What supplements should I take?
It’s one of the most frequent questions we are asked at CANCERactive. A variation is ‘Can you tell me the Top Ten supplements to take?’ So here we asked Chris Woollams to give us his view:
1. Everybody is different. They are different ages, different weights, different situations, different needs, different cancers – I am not trying to be difficult. Your cancer is as individual as you are. Also, wherever possible, I’d rather people tried to derive the benefits naturally rather than just use supplements. I believe in taking supplements with purpose, to do a job your diet cannot achieve. I apologise if some of my answers weren’t quite what you were expecting!
2. There is a ‘core’ – four supplements, I feel everyone should take.
a. Vitamin D3/K2 – If you cannot get 4 hours in the sun a day, take 5000IUs of D3. The K2 helps its action and protects the liver as well. The number 1 supplement by far.
b. Curcumin (turmeric) – Has anti-cancer action, reduces toxicity of some chemo drugs, improves the effectiveness of others, kills microbes in the gut, and reduces inflammation and metastases.
3. Fish and/or krill oils – Reduces inflammation, preserves telomere length, reduces risk of cachexia (but ask your doctor if you have any heart issues). Vegans would rather not take fish oils – however flaxseed does a very different job.
4. Probiotics – Essential to take ‘holding’ probiotics whilst having orthodox treatments. Without a healthy microbiome you cannot MAKE crucial compounds from your food (like anti-inflammatory short-chain esters, B vitamins and vitamin K).
Thereafter, it depends on your specific situation and needs:
5. If you have a hormonally driven cancer (breast, prostate etc.) it is worth considering.
a. Indole 3 carbinol/DIM - It denatures aggressive oestrogen into a safer cousin, protects the DNA and has been dubbed a safer Tamoxifen by one drug company. Also acts against non-oestrogen cancers via p27 pathway.
b. Melatonin – Confused by people as a ‘sleeping pill’, it is the biggest antioxidant we make, knocks us into a deeper sleep, and regulates levels of oestrogen and growth hormone in the body. Never use more than 3 mgs (about 40 minutes before bed time).
6. If chronic inflammation is the issue (it is with most people with cancer) then apart from curcumin and fish oils try
a. Aspirin – a small 75mg aspirin has been shown in several studies to increase survival and reduce metastases (but don’t take if any heart issues). Do take with food as there can be stomach ulcer issues.
b. Ginger – grate at least 10 gms of ginger a day into drinks, juices and food. It is very calming on the body.
c. Chicken soup – don’t forget the best natural remedies; boil the bones to make it; this releases natural analgesics.
d. Boswelia – Have you ever wondered why the wise men took Frankincense? It is very healing, and calming on the body.
e. Resveratrol – growing research base shows this calms the body and reduces metastases.
f. Modified Citrus Pectin – Several research studies show this reduces metastases.
g. Tagamet (Cimitidine) - If your doctor will prescribe it and you are about to have surgery, there is some good research in America how this ‘old’ drug reduces metastatic spread.
h. Don’t forget that cortisol (the stress hormone) and insulin (sugar-driven) stimulate Cox-2 and increase inflammation. Best ‘treatments’ are ‘Yoga’ and graze – eat 6 small meals a day, not one or two big ones.
7. If you want to build your immune system, try:
a. Grape Seed extract, or another OPC, Pine Bark extract. The former was 46% more potent that any comparable product in the US VITAL study.
b. Echinacea, Cat’s Claw, Astragalus are three herbs to try.
c. Vitamin E – but the tocotrienols especially.
8. Coenzyme Q10 – Important in mitochondrial function. It has epigenetic benefits and research says that taking 50 mgs a day returns you to being a 28 year old!! Any more as a supplement is a waste of money.
9. Artemesinin – If you have had antibiotics, sweet wormwood will keep your debilitating yeasts and pathogens under control. It also has anti-cancer properties.
10. A multi-mineral supplement - Many people lack basic minerals like magnesium, selenium, zinc, iodine and so on. No point in popping lots of different pills.
11. Milk thistle and dandelion - Apart from magnesium and vitamin K, these two herbs are good for your liver and both have proven epigenetic properties.
12. Green tea – not a supplement – it should be the drink of choice, the Mayo clinic talks of 4-7 cups a day. EGCG is a powerful polyphenol.
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So, there is no checklist for supplements and only very rarely should someone be taking all of the above.
Supplements need to be part of a TAILORED plan. Because, when it comes to cancer, one size never fits all.