Posts Tagged breast cancer

… of nearly 300,000 men. After five years of follow-up, 10,241 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, including 8,765 with localized cancers and 1,476 with advanced cancers. The researchers …

The second study tracked 36,282 postmenopausal women for seven years who were on calcium and vitamin D to determine if the supplements would offer any benefit as far as preventing invasive breast cancer. After the studies were wrapped up, the researchers found no benefit from either supplement program.

After the publishing of these studies, the press published news articles which were titled “No proof of vitamin C, D, E benefit” suggesting that these two studies prove the ineffectiveness of vitamins and antioxidants for promoting health. Obviously, this headline is both misleading and ridiculous.

The first study which evaluated the effectiveness of vitamin C and E in preventing heart attack or stroke used just 500 mg of vitamin C taken daily and 400 IU of vitamin E taken every other day. These doses are both very conservative and unlikely to offer significant benefit. The vitamin E used in the study was a synthetic vitamin E made from petroleum that is far inferior to natural, mixed tocopherol vitamin E formulas.

In the vitamin D study, just 400 IU of vitamin D was used in the study which studies have shown is not sufficient to improve blood vitamin D levels one bit. Our general recommendation for vitamin D is 2,000 IU daily and this dose may not even suffice. To properly evaluate the effectiveness of vitamin D, we would expect researchers to do vitamin D blood tests and then optimize the dose to achieve sufficient vitamin D blood levels. Research suggests that blood levels in the 50-60 range are considered optimal.

These studies were both heavily flawed. First, the doses of the vitamins were insufficient to positively impact health. This would be equivalent to evaluating the benefit of 1 capsule daily of amoxicillin in treating an infection when 3 capsules daily is the recommended minimum dose. In addition, using a synthetic vitamin E would be like using a chemical which resembles amoxicillin but isn’t quite the same and then making a final conclusion that “antibiotics don’t treat infections.” I hate to say it, but tax payers wasted millions of dollars on two studies which were doomed from the outset. There is an old saying that goes, “At first a new truth is ridiculed, then it is vehemently opposed and then it is accepted.” The good news in all of this bad news is it confirms our belief that we are in the second phase where the world of natural medicine is violently opposed which means that “acceptance” is right around the corner. Call, me optimistic…but that is my belief.

So let’s look at some recent studies that ended with a different conclusion to the above mentioned studies:
1. Circulation, 2007;116:1497-1503 – In this study performed at Harvard University, 39,876 women over the age of 45 were given either 600 mg of natural vitamin E or a sugar pill for a period of 10 years. The group that was given the natural vitamin E had a 21% lower risk of developing a life-threatening clot and the women who entered the study with a history of forming clots experienced a 44% decreased risk of additional clots. In addition, the group given vitamin E enjoyed an 8% lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke, a stroke that involves bleeding in the brain.
2. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2007;167:1610-1618 – This was another study performed at the Harvard School of Medicine. In this study, researchers studied 8,171 women who were given either 500 mg of vitamin C daily, 600 IU of natural vitamin E every other day or 50 mg of beta carotene every other day. This study was similar in design to the study recently mentioned in the press. The researchers reported that the group who took the vitamin E enjoyed an 11% decreased risk of cardiovascular event. When the researchers only included people who consistently took the vitamin E, there was a 22% lower risk of heart attack, 27% lower risk of stroke and a 9% decrease in risk of death from cardiovascular disease. When the people consistently took the vitamin C and E the results were even more significant.

The PSA is a popular blood test that is notorious for providing shady results, sometimes missing the cancer and other times worrying men with results that signal prostate cancer even when there is none to be found. In this article we will discuss the various tests such as the PSA, biopsies, ultrasound, digital rectal exam and more. You will learn…
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer
What tests are used to screen for prostate cancer
Why the PSA test is useless in most men
A improved version of the PSA test
How to improve the accuracy of the PSA test
Why prostate biopsies can kill you
Why prostate cancer may not be something to fear
A combination of tests that may prevent the need for prostate biopsies

Prostate cancer typically occurs without symptoms, however, occasionally people will note symptoms such as:

Blood in the urine
Difficulty urinating
Pain or burning while urinating
Lower back pain or pain in the upper thighs
Weak urine flow

Many of these symptoms can occur for other reasons such as infection, prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate) or benign prostate enlargement. For this reason, you should be assessed by a physician whenever you have any symptoms with the urinary tract. The likely is that these symptoms will turn out to be benign, however, it is best to be sure.

What tests are involved to diagnose prostate cancer?

The most common tests are the digital rectal exam and the standard PSA, which stands for prostate specific antigen. The digital rectal exams involves the doctor feeling the prostate for enlargement and abnormalities. The PSA is a blood test that is widely used to screen men for prostate cancer, unfortunately PSA can be elevated for many non-cancerous reasons and can cause unnecessary alarm and biopsy. A PSA is considered normal by the medical establishment as long as it stays below 4 dl/ml, however, some doctors prefer to see it below 2.5 dl/ml. PSA that are excessively elevated may signal more aggressive cancer.

To demonstrate how misleading the PSA can be, it is estimated that the standard PSA misses 82% of prostate cancers in men under the age of 60 and misses 65% of cancers in men over the age of 60. It has been noted that up to 1 in 6 men with a normal PSA actually have prostate cancer and in men who have a PSA score between 4 and 10 only 20-25 percent actually have cancer.

The PSA has an alarming rate of signaling prostate cancer in men without the disease. This can cause fear and panic in many healthy men. According to the research, the PSA test can signal cancer in 12 out of 15 men without cancer. This is an unacceptably high rate of false positives and it is very common for men who have an elevated PSA test to see those numbers drop to normal within a year. With this information it is a good idea to have PSA reassessed a couple months later before you subject yourself to biopsy.

To increase the accuracy of the PSA test, be sure to follow these guidelines:

Abstain from sex or ejaculation for at least 48 hours as ejaculation artificially elevates the PSA.
Make sure that you have the PSA test before the digital rectal exam as prostate manipulation increases PSA
Do not take part in physical activity, especially bike riding, for at least 48 hours before the test as this can artificially elevate PSA.
Stressed people are 3 times as likely to have an artificially elevated PSA than non –stressed men. So take part in some stress relieving activities.
Certain medications can artificially lower PSA. These medications are Proscar, Propecia and Avodart.
Saw Palmetto does not artificially loser PSA
The Bottom Line: The PSA is not an ideal tool for screening for prostate cancer. In fact, the doctor who attributed as being the father of the PSA test no longer recommends the PSA saying that the PSA is no longer a useful marker for detecting prostate cancer. In men who are 75 years and older the PSA question is more cut and dry as the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recently advised that men who are 75 years old or older no longer get the PSA test. Men in this age group are highly unlikely to die of prostate related problems The fact is, even if they did develop a prostate tumor they are likely to die of other causes well before the tumor would claim their life.

Other Tests for Prostate Cancer Screening

There are a number of other tests that may help to screen for prostate cancer, however, none of them are completely accurate and only a few are reasonably accurate.

Free PSA – PSA is a protein that exists in two forms in the blood, bound and unbound. Approximately 85% of the prostate specific antigen is bound to protein, the remaining 15% is free floating. The higher the amount of the free floating PSA, the lower your risk of cancer is. The main benefit of this test is the low number of false positives (men diagnosed with prostate cancer who do not have it).
Transrectal Ultrasound – This test can visualize prostate size and abnormalities in the shape of the prostate that may indicate prostate cancer.
Prostate Biopsies – Inaccurate and Possibly Dangerous

Biopsies are not a controversial matter in medicine…but they should be! First, it is important to note that most biopsies are performed because of an elevated PSA, one of the most inaccurate cancer screenings in the medical world. In fact, one study in 1500 men who underwent biopsies found only 10% actually had prostate cancer. Given the discomfort and subsequent risk of prostate inflammation or infection, perhaps we should reevaluate the standards for sending a man in for a prostate biopsy.

Okay, so you might argue that 165 men out of 1500 had cancer and now they can receive “life-saving” treatment. Not necessarily…you see, most prostate cancer is not going to result in death. In one study of men over the age of 70 who had passed from other causes not related to prostate cancer, over 80% had prostate cancer. The truth is most men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime and will not be bothered by it, they will live their lives ignorant to the fact that they have abnormal cells and will end up succumbing to something else.

Prostate biopsies can be dangerous because of the traumatic way in which the cell samples are taken. Remember, localized cancer is far less dangerous than metastasized cancer (cancer that has moved to other areas of the body). A biopsy involves taking numerous needle punches of the prostate tissue in hopes that a needle will catch some abnormal cells. It is fairly common that the luck of the draw misses the abnormal cells and results in a false negative result. If the doctor gets lucky and punctures an area with abnormal cells then you may run the risk of sending some of the abnormal cells into circulation where they can result in metastases.

According to one study, the best approach for prostate cancer screening is:

Digital Rectal Exam to feel for abnormal shape, nodules or size.
An ultrasound done rectally to visualize nodules or cancerous areas
PSA in relation to prostate size. If the prostate is enlarged, then PSA is not as good of a predictor and should not be used as a primary screening tool.
By following this procedure, it is estimated that we could avoid over 200,000 unnecessary biopsies annually.

Article Written by: Ray Hinish, Pharm.D.,CN,C.P.T.

Many of us have had the unfortunate experience of having to watch our aging parents develop the diseases commonly associated with age. If you are like me, you have a nearly obsessive desire to make sure that we don’t follow along the same path. In order to succeed in this mission, we need to start with a paradigm that allows us to understand why we develop these diseases in the first place.

A well-respected researcher at the University of California, Berkley, has come up with a theory that may give us insight into how to avoid common diseases associated with aging, including:

1.      Heart disease (specifically calcifications of the arteries)
2.      Osteoporosis
3.      Various forms of cancer
4.      Diabetes and insulin resistance
5.      Breast fibroid
6.      Fatigue
7.      Weight gain
8.      And more…

Dr. Bruce Ames announced that he had a new theory of aging, which he named, “Triage Theory”. Triage theory states that when the body does not have sufficient nutrients to feed all tissues equally, the urgent needs of the body will outweigh the less urgent needs, even if they both share a high level of importance. A good way of illustrating this theory is to associate it with principles of time management.

I am a student of time management, mostly because I am terrible at it. One principle that is at the core of time management is the process of differentiating between urgent and important tasks and non-urgent but important tasks. Urgent/important tasks are things that need to be handled right now or you will suffer immediate consequences. Examples of urgent/important tasks include:

1.      A phone call from an important client
2.      Paying your mortgage on time
3.      Urgent staffing issues, and work emergencies.

Non-urgent/important matters are important to the long-term goals but there are few immediate consequences to not doing them. Examples include:

1.      Learning about new technology that may impact your job or business in the future
2.      Upgrading accounting software to be compliant with next year’s tax laws
3.      Setting up your next dental-hygiene appointment

If your life is filled with urgent/important tasks, usually the non-urgent/important tasks will be thrown by the wayside resulting in a lack of personal and organizational growth. In other words, the organization may remain healthy for today, but in the long run, the neglect of non-urgent-but-important matters will cause the person or organization to fail from ineptitude.

Dr. Ames suggests that the body is doing the same thing; prioritizing immediate needs above the future needs of the body.  He believes that the body does this because we evolved during a time when we weren’t expected to live to be 100 years old anyway.  Instead, nature prioritized the act of keeping us alive long enough to procreate rather than long enough to see our great grandchildren.

Iodine is a good example of how this theory presents itself within the body. When iodine is moderately deficient, the thyroid will take precedence at the expense of other tissues that need it, albeit in a less urgent manner. This assures that the body has enough iodine to keep the metabolism functioning, at the cost of long-term health of other tissues such as the breasts, prostate, and immune system.

Another example of the Triage Theory in action is vitamin K deficiency. Vitamin K has biological effect in most cells of the body including the arteries and the bones. When vitamin K is moderately deficient, the liver will snatch the vitamin K from the blood in order to make sure that it can produce clotting factors needed to prevent you from bleeding to death from a paper cut. Unfortunately, because the K is being used in developing clotting factors, the bones grow weak and the arteries develop calcifications from being slowly starved of vitamin K.

To protect against the consequences of biological triage, you must make sure that there is an abundance of nutrition that is available to the body so that both urgent/important processes and non-urgent/important processes are able to function on all cylinders. Doing so will allow you to enjoy optimal health well into your later years.

A multi-vitamin is a good start in assuring that the body has sufficient levels of the various nutrients to feed the urgent/important and non-urgent/important processes.  Unfortunately, most multi’s (even high quality multi’s) fall short in providing sufficient levels of various nutrients such as vitamin D, vitamin K and iodine. Given this fact, we typically need to supplement with higher levels of these nutrients than are supplied by a multi.

Previously, I was taking these nutrients separately. Luckily, they are now provided in a single capsule to support your current supplement program. This supplement combines 5,000 iu of vitamin D3, 1.1 mg of vitamin K2 and 1 mg of whole-food iodine. The product is called Vitamins D and K with Sea-Iodine by Life Extension Foundation.

The reason that such a blend is so powerful is because of the broad importance and the relative deficiency of these nutrients. By providing the body with optimal levels of these three nutrients, you are helping to shore up the body’s defenses against many of the previously reported disease associated with aging.

It is officially summer and it is time to talk about skin aging, skin cancer and, most importantly, ways of protecting the skin from the “harmful rays of the sun”.

Sun exposure is considered the most common cause of premature wrinkles in our society. Did you know that many experts are calling sun tanning and tanning booths the “tobacco of the 21st century”?

If you want to keep your youthful skin for as long as possible, then you better pay attention to what follows! It may well save you from a decade or more of premature skin aging and may even save you from those dreaded words, “You have skin cancer.”

Protect Your Skin For a Long & Healthy Life

First, it is important to understand that skin cancer, in one form or another, accounts for about fifty percent of all cancers. Most of these skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma, a common and benign form. The second most common form is squamous cell carcinoma, a form that is generally benign but can become invasive in rare cases when left untreated. The least common and most dangerous form is melanoma, a form that is aggressive and deadly. Because skin cancer accounts for such a significant amount of cancer incidence, keeping the skin healthy can have a significant impact on longevity and quality of life. Treatment of even benign forms of skin cancer can leave unsightly scars and thus prevention is key.

Many experts blame sun exposure for the high incidence of skin cancer in our society. Although UV rays can damage skin cells and increase the risk of skin cancer, there are likely other factors that play an even more important role such as age and nutrition.

Questions about the link between sun exposure and skin cancer have been raised by studies that found office workers were at a higher risk of developing malignant melanomas compared to people whose lifestyles and work exposed them to larger quantities of sunlight. In one such study, the lowest risk of melanoma was found in the group who listed sunbathing as their main outdoor activity (Lancet 2: 290-92, 1982).

Numerous other studies have been performed to test these findings, many of which confirm the results. Please note, these results do not prove that sun exposure is not a contributor to melanomas, it simply shows that we must look for other co-factors that may prove to play an even more important role in the ultimate development of melanoma.

The bottom line: People who work outside and are exposed to sunlight most days produce melanin that works to protect the cells from damage. The people who are most at risk are the occasional sun worshipers. It is also important to realize that other factors such as genetics and nutrition may play a significant role in the development of melanoma.
Research into the use of sunscreen has failed to correlate sunscreen use with a decreased risk of melanoma (Ann of Int Med. 2003; 139(12)966-78). Other research shows that melanoma risk continues to increase despite the increased use of sunscreen. In fact, Boston University School of Medicine reported that in the US, melanoma diagnosis is increasing at a rate faster than any other form of cancer. Researchers are unsure as to why this is occurring at such an alarming rate, suggested explanations include

• Sunscreens give a false sense of security and people are spending more time in the sun
• People are not using sunscreen properly. This includes not applying enough sunscreen and not applying it often enough.
• Poor nutrition that ultimately depletes crucial antioxidants.
• Sunscreen use may inhibit vitamin D production. Vitamin D has been correlated with protection from numerous forms of cancer
• Sunscreen often contains oils that oxidize in the skin when exposed to heat and UV light which may increase DNA damage
• People are living longer which allows for longer exposure to UV rays
• Sunscreens have offered UVB protection (the radiation not associated with melanoma risk), but have lacked adequate protection from UVA radiation, the more serious and most abundant form of radiation

With all of this controversy, is it advisable to use sunscreen?

Dr. Michael Huncharek, a radiation oncologist who published a review of 11 studies on the subject, determined that there is likely no harm and most likely significant benefit to sunscreen when used properly. He admits that we have much to learn about melanoma, but with the evidence to date, sunscreen is recommended. I have a tendency to agree with him, provided you use the right kind of sunscreen and use it appropriately.

Why is sun exposure so damaging?

Sunlight contains two main forms of ultraviolet radiation, UVA and UVB. After exposure to sunlight, DNA can be damaged which can trigger inflammation.

In an ideal world, antioxidants in the skin will limit damage caused by UV light and specialized cells in the skin will produce melanin, the compound that darkens skin and protects it from UV damage. Any cells that are damaged beyond repair would ideally trigger a process of programmed cell suicide called apoptosis. Apoptosis helps to decrease the likelihood of an abnormal cell developing into a tumor. The reality, however, is not quite so rosy. Numerous factors may set the stage for skin cancer to develop, these include:

• We spend most of our lives indoors and thus do not have a natural melanin barrier to the UV rays. This is why people with fair skin are at higher risk of skin cancer, less melanin equals less protection.
• The Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) does not provide nearly enough antioxidant protection in the skin to prevent damage. Certain plant compounds and vitamins act as first line protection from the harmful effects of the sun. If you eat few fruits and vegetables then, odds are, you have a depletion of antioxidant protection in the skin.
• The Standard American Diet is also quite deficient in vitamins and other nutrients that play very important roles in DNA repair. These include nutrients known as methyl donors such as folic acid and trimethylglycine. In addition, due to these lifestyles, the cells of our body need more of these DNA repair nutrients.
• Vitamin D deficiency is common and may play a significant role in the development of many cancers including skin cancer.
• Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency and omega-6 abundance of the diet have correlated with increased risk of cancer (Cancer Detect Prev. 2006; 30(3): 224-32) Trans-fats may also set the stage for cancer growth.

Dr. Zane Kime, author of the book Sunlight, suggests that sun exposure creates damage to the DNA under the presence of harmful fats and a deficiency of antioxidants in the skin. He hypothesizes that skin with higher concentrations of antioxidants will prevent irreversible damage to the skin from UV radiation.

Preliminary research confirms this finding. In one study performed in rats, UV radiation caused a significant decrease in the animal’s skin concentrations of vitamins C and E. A study performed in humans found a protection from skin cancer in subjects who took 200 mcg of selenium daily. In addition, later in the article, we will discuss a breakthrough nutritional supplement that has been shown to protect the skin from DNA damage induced by sun exposure. First let’s talk about sunscreen.

The Perfect Sunscreen?

Many sunscreens do a much better job of blocking UVB wavelengths, which are the rays most responsible for sunburn and the two benign forms of skin cancer. Unfortunately, these UVB sunscreens do little to block the deeper penetrating UVA rays which are responsible for damaging DNA deep in the skin cells.

It is the UVA that is the key suspect in the development of melanoma and premature wrinkling.

In addition, many sunscreens contain oils that will oxidize when exposed to heat and UV radiation. This means that these conventional sunscreens not only do nothing to add antioxidant protection to the skin, they may even increase the free-radical stress and damage to the cells of the skin. With that said, here are the recommendations for choosing a sunscreen:

• Only choose sunscreens that are oil-free.
• Use sunscreens that contain antioxidants to protect the skin
• Choose sunscreens with botanical extracts that have proven to protect and repair DNA
  
• Choose sunscreens that block both UVA and UVB rays
• Choose a sunscreen that has an SPF of 20 or higher

In recent years there has been much research around natural products for topical use in preventing sun damage. These natural products have been incorporated into a sunscreen that is produced by the Life Extension Foundation. These protective botanicals include:

• Watermelon Extract – A highly purified watermelon extract that has been shown to decrease DNA damage in the cells of the skin from UV exposure.
• Silymarin from milk thistle – This extract has been shown, in animal studies, to decrease the risk of skin cancers after UV exposure, by 75%.
• Green tea Polyphenols and Proanthocyanidins from Grape Seed Extract – These botanical extracts protect the skin from free-radicals, inflammation, and DNA damage.
• Beta Glucan – This is a specialized compound from whole grain oats that penetrate the skin to stimulate immune protection from UV damage while stimulating collagen production. This helps to speed healing of tissues, while providing an overall anti-aging effect to the cells of the skin.
• Rosemary – This spice provides additional and broad antioxidant benefits. In addition, rosemary is known to have anti-tumor activity like green tea and grape seed extract.
• Licorice Root Extract – This botanical is known to help soothe and heal damaged skin cells.

This formula, called Total Sun Protection Cream with Photo-Aging Recovery Complex, combines all of these potent natural ingredients with three powerful sunscreen agents that protect the skin against short-wave UVA, long-wave UVA and UVB rays. I have found no other formula that offers so much broad spectrum sunscreen and antioxidant protection.

How to Use Sunscreens for Most Benefit

Studies have shown that people generally only apply one-quarter of the sunscreen quantity that they need to gain the most benefit and protection. One study found that most people only apply sufficient sunscreen to achieve a 20-50% of the SPF that the product is labeled for. There is some evidence that this under-application, and the insufficient UVA protection of many conventional sunscreens, may be one reason for the lack of protection from melanoma reported in the research literature.

The general rule for proper sunscreen use is: “Apply generously and apply often!” It is better to overdo it than to under apply.

Even if you get a great sunscreen, if you do not apply it properly, you will not get the full benefit. Follow these guidelines to assure optimal protection.

• 15 Minutes BEFORE Sun Exposure Apply the Total Sun Protection Cream – It is important that we apply sunscreen 15-minutes before sun exposure to allow it to penetrate and dry before we start to sweat and expose ourselves to UV radiation. This will allow the botanical extracts and the antioxidants to penetrate where I believe they will provide protection for hours to come.
• Use One Full Ounce for the First Application – Most people do not apply enough sunscreen to fully protect. For the average sized body, apply one full ounce (a shot glass size) of sunscreen.
• Every 1-2 Hours Renew the Sunscreen by Spraying the Total Sun Protection Spray with Beta Glucan – Because the Total Sun Protection Cream is a bit costly, we apply this for the first application and then for the rest of the day we will renew with the Sun Protection Spray, which is far more cost-effective.
• Use the Sun Protection Spray Each and Every Time You Get Out of the Water or Sweat Heavily (such as if jogging). All sunscreens wash away with water that is why the FDA no longer allows a sunscreen to claim itself to be waterproof.

Protecting the Skin From the Inside Out:

As mentioned earlier, nutrition likely plays a key role in protecting the skin from sun damage. Dr. Zane Kime, in his book Sunlight, spoke specifically about vitamins A, C and E as well as selenium. All of these nutrients are quite important in protecting the skin, however, there are likely hundreds, if not thousands, of compounds that concentrate in the skin to act as a significant line of defense against sun damage and skin cancer. Such nutrients include:

• Carotenoids such as beta carotein, lutein, lycopene. These compounds are found in colorful fruits and vegetables
• Proanthocyanidins such as those found in grapes, berries and pine bark
• Polyphenols such as those found in teas, fruits and herbs
• Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, flaxseed, chia seeds and nuts

Food is obviously the most important source of these antioxidants and nutrients, however, for most people supplementation will offer additional insurance against the damaging effects of UV rays.

Getting a good multi-vitamin, essential fatty acid and green drink containing fruit and vegetable extracts is key in making sure enough nutrition is available to protect the skin. Berry and superfruit juices such as Acai juice can provide additional whole-food protection. See the Skin Protection Protocol for specific recommendations.

Introducing A Breakthrough Product For Protecting the Skin

For centuries, Native Americans have been using a special fern plant as a prevention and treatment of sunburn. When scientists caught wind of this, they began studying the herb to confirm these reported benefits. The scientists developed an extract of the fern plant Polypodium leucotomos which is now known as FernBlock.

Early research by Dr. Salvador Gonzalez found that patients receiving UV treatment for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis had nearly complete protection from the redness and burn created by the treatment. Dr. Gonzalez, fascinated by these results, took the extract to Harvard where he continued to research the fern extract for its ability to defend the skin from UV damage caused by sun exposure. Over the next decade research confirmed the protective benefits of this powerful herb, such benefits include:

• A seven-fold increase in the amount of UV light tolerated before damage occurred to the skin
• Important cancer-fighting cells beneath the skin were protected from UV damage
• Significant decrease in DNA damage after sun exposure by protecting vital enzymes responsible for DNA repair
• Inhibition of inflammation in the skin
• Blocked enzymes that are known to decrease skin elasticity
• Increased the antioxidant defenses of the skin

Due to the ability of the phytochemcials found in FernBlock to penetrate into the skin and offer broad spectrum protection, I am excited to be able to add this to our tool box for protecting the skin.

How to Use Polypodium Extract (FernBlock)

People at risk of skin cancer, especially those with a past history of skin cancer or who have fair skin may want to take one capsule daily as a preventative. The rest of us may want to reserve this supplement for when you know that you are going to be exposed to longer intervals of sunlight. For instance, if you’re going on a cruise or heading to the beach you may want to take 2 capsules daily a couple of days before you leave and 2 capsules daily while on your trip. The phytochemicals in FernBlock have a high affinity for skin cells and will concentrate in the skin fairly rapidly. Based on the research to date, FernBlock appears to provide protection the very same day it is taken.

Summary:

If I had to summarize this entire article in a couple of sentences I would say UV radiation is a real concern and protection must come from the inside out. Diet and lifestyle plays a key role in protecting you from premature skin aging and skin cancer. Sunscreen and topical antioxidants act as an additional line of defense and should be implemented. Below you will find the key bullet points of the article.

Key Points:

• Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, most are benign but we are seeing a significant rise in melanoma diagnosis.
• Sunscreen can offer protection, however, you must find a sunscreen that defends the skin against UVA and UVB radiation and offers additional antioxidant protection such as Total Sun Protection by Life Extension Foundation. After the first application of Total Sun Protection Cream, use the Total Sun Protection SPRAY to maintain the protection.
• Use a sunscreen with at least 20 SPF
• Make sure that you apply sunscreen generously and often to assure that you get the most protection.
• Nutrition is a critical factor in protecting the skin. Eat tons of fruits and vegetables. Drink teas such as green tea to enjoy extra antioxidant protection.
• Supplementation adds extra insurance against UV damage. Get a multi-vitamin, essential fatty acid and green drink such as Doctor’s For Nutrition Greens First.
• Use FernBlock starting a few days before significant sun exposure and during the sun exposure.

Lauricidin is a naturally occurring lipid (fat) that has been purified from coconut oil so as to increase the therapeutic benefits. This monoglyceride, called monolaurin, appears to disrupt the outer coating of pathogenic organisms, such as, bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Monolaurin is naturally found in breast milk and may be considered nature’s first antibiotic!

What Is Lauricidin Used For?

Known as the original monolaurin supplement, discovered by Dr. Jon Kabara, Lauricidin has been used by health care practitioners for its potent anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal benefits. Lauricidin appears to offer unique benefits over conventional antibiotics due to:

1. Broad-spectrum effects – It appears to be effective against many different strains of bacteria, fungi, and even viral infections.
2. Fewer Side-Effects – Generally, Lauricidin is well tolerated, with no serious side effects reported.
3. Considered Non-Toxic and safe
4. Inexpensive in comparison to many conventional antibiotics
5. Does not interact with most medications

Lauricidin Side Effects

You may be wondering, “What is Lauricidin ‘s safety record?” Lauricidin, which contains monolaurin, is so safe that the FDA considers it GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe), which places Lauricidin on the FDA’s list of non-toxic substances.

What Is Lauricidin Detox?

Even though Lauricidin is considered non-toxic and most people tolerate the lauricidin quite well, you can occasionally develop a reaction called a “die-off effect”. A die-off effect, also called a Herxheimer Reaction, occurs when yeast and other pathogens are being killed by the monolaurin. As these bacteria, yeast, and/or viruses die, they can release toxins into the body that may result in flu-like, acne-like, allergy-like symptoms, such as: fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache, skin erruptions, etc. Although these die-off side effects can be felt by some, even at low doses, these symptoms can be improved by starting with a low dose of Lauricidin and slowly increasing the dose of lauricidin over weeks to months. This allows the body time to acclimate and detox. Many patients have also found that drinking plenty of water while supplementing with lauricidin also decreases the severity of the die-off effect.

The Lauricidin Detox Reaction is normally self-limiting and will improve over time, however, if the symptoms become overwhelming, simply give the body a break and then restart at a much lower dose.

What is the Best Way to Use Lauricidin?

Lauricidin comes in a jar full of pearls/pellets that are taken via a provided scoop.

Using the scoop, you can dose in very small amounts and slowly increase the dose as you determine how well you tolerate it. Adults will usually start with ¼ of a scoop or less two to three times daily and can slowly increase the dose up to 1 full scoop three times daily. For stubborn infections, some health care providers will further increase the dose until benefits are noted. Don’t be afraid to start with a few pellets and work the dose up as you get some personal experience with it.

Children, 3-10 years of age, can start with 1-3 pellets (NOT SCOOPS) for a few days before gradually increasing the dose. After this initial trial, you can increase to 1-3 pellets twice daily and then thrice daily over a couple of weeks.

Do’s & Don’ts of Lauricidin Use

1. Never chew Lauricidin Tablets
2. Drink cold liquids when taking Lauricidin pellets as hot liquids will melt them prematurely.
3. Dose according to your response, some will need more and some will need less than the recommendations provided above

Lauricidin can be purchased through the Illness Is Optional Online Store.

Disclaimer: “What Is Lauricidin” article is not meant to diagnose, treat, or prevent any illness. For further discussion on “What Is Lauricidin“check out this article from eHow.

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Cancer
C Super Seed 22
Cartilage

Dr. Mark Hyman
Breast calcification
Shingles vaccine
Lyme disease
Birth control and weight gain

Urinalysis
A1C
Neuropathy
Cancer
PQQ
Diarrhea
Bleeding
Probiotic and digestive enzymes
Clotting disorder medications
Sunscreen