Seven years ago, I was the first person to tell you about PectaSol, a unique form of modified citrus pectin that keeps cancer cells from clustering and forming tumors. It essentially cuts off cancer’s food supply and the cells die. That’s why this is one of my most recommended supplements for anyone with cancer or at risk for this disease.

Study after study shows just how effective PectaSol is in fighting cancer. The most recent human trial just appeared in the journal, Clinical Medicine Oncology. In this study, PectaSol-C, the supplement that targets cancer cells, worked
as well as chemotherapy to reduce pain, increase sleep, and improve appetite.

But as great as PectaSol is at fighting cancer, the formulator of PectaSol products, Isaac Eliaz, MD, wasn’t satisfied.

He wanted his breast cancer patients to include other nutrients in their programs to address the issues of hormone imbalances, inflammation, and immune support. The problem was they complained that this approach was too expensive. And they were taking too many pills.

So Dr. Eliaz created a nutrient-based formula to close this gap: BreastDefend. Because there’s so much research behind the nutrients in BreastDefend, it wasn’t surprising that it’s so effective in preventing the progression of breast cancer. What was surprising was the synergistic effect of its ingredients was so powerful that people needed smaller amounts of the formula for it to work.

What is BreastDefend?

BreastDefend contains a number of carefully chosen substances found in sound scientific studies to effectively fight breast cancer. There’s nothing like this formula for anyone who has breast cancer or anyone at high risk. It reduces inflammation, keeps cancer cells from spreading, and destroys cancer cells.

BreastDefend includes three beneficial medicinal mushrooms chosen for their abilities to enhance breast health and stop cancer in its tracks. These mushrooms are grown on organic brown rice that has been enhanced with specific herbs known for their cancer-fighting properties. The mushrooms then absorb the beneficial qualities from these herbs. This is an expensive procedure, but it gives incredible results!

What impresses me the most about this formula is that each ingredient is the very best quality of its kind. Dr. Eliaz has designed a nutraceutical formula as if it was for someone in his family.

BreastDefend includes a number of antioxidants in their most highly absorbed form. They prevent damage to DNA and keep cancer cells from multiplying. He standardized the turmeric rhizome extract to 95% curcuminoids in a patented enhanced-bioavailable extract, which is up to seven times stronger than their non-enhanced counterparts. It also stays in the blood longer.

When you look at supplements for breast support, you invariably find they contain 3,3’-diinodolymethane, a substance known as DIM. DIM comes from Brassica vegetables, such as cabbage and broccoli. Dozens of good studies found that it inhibits the development of breast tumors, whether they are estrogen-receptor positive or not. This is one reason why doctors frequently add DIM to natural breast-cancer protocols. BreastDefend contains DIM, which lowers the number of pills you need to take and greatly reduces its cost.

The formula also contains a powerful extract of the Chinese herb Scuttelaria barbata. This herb has the remarkable ability to selectively kill cancer cells while leaving normal cells alone! But you won’t find this S. barbata extract in any other cancer-fighting supplement. It’s a proprietary extract that’s not available anywhere else.

The science proves its effectiveness

Cancer researchers at Indiana University recently put BreastDefend to the test. They found it inhibits proliferation and the invasive behavior of highly invasive, estrogen-receptor (ER)-negative, breast cancer cells at very low levels. The peer-reviewed medical journal Integrative Cancer Therapies is set to publish these findings.

Some of the ingredients in BreastDefend increase the sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs, so I think anyone on chemo — or who doesn’t want to or can’t take chemo — should take this formula.

But as outstanding as this supplement is, it’s even more beneficial when you take it with PectaSol-C.

Stronger when combined

I’m not talking theory. I’m talking science.

In another recent study, presented earlier this year, researchers looked at the effectiveness of taking BreastDefend and PectaSol-C together. The researchers found that taking the two together enhanced their properties even though the doses of many of their ingredients were lower than in other supplements. You see, it’s not about quantity. It’s about quality and synergy.

Many of the ingredients in BreastDefend enhance each other. The result is a stronger supplement. Then, when you add PectaSol-C, the combination is even stronger. Go to www.betterbreasthealth.org, or ask the folks at EcoNugenics for a copy of the research showing their effectiveness when they’re combined.

If it’s at all possible, take both. These two supplements take the place of a handful of other supplements. If you can’t afford both, use BreastDefend. But remember, when you take PectaSol-C along with BreastDefend, PectaSol-C becomes more effective, and you may need less PectaSol-C for the same benefits. And you can get an even stronger effect by taking the full dosage of 15 grams a day.

You can get BreastDefend and PectaSol-C only from a doctor or by contacting EcoNugenics directly (www.breastdefend.com, 800-308-5518). I’ve asked the folks at EcoNugenics to bring their cost down for my subscribers (they’re $99.95 each) and they agreed. If you buy three bottles of either product (or both) they’ll send you one bottle free.

Dr. Eliaz is offering a free downloadable report about integrative approaches to breast cancer at www.breasthealthsolutions.org. If you don’t have a computer, don’t worry. Your local librarian will help you get this report at no cost. It contains all the information you and your doctor need about BreastDefend. I think you’ll be as impressed as I.

Fong, S., et al. “Molecular mechanisms underlying selective cytotoxic activity of BZL101, an extract of Scutellaria barbata, towards breast cancer cells,” Cancer Biology & Therapy, April 2008.

Jiang, J., R. Wojnowski, A. Jedinak, and D. Sliva. “Suppression of Proliferation & Invasive Behavior of Human Metastatic Breast Cancer cells by Dietary Supplement BreastDefend.” Integrative Cancer Therapies, 2010 (in Press).

Jin, Y., X. Zou, and X. Feng. “3,3’-Diindolylmethane negatively regulates Cdc25A and induces a G2/M arrest by modulation of microRNA 21 in human breast cancer cells.” Anticancer Drugs. 2010 October;21(9):814-22.

These Fruits Clean Up Debris in Your Brain and Stop Staph Infections

There’s balance in nature. For instance, if we eat too many fats they oxidize (get rancid) and can contribute to numerous illnesses like heart disease. That’s where fruits come in. Eating fruits high in the antioxidants that fight and destroy free radicals can keep them in check. In fact, we tend to think of fruits as primarily being valuable for their antioxidants. But they have many other properties. Some fruits improve brain function and fight infections.

Keeps your brain young

As we age, everything slows down and our bodies produce fewer nutrients just when we need more of them. Consequently, we are less able to protect ourselves from signs of degeneration, such as inflammation and free radicals. And, as I’ve told you many times in the past, inflammation is at the root of most chronic and degenerative illnesses.

Fortunately, the polyphenols (natural chemicals) in fruits and other foods have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. But that’s not all. A recent study found that berries could reverse some signs of aging that originate in the brain. Here’s how.

Nerve function declines with aging. And this causes impaired learning and memory. Once more, Mother Nature comes to the rescue. Within your brain are cells that act like housekeepers. They remove and recycle debris that would otherwise interfere with brain activity. But as we get older, these cells are less able to do their job, and debris builds up. And that’s not all. These housekeeping cells become over-stimulated and start damaging healthy brain cells!

In the first study of its kind, researchers found that the extracts of berries restored the cells’ housekeeping functions and both clean and recycle toxic proteins associated with age-related mental decline.

But don’t reach for a supplement. The authors stressed the importance of eating the whole fruit, since this is the only way to get all of its hundreds of healthful chemicals. We don’t know whether or not individual nutrients can provide the same results. Personally, I suspect not.

Frozen berries are available year-round. Try eating a cup of them a day and see what effect it has on your memory and ability to learn. I know cases where this has worked.

Stops infections

Some fruits work as well as pharmaceuticals ... without the side effects. Recently, a group of British researchers stumbled upon an extraordinary find that illustrates this. Cranberry juice, traditionally used to treat urinary tract infections, unexpectedly stopped a potentially deadly bacterium from forming.

Of all bacterium, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, known as MRSA, is one of the most feared because it doesn’t respond to the majority of antibiotics. MRSA has become a real problem in hospitals and nursing homes and is the best reason I know of to avoid being hospitalized whenever possible.

Ordinarily, an infection as tenacious as MRSA isn’t included in studies of bacteria. The only reason the researchers included MRSA in this cranberry juice study is that it is a huge health problem that’s just getting worse and they had nothing to lose. But they didn’t expect to find a solution. Here’s what their study revealed.

Before MRSA and other bacteria can cause infection, they need to stick to your tissues and form biofilm. If you don’t know about biofilm and the havoc they wreak, you simply must read the two articles I’ve written on the subject (available on my website). Biofilm is associated with numerous chronic infections, including Candida albicans, and it’s extremely difficult to destroy. This study showed that cranberry juice was able to reduce both E. coli and MRSA from forming biofilm.

In fact, although MRSA forms biofilm easily, there was no biofilm in the staph samples of those who drank cranberry juice. None. It turned out that cranberry juice, known to be effective against E. coli, was even more effective against MRSA! If you have a staph infection of any kind, begin drinking cranberry juice. It may avoid the need for antibiotics.

Meanwhile, eat one or two servings of fruit a day. I believe we’re just beginning to discover new and exciting health benefits for berries and other fruits. Since berries are low in sugar, it just makes sense to make them a frequent addition to your meals.

American Chemical Society, 2010, August 24.

“Eating berries may activate the brain’s natural housekeeper for healthy aging.” ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 24, 2010.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/199810.php.

Type A Personalities Aren’t the Only Ones at Risk for Heart Disease

Are you depressed? Do you tend to keep your feelings to yourself? If so, your personality may be putting you at risk for a heart-related illness. Especially if you’ve ever had any form of heart disease in the past.

For decades you’ve been told that having a “Type A” personality increases your risk for heart disease. Type A people are competitive workaholics who focus their attention on their achievements. They have a sense of urgency and are often hostile. It’s easy to understand how this non-stop tension can negatively affect your heart.

But Type A personalities aren’t the only personalities that can increase your risk of heart disease. In fact, there’s one personality type you may not know about that significantly increases your risk of having a heart attack.
Not many people know about the Type D personality. Yet 49 studies with more than 6,000 patients found that this personality trait increases future heart health problems in people who already have had heart disease. It also triples the risk for psychological conditions like clinical depression, anxiety, and poor mental health.

That’s not all.

In a recent study, researchers found that having a Type D personality predicts death “independent of all traditional medical risk factors.”

People with a Type D personality are negative, pessimistic, and isolated, fearing that if they share their feelings others would disapprove. Yet, sharing our feelings is just what’s needed before we can move past life’s challenges in a healthful way.

Type D personalities tend to have high cortisol levels and inflammation – other known risks for heart disease. I’ve written extensively about these conditions in past articles. You can read them on my website.

So what can you do if you’re a Type D besides counseling, biofeedback, or other psychologically based treatments? There are simple and effective nutritional solutions you may want to try first. Here are two inexpensive or free steps to get you started. If you’re taking antidepressants, don’t stop taking them. Add the following to your daily regime, then talk with your doctor after three months to see whether or not you can safely reduce your medications.

Eat the right fats

Most people who are depressed don’t feel like preparing nutritious foods. So they eat far too many omega-6 fats. Prepared foods and condiments are high in omega-6 fats, including vegetable oils. The omega-3 fats in oily fish, flaxseeds, and leafy green vegetables are what they need most. In addition, many people just don’t eat enough food or eat a fat-free diet. You need three times as much of the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids as omega-6 fats.

Studies show that patients who are depressed have low levels of omega-3 fats. The lower the levels of these essential fats, the more depressed they became. And when they took one gram of fish oil supplements a day, their depression lessened.

What about dietary fats and heart disease? Omega-6 fats increase inflammation and put you at risk for heart disease, while omega-3s have the opposite effect.
You don’t need to take essential fat supplements. With very little effort, you can get the omega-3 fats you need to reduce depression and heart disease in your foods. Begin by eating fish two to four times a week. Since fish, especially the oily varieties, may contain heavy metals, use PectaSol Chelation Complex (PCC) to remove them (800-791-3395).

If you’re too depressed to cook, open a can of salmon and eat it with spinach or dark lettuces. Go easy on the salad dressing unless it’s olive oil or flax oil. Mayonnaise and most salad dressings contain omega-6 fats.

A free solution

If you’ve had heart disease and think you may have a Type D personality, or if you know someone who fits this description, one of the easiest things you can do is get out in nature. The healing properties of nature are not just relaxing. Sound scientific studies show their ability to heal is a real phenomenon.

Spending time among trees and flowers helps lower blood pressure, muscle tension, and cortisol levels. It also reduces depression and anger. In fact, it may be the most beneficial first step anyone with Type D can take. If you don’t usually spend much time outdoors, try a two-week “nature cure” and notice how much better you feel. Take a walk along a bike path or just sit quietly in a nearby park for half an hour or more each day eating your lunch or just “being.” Whether you’re alone or with a friend, Mother Nature may hold the key to stress reduction and other health benefits.

Bottom line: There are literally dozens of natural solutions for depression and heart disease. I’ve written about a number of them. These articles are available on my website. What’s important to realize is that you can treat both conditions and many of their symptoms at one time. Whatever reduces depression can also lower your risk for heart disease. And some of the solutions are both simple and inexpensive.

Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, September 2010.

Hakkarainen, R., et al. “Is low dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids associated with depression?” Am J Psychiatry, 2004 www.consumerlab.com.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/195809.php.

NUTRITION DETECTIVE

Not All “Natural” Supplements Are Safe — This Popular One Could Be Dangerous

I’ve never liked statins. I’ve said for years that they don’t work well for women. They deplete the body of CoQ10, a nutrient essential for a healthy heart. And they’re unnecessary in many cases.

I’m less than enthusiastic about red yeast rice, a popular over-the-counter cholesterol-lowering “natural” statin. One reason is that red yeast rice — just like its pharmaceutical counterpart — robs your body of CoQ10. This says to me that it’s not as safe as some medical experts say it is.

In fact, red yeast rice could be even more dangerous than prescription statins. Here’s why: To make red yeast rice, its manufacturers culture a yeast (Monascus purpureus) on rice. This process produces 14 different monacolins — the active ingredients in the product. Several drug companies purify one of these, monacolin K, and sell it as lovastatin. Every dose of these prescription drugs contains the same amount of monacolin K.

Red yeast rice, on the other hand, doesn’t have a standard amount of monacolins. The Archives of Internal Medicine recently published a study proving this. What these researchers found shows a clear safety issue with this supplement. These chemicals ranged from 0.31 mg to 11.15 mg per dose. In other words, there’s no way for you to know how much you’re getting. You could take way too much — or you may not get enough to do any good. It’s impossible to know until it damages your liver or your heart.

Red yeast rice would be safer if the manufacturer standardized it to contain the same amount of monacolins. Or they could label it with the levels of monacolin K or other monacolins the product contains. But then you couldn’t call it a supplement any more. It would be an unapproved drug.

And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, four out of the 12 supplements tested had detectible amounts of citrinin. This is a toxic fungus that can damage your kidneys.

Red yeast rice is not even as safe as the drug company products. So why would you want to take it and risk serious complications?

I’ve discussed much safer methods to reduce cholesterol and support good heart health in past articles. They are a “must read” and can be found on my webiste if your doctor is pressuring you to take statins or if you think cholesterol is indicative of heart disease. Meanwhile, don’t be fooled into believing that statins are safe. They’re not. And neither is red yeast rice, in my opinion.

Arch Intern Med., October 25, 2010;170[19]:1722-1727.

LETTERS

Q: You have said that you use probiotics to get rid of gingivitis and dental plaque. Do you bite the capsule and apply the probiotics on an empty stomach? I’ve heard you shouldn’t take them with food. Using your method, can the friendly bacteria survive stomach acid and reach the intestines, or do you have to take extra probiotics? — J.L., e-mail

A: First, let me say that applying probiotics to the gums once a day is one of the most effective ways I have found to reduce inflammation and plaque. I’ve used Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics 12-Plus, which you can find in most health food stores and on the Internet. It’s a gel that’s easy to apply. About 80% of the friendly bacteria in this product reach the intestines. Although it’s a bit pricey, the ease with which you can apply it makes it worth the expense for me.

However, you can use a less expensive product in powder form like Advanced Probiotic Formula through Advanced Bionutritionals (800-791-3395). It’s certainly strong enough to do the job. In this case, I’d bite or open the end of the capsule and put the powder on my toothbrush. Then, brush but don’t rinse.

I use this method before going to bed and after brushing my teeth with toothpaste. It’s still one of the most affordable ways I’ve found to improve my oral health — which reduces my risk for heart disease.

By the way, my integrative dentist, Dr. Mary Ellen Chalmers (who is also a naturopath), and I thought of this treatment. She has found it to be effective in her patients and it works well for me.

Q: I read that there are toxic effects from Triethanolamine (TEA). A well-known supplement company includes this chemical in their Progesterone cream. I realize this is external use, but wonder if it’s possible to get any internal toxicity from years of using this cream. If I order a progesterone cream made by a local pharmacy, the pharmacist won’t tell me whether or not it contains TEA for proprietary reasons. What should I do? – M.E., e-mail

A: TEA and DEA (Diethanolamine) are chemicals used in soaps, shampoos, and other products to make them smooth. If a product containing these chemicals sits around on a shelf for months, it can react with other ingredients in the formula to make a carcinogen called nitro-sodiethanolamine (NDEA). While your skin doesn’t absorb TEA and DEA, it can absorb NDEA.

Dr. Samuel Epstein, an MD at the University of Illinois whom I’ve admired for years, found that when study participants used TEA or DEA repeatedly, it resulted in an increase in liver and skin cancer.

You have a right to know whether or not a product you use contains a known carcinogen. Any pharmacist can reveal whether or not any ingredient is used in a product without disclosing any proprietary information. Speak with someone at a natural compounding pharmacy that uses safe products. One pharmacy I’ve used successfully is Women’s International Pharmacy (800-279-5708).

If you use up the progesterone cream within a month or two, it shouldn’t contain any toxic substances that your skin can absorb.

http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/cosmetics/diethanolamine.htm.

http://www.healthy-communications.com/cocoamide_dea_tea.htm.

http://www.healthychoices.co.uk/dea.html.