980 28th April issue (somewhat dated) questioned its efficacy and noted the lack of clinical trial proof. See the article Medicine: DMSO Dustup: Wonder or quack drug? Quackwatch.org objects to its use on the grounds of possible adverse side effects and that safety of prolonged use of DMSO in humans has not been established. The National Council Against Health Fraud advises in its article at its webpage entitled “DMSO“, that other than for treatment of a rare bladder disorder, interstitial cystitis, ”extreme caution when it comes to using DMSO for any medical condition. First, be certain that the product you are using is medical grade, not industrial grade. Second, beware of excessive claims from the substance. Lastly, avoid overly enthusiastic lay people and fringe medical professionals who create high expectations from using DMSO. Be aware that DMSO has potentially adverse side effects and offers little in the way of medical value”.
***
Next, we will deal with water filtration methods and systems. This online article “How to filter radiation from water” explains the various types of filtration methods that work – namely, RO (reverse osmosis); natural filtration methods using clay or charcoal; water purification tablets. The best systems that produces the most radiation-free water would be the RO system, ion exchange and clay filter system (which can be homemade) but the last-mentioned, somewhat messy and impractical for urban apartment living. A system that combines two methods or more would be even safer. The following table shows what methods work on the different radioactive substances (source: FujiWater):
BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES (BATS) FOR RADIONUCLIDES IN DRINKING WATER
| Contaminant |
BAT(Best Available Technologies) |
| Combined radium-226 and radium-228 |
Ion Exchange, Lime Softening, Reverse Osmosis. |
| Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium) |
Reverse Osmosis. |
| Beta particle and photon radioactivity |
Ion Exchange and Reverse Osmosis. |
| Uranium |
Ion Exchange, Lime Softening; Reverse Osmosis, Enhanced Coagulation/Filtration. |
Reverse Osmosis Treatment for Water
Reverse osmosis is highly effective in removing several impurities from water such as total dissolved solids, turbidity, asbestos, lead and other toxic heavy metals, radium, and many dissolved organic. The process will also remove chlorine, and also can remove nuclear radiation such as radioactive plutonium or strontium in the drinking water. Therefore, reverse osmosis combined with activated carbon seems to be the most advanced water purification method developed so far. (Source: Free Drinking Water). Charcoal filtration works too but the rate for removing cesium is somewhat uncertain and there is the difficulty of having to ascertain when the charcoal filter is saturated and needs changing. Read on to review the different methods.
From the Q & A comment section of the MIT NSE blog:
“Reverse osmosis is pretty effective at removing most molecular contaminants. RO-filtered water is so pure that it has to have minerals added back to it to improve its taste and reduce damage to pipes (the water is so pure the pipe material starts leeching into it). The figures I found online say it should be 80%-84% effective at removing Cesium, and 90+% effective at removing other contaminants. [EPA.gov data refers.]
Aside from water sold as “spring water” or “mineral water”, pretty much all bottled water is RO-filtered, as are waters used to make soft drinks and beers. The two most popular brands, Dasani (Coca Cola) and Aquafina (PepsiCo), are RO-filtered tap water that they otherwise use to make their soft drinks. Water that comes from desalination plants is also typically RO-filtered, although another paper I found said an RO filter’s effectiveness at removing Cesium degrades in the presence of salt. So bottled water or a home reverse osmosis filter is probably your best bet.”
Freedrinkingwater.com‘s portable RO system will fit under your kitchen sink and they will deliver their RO systems to Japan at discounted prices.
In Japan, you can try the local PUREAU’s RO water system, also portable and will fit in small spaces, and which it claims will remove iodine (96-99%) and cesium (95-99%) or Zeco‘s APURE’s RO water systems. Or try FUJI WATER that has a complete line of Water Treatment Equipment (offering Reverse Osmosis, Desalination, Filtration, and accessorie) with their combined RO with ion exchange (including lime softening and coagulation filters) - the company has the added advantage of a fully English website.
Last but not least, here’s how you also purify your own drinking water by making homemade clay filters. See tutorials on how to make them here and Pottersforpeace.org
Sunflowers, Japanese mugwort (yomogi) and tenderstem brassica (nanohana)
The process of extracting contaminants from the soil via plants is called phytoremediation. Sunflowers were used in 1994 to cleanup radioactive cesium and strontium in a pond at the Chernobyl nuclear accident site and in 1996 to remove uranium from contaminated springs near the Oak Ridge (TN) National Laboratory. A kind of J. weed called yomogi [ よもぎ] Japanese mugwort (Artemisia princeps, Artemisia indica var. maximowiczii) is thought to be even more effective than sunflowers, and which was imported by Russia post-Chernobyl. (A. princeps is known to have anti-cancer effects and to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells in vitro) Nanohana or tenderstem broccoli is the third option commonly used.
Plants have evolved ways to live with the toxins and can eventually extract them from the soil. The downside is that the concentrated pollutants, such as radioactivity or lead, can then pass along the food chain if not disposed of properly. According to a
Yomiuri news report, after the sunflowers are harvested in Fukushima, they will be decomposed with bacteria.
Finally, in 2007, there was news of the Russian discovery of a new radiation-absorbing mineral (follows immediately below), it makes one wonder why hasn’t it been offered to Japan for use during the current Fukushima crisis?
Scientists Discover Radiation Absorbing Mineral (Russiatoday.ru Sep 7, 2007) Russian scientists in the Khibinsky Mountains in the Arctic Circle have made an important scientific discovery. They’ve found a new mineral which absorbs radiation. It does not yet have an official name and is known only as number 27-4. It can absorb radioactivity from liquid nuclear waste. “It can extract radioactive substances from any water-based solution and so has a very important practical significance,” said Yakov Pakhomovsky, the head of the Kolsky Research Institute. After coming into contact with the mineral, radioactive water becomes completely safe. Had this mineral been available to physicists after the Chernobyl or Three Mile Island disasters, the consequences might have been very different, as both accidents resulted in contamination from radioactive water.
CONCLUSION
We have come to the end of this investigative piece on some of the suggested ideas for treatments or protection for radiation damage and contamination. But this should really only be the beginning … since more information and scientific research continue to come onstream.
What this survey showed is that there is a huge array of natural foods abundant with antioxidant, phytonutrient and/or phenolic properties, with the potential uses for boosting our immune systems, cleansing or chelating toxins from our systems and reversing some of free radical cell damage that occurs within the human bodies. This presents not only hope but practical solutions in a situation where exposure to radioactive contamination has occurred.
At the same time, for many of these substances under scrutiny today, research may still either be at an incipient stage, or there are complex unknowns about their applications, the exact effects, side effects for humans, interactions with other substances, factors, etc.
So while facing our fears about radioactive contamination and choosing or chasing down one of the many possible solutions, we ought to heed Cecil Adams (of The Straight Dope)’s advice: “as with all health fads, be careful that in your quest for self-improvement you don’t make things worse.”
Keep safe and thanks for reading to the end,
Aileen Kawagoe
***
DISCLAIMER: This is a layman’s investigative piece and should in no way be taken as medical advice of any sort – please consult your physicians for advice. Radiation sickness and potential cancer illness are serious issues and if anything, this piece was written to show the complications and side effects that might result from the administration of any kind of substance, even homemade concoctions of the least medicinal sort.
References:
About the chlorophyll rich-diet, barley grass and other super greens:
Hagiwara, Y., Sayuki, S., Miyauchi, T., Otake,H., Abe, S., Kuramoto, M., and Takada, K. Study on green barley extract. Presented at the 99th National Meeting of the Japanese Society of Pharmaceutical Science, Sapporo (1979)
Osawa, T., Katsuzaki, H., Hagiwara, Y., and Shibamoto, T. A novel antioxidant isolated from young green barley leaves. 1992, J. of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Vol. 40 (7): 1135-1138
“Barley Leaves Extracts for Everlasting Health” (booklet) by Dr. Hagiwara , Dr. A. J. Chichoke | S. Nakajima, Y. Hagiwara, H. Hagiwara, and T. Shibamoto. Effect of the antioxidant 2″-O-Glycosylisovitexin from young green barley leaves on acetaldehyde formation in beer stored at 50 degrees C for 90 days, 1998, Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry Vol. 46 (4), 1529-1531 | Hagiwara, Y. “Study on green juice powder of young barley (Hordeum vulgare L) leaves II: Effect on several food additives, agricultural chemicals, and a carcinogen”. Presented at the 98th National Meeting of the Japanese Society of Pharmaceutical Science (1978) (Cit ref)
Yu YM, Chang WC, Chang CT, Hsieh CL, and Tsai CE. “Effects of barley leaf extract and antioxidative vitamins on LDL oxidation and free radical scavenging activities in type 2 diabetes.” Diabetes Metab Vol. 28 (2): 107-114 (2002)
Liu WC, Tsai CE. “Young Barley Leaf Prevents LDL Oxidation in Humans“. Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry [published by The Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology] Vol. 4 (3): 110-116 (2002).
Yu YM, Chang WC, Liu CS and Tsai CM. “Effects of young barley leaf extract and adlay on plasma lipids and LDL oxidation in hyperlipidemic smokers.“ Biol. Pharm. Bull. Vol. 27 (6): 802-805 (2004)
Goldstein, Allan L., Ph.D. “From Nature’s Laboratory: A Natural Food Supplement To improve One’s Health.” Unpublished manuscript, 1997.
Benedet J, Umeda H, Sibamoto T (2007)” Antioxidant activity of flavonoids isolated from young green barley leaves toward biological lipid samples. J. Agric. Food Chem.”; 55(14): 5499-5504.
Ju Hui-Choe et al., Antioxidant activities of lotus leaves (Nelumbo nucifera) and barley leaves (Hordeum vulgare) extracts Food and Science Biotechnology, Volume 19 / 2010 – Volume 20 / 2011 Number 3, 831-836, DOI: 10.1007/s10068-010-0117-8
Cremer L, Herold A, Avram D, et al (1998) “A purified green barley extract with modulatory properties upon TNF alpha and ROS released by human specialised cells isolated from RA patients“. Roum Arch Microbiol. Immunol.; 53(3-4): 231-242.
Ohtake H, Yuasa H, Komura C, et al (1985) [Studies on the constituents of green juice from young barley leaves. Antiulcer activity of fractions from barley juice]. Yakugaku Zasshi; 105(11): 1046-1051 [article in Japanese].
Ohtake H, Nonaka S, Sawada Y, et al (1985) [Studies of the constituents of green juice from young barley leaves. Effect on dietarily induced hypercholesterolemia in rats]. Yakugaku Zashi; 105(11): 1052-1057 [Article in Japanese].
Paulíčková I, Ehren bergerová, Fie dlerová V, et al (2006) Evaluation of Barley Grass as a potential source of some nutritional substances. Czech J. Food Sci.; 25(2): 65–72.
“Barley grass nutrition” | ) Super Barley Green | Healing cancer naturally
Kim SH, “Cytotoxic effect of Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) hull against cancer cells“ J Med Food. 2007 Jun;10(2):232-8
Castro, David J. “Identifying efficacious approaches to chemoprevention with chlorophyllin, purified chlorophylls and freeze-dried spinach in a mouse model of transplacental carcinogenesis“ Carcinogenesis February 1, 2009 30:315-320
*The intake of chlorella can reduce absorption of toxins such as dioxin and this is a significant benefit in maintaining good health, J. Nutr, 129 (9): 1731-736, 1999 Sept.(Citation in “Active Greens“)
Simonich, Michael T., et al Natural chlorophyll inhibits aflatoxin B1-induced multi-organ carcinogenesis in the rat Carcinogenesis June 1, 2007 28:1294-130
Breinholt, Vibeke “Dietary Chlorophyllin is a potent inhibitor of aflatoxin B1 of Hepatocarcinogenesis in Rainbow Trout” * Chlorophyllin is effective in inhibiting aflatoxin B1 which can cause liver cancer
Cancer Research, 1995, 55:57-62 (citation in “Active Greens“)
Ferruzzi M, Bohm V, Courtney P, et al (2002) “Antioxidant and Antimutagenic Activity of Dietary Chlorophyll Derivatives Determined by Radical Scavenging and Bacterial Reverse Mutagenesis Assays“. J. Food Sci.; 67(7): 2589–2595
Ferruzzi M, Blakeslee J (2007) “Digestion, absorption, and cancer preventative activity of dietary chlorophyll derivatives“. Nutrition; 27(1): 1-12.
Evets, L. et al. “Means to normalize the immunoglobin E. using the supplement spirulina” 1994. Grodenski State Medical Univ. Russian Federation Committee of Patents and Trade. Patent (19)RU (11)2005486. Jan. 15, 1994. Russia. | Qishen, P. et al. “Radio-protective effect of extract from Spirulina platensis in mouse bone marrow cells studied by using the micronucleus test“. Toxicology letters. 1989. 48: 165-169 | Loseva, et al. “Spirulina- natural sorbent of radionucleides” Sep 1993. Research Institute of Radiation Medicine, Minsk, Belarus. 6th Int’l Congress of Applied Algology, Czech Republic. Belarus.
Sterling, Marilyn “Proanthocyanidin Power“, June 2000 Issue Nutrition Science News
About broccoli and cabbages:
Deborah Mitchell. “The Broccoli Sprouts Breakthrough: Nature’s Delicious Cancer Fighting Food”. St. Martin’s Press. New York (USA). 1998. Paperback. 162 pages
Scientists prove tenderstem health benefits(Jul 23, 2010) | Health benefits of tenderstem broccoli (Organic Facts) | Ten reasons to eat tenderstem broccoli || Health benefits of tenderstem broccoli (nanohana)
Kurzer, S. Mindy, “Reduced Radiation Damage from Ingesting Cabbage Family Plants“
About Beta-Carotene:
Can Beta-Carotene Fight Off Cancer? (About.com)
L. M. Iakushina et al., “The Effect of Vitamin- and Beta-Carotene-Enriched Products on the Vitamin A Allowance and the Concentration of Different Carotenoids of the Blood Serum in Victims of the Accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station,” Vopr Pitn (1):12-15, 1996.
“Diet Helps After Chernobyl Accident “- Russian scientists reported that beta carotene-rich foods and dietary therapy helped people suffering from the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Ukraine. (Cited in PediatricGems)
Upadhyaya KR, Radha KS, Madhyastha HK. “Cell cycle regulation and induction of apoptosis by beta-carotene in U937 and HL-60 leukemia cells.” J Biochem Mol Biol. 2007 Nov 30;40(6):1009-15
Meyer F, Bairati I, Jobin E, Gélinas M, Fortin A, Nabid A, Têtu B. “Acute adverse effects of radiation therapy and local recurrence in relation to dietary and plasma beta carotene and alpha tocopherol in head and neck cancer patients.” Nutr Cancer. 2007;59(1):29-35
About oils:
New Anti-Cancer Components of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Revealed (Sciencedaily.com Dec 27, 2008)
Owen RW et al. “Olives and olive oil in cancer prevention“, Eur J Cancer Prev. 2004 Aug;13(4):319-26.
Fereidoon Shahidi et al., Antioxidant activity of black and white sesame seeds and their hull fractions Food Chemistry
Volume 99, Issue 3, 2006, Pages 478-483
Yi-Zhun Zhu, ”The Antioxidant and Free Radical Scavenging Effects of Sesamin” (Chap. 18 of “From Novel Compounds From Natural Products In The New Millennium: Potential and Challenges”) By (eds)
About aloe:
American Cancer Society on the benefits and dangers of Aloe
About Mushrooms:
Agaricus blazei (Reishi) limits damage from Radiation and Mutagens Int J Mol Med. 2005 Mar;15(3):401-6 . A 2005 study suggests Reishi can act as a radioprotective agent; Another 2003 study organic extracts of A. blazei lineage AB97/11 present bio-antimutagenic type protective activity
Mi Ja Chung et.al. “Anticancer activity of subfractions containing pure compounds of Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) extract in human cancer cells and in Balbc/c mice bearing Sarcoma-180 cells“, Nutr Res Pract. 2010 June; 4(3): 177–182. Published online 2010 June 29. doi: 10.4162/nrp.2010.4.3.177
About Iodine, Miso and Seaweed:
“Miso Protects Against Radiation,” Yomiuri Shinbun, July 16, 1990; “People Who Consume Miso Regularly Are More Resistant to Radiation,” Nikan Kogyo Shinbun (Daily Business and Technology Newspaper), July 25, 1990
Paper by WATANABE Hiromitsu, PhD, “Miso and its biological effect“, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University
“Iodine Helps Kelp Fight Free Radicals and May Aid Humans, Too ”Newswise, Retrieved on July 8, 2008
“IODINE: Solution to Health Problems“ and “Iodine Therapy Guidelines” have more details on iodine research of information on Guy Abraham, MD, David Brownstein, MD, and Jorge Flechas, MD.
Working Alchemy: The Miracle of Miso
BBC news article ‘Miso soup cuts breast cancer risk‘
T. Hirayama, “Relationship of Soybean Paste Soup Intake to Gastric Cancer Risk,” Nutrition and Cancer 3:223-33, 1981
I. Yamamoto et al., “Antitumor Effect of Seaweeds,” Japanese Journal of Experimental Medicine 44:543-46, 1974
About brown rice:
E. Ann Hudson, P. Anh Dinh, Tetsuo Kokubun, Monique S.J. Simmonds and Andreas Gescher. “Characterization of Potentially Chemopreventive Phenols in Extracts of Brown Rice that Inhibit the Growth of Human Breast and Colon Cancer Cells”. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. | “Human cancer cell proliferation inhibition by a pentapeptide isolated and characterized from rice bran.“[Peptides. 2010]
Anti-cancer diet with brown rice, seaweeds, seeds to prevent and fight prostate colon or breast cancer (Bukisa, Feb 8, 2011)
“Inositol hexaphosphate, a natural substance found in whole kernel corn and brown rice, activates natural killer cell function – inhibits cancer.” Posit Health News. 1998 Fall;(No 17):23-5. PMID: 11366552. | McMillan B, Riggs DR, Jackson BJ, Cunningham C, McFadden DW.”Dietary influence on pancreatic cancer growth by catechin and inositol hexaphosphate.” J Surg Res. 2007 Jul;141(1):115-9. PMID: 17574044
KUMAGAI Takehisa et al., Effect of Lactic Bacteria Addition on Soaked Brown Rice Journal of the Japanese Society for Food Science and Technology, VOL.53; NO. 3; PAGE. 179-184(2006)
Ishizone S, Maruta F, Suzuki K, Miyagawa S, Takeuchi M, Kanaya K, Oana K, Hayama M, Kawakami Y, Ota H. “In vivo bactericidal activities of Japanese rice-fluid against H. pylori in a Mongolian gerbil model“, Int J Med Sci 2007; 4:203-208.
After Chernobyl disaster, doctors reported spirulina’s health benefits for child victims of Chernobyl radiation. Spirulina reduced radioactivity levels by 50% (Febico.com Mar 21, 2011) | Loseva, L.P. and Dardynskaya, I.V. Spirulina- natural sorbent of radionucleides. Research Institute of Radiation Medicine, Minsk, Belarus. 6th Intl Congress of Applied Algology, Czech Republic, Sep. 9, 1993. | Loseva, L.P. Spirulina platensis and specialties to support detoxifying pollutants and to strengthen the immune system. Research Institute of Radiation Medicine, Minsk, Belarus. Presented at 8th Int’l Congress of Applied Algology, Italy Sep. 1999
About Pectin:
Pub Med.gov, “Reducing the 137Cs-Load in the Organism of ‘Chernobyl’ Children With Apple Pectin” Swiss Med Wkly. 2004 Jan 10;134(1-2):24-7. Nesterenko, VB et al. | ”Apple pectin used for radiation protection after Chernobyl“ (Apr 6, 2011 Naturalnews.com) |
PectaSol’s Effective Health Benefits And Chelation Of Dangerous And Toxic Heavy Metals Presented At International Conference In Netherlands (medicalnewstoday.com)
About Beetroots:
Inorganic nitrate supplementation lowers blood pressure in humans: role for nitrate-derived NO, Hypertension. 2010 Aug;56(2):274-81. Epub 2010 Jun 28 | Lechner JF et al. Drinking water with red beetroot food color antagonizes esophageal carcinogenesis in N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine-treated rats. J Med Food. 2010 Jun;13(3):733-9 | Georgiev VGet al. “Antioxidant activity and phenolic content of betalain extracts from intact plants and hairy root cultures of the red beetroot Beta vulgaris cv. Detroit dark red.“ Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2010 Jun;65(2):105-11
Strax, Jacqueline “Turmeric” (PSA Rising)
Artemisia princeps var orientalis induces apoptosis in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells“, Anticancer Research November-December 2007 vol. 27 no. 6B3891-3898
About zeolite:
Liquid Zeolite Supplements
Dietary supplementation with the tribomechanically activated zeolite clinoptilolite in immunodeficiency: effects on the immune system | Advances in Therapy. 2004 Mar-Apr;21(2):135-47
Clinical evidence supporting the use of an activated clinoptilolite suspension as an agent to increase urinary excretion of toxic heavy metals | Dove Press (see also Eno Resrch Announcement)
About Sodium Bicarbonate:
King Goto, “A study of the acidosis, blood urea, and plasma chlorides in uranium nephritis in the dog, and of the protective action of sodium bicarbonate“ The Rockefeller University Press, doi: 10.1084/jem.25.5.693 / alt. ”A Study of the Acidosis Blood Urea and Plasma Chlorides in Uranium Nephritis in the Dog, and of the Protective Action of Sodium bicarbonate“, Published May 1, 1917//JEM vol. 25 no. 5 693-719
About Bentonite clay:
Mraz et al., “Some factors influencing the excretory pattern of cesium-137 in rats” Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics,Vol 71, Issue 1, Sept 1957 pps. 121-125
Oyanedel-Craver VA, Smith JA, “Effect of quaternary ammonium cation loading and pH on heavy metal sorption to Ca bentonite and two organobentonites“. J Hazard Mater 2006; 137:1102-14.
About sulphur compounds and DMSO:
Paul Talalay, Electric tuning of the chemoprotective natural product sulforaphanae, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), March 16, 1992
Liquid Zeolite Supplements
Dietary supplementation with the tribomechanically activated zeolite clinoptilolite in immunodeficiency: effects on the immune system | Advances in Therapy. 2004 Mar-Apr;21(2):135-47
Clinical evidence supporting the use of an activated clinoptilolite suspension as an agent to increase urinary excretion of toxic heavy metals | Dove Press (see also Eno Resrch Announcement)
About Sodium Bicarbonate:
“A Study of the Acidosis Blood Urea and Plasma Chlorides in Uranium Nephritis in the dog and of the Protective Action of Sodium Bicarbonate” Published May 1, 1917 // JEM vol. 25 no. 5 693-719
About water filtration:
Reverse osmosis http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-education/quality-water-purification.htm
A good water filtration system installed in your home is the only way to proactively monitor and ensure the quality and safety of your drinking water. Reverse osmosis water purification systems can remove 90-99% of all contaminants from city and well water to deliver healthy drinking water for you and your family.
Cleaning up contaminated soil:
Phytoremediation: using Plants to Clean Up Soils (USDA)
Scientists launch ‘operation sunflowers’ to decontaminate farmland near nuclear plant (Mainichi) | Sunflowers may heal Fukushima’s radioactive soil | Sunflowers to clean up radioactive soil (Yomiuri, Apr 23)
Dairy farmers fight radiation with boron (Hawaii Health Guide May 10, 2011)
Sweet, W.H., Javid, M., “The possible Use of Neutron-capturing Isotopes such as boron-10 in the treatment of neoplasms,” I. Intracranial Tumors, J. Neurosurg., 9:200-209, (1952)
“Clinical results of long-surviving brain tumor patients who underwent boron neutron capture therapy“ International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics Volume 28, Issue 5, 30 March 1994, Pages 1061-106
International Journal of Radiation Applications and Instrumentation. Part D. Nuclear Tracks and Radiation Measurements
Volume 17, Issue 4, 1990, Pages 531-535
“In situ detection of cutaneous melanoma by prompt gamma-ray spectrometry using melanoma-seeking 10B-dopa analogue“, Journal of Dermatological Science Volume 1, Issue 1, January 1990, Pages 23-31 
doi:10.1016/0923-1811(90)90006-Y
Total Boron for Heavy Metal Toxicity | Health benefits of boron
Reducing radiation damages with bicarbonate (IMVA)
Baking soda cancer treatment (CancerTreatment.net)
Quackwatch.org‘s “A Critical Look at “Dr.” Robert Young’s Theories” Dr. Young does not have any interest in actually *testing* whether his ideas are correct. For example, the simple way to test his assertions about the effects of pH on disease would be to give sick people a couple of teaspoons of baking soda per day mixed with water. Baking soda (NaHCO3) is a base and will alkalinize the person’s blood at least as well as any of the dietary manipulations Dr. Young suggests. But he appears not to have done this, or even to have studied the medical literature to see if others have.
General:
Radiation Detox Draft is a manual covering in great detail a great many suggestions for radiation detox measures
Healing cancer naturally
T.M. Paul, S.C. Skoryna, and D. Waldron-Edward “Studies on the inhibition of intestinal absorption of radioactive strontium”. V. The effect of administration of calcium alginate CMAJ November 5, 1966 95:957-960 Source: CMAJ
Gladys Block et al., “Fruits, Vegetables, and Cancer Prevention: A Review of the Epidemiological Evidence,” Nutrition and Cancer 18:1-29, 1992.
Vivekananthan, Deepak P et al. “Use of antioxidant vitamins for the prevention of cardiovascular disease: meta-analysis of randomised trials“. The Lancet 361 no. 9374 (14 June 2003): 2017-2023 ??
Radiation Protection
Sawako Hiraga, “How I Survived the Atomic Bomb,” The Macrobiotic, November/December 1979.
S. C. Skoryna et al., “Studies on Inhibition of Intestinal Absorption of Radioactive Strontium,” Canadian Medical Association Journal 91:285-88, 1964.
Y. Tanaka et al., “Studies on Inhibition of Intestinal Absorption of Radio-Active Strontium,” Canadian Medical Association Journal 99:169-75, 1968.
“Miso Protects Against Radiation,” Yomiuri Shinbun, July 16, 1990; “People Who Consume Miso Regularly Are More Resistant to Radiation,” Nikan Kogyo Shinbun (Daily Business and Technology Newspaper), July 25, 1990; Tatsuichiro Akizuki, M.D., Nagasaki 1945 (London: Quartet Books, 1981); Tatsuichiro Akizuki, “How We Survived Nagasaki,” East West Journal, December 1980 Source: Kushi Institute of Europe
“Fighting Radiation and Chemical Pollutants with Foods, Herbs and Vitamins” by Steven R. Schechter, N.D.
The October 1 issue of Tokyo-based weekly business magazine Shukan Diamond took a unique approach to simplify understanding the resent global financial debacle. Over ten consecutive even-numbered pages the publication printed a single descriptive phrase above a half-page cartoon, each representing a stage in the crisis, to accompany the charts, tables, and main text of an article about the problem. The arrangement is rooted in the Japanese practice of kamishibai, or storybook theater, which in its most recent incarnation began in Japan before television and serves as a way for a stand-up performer to concisely tell a tale with a series of illustrated notebook-sized cards over a brief time period.
