WARNING: Too Many Supplements May Up Cancer Risk

About three years ago I went to Hippocrates Health Institute. At HHI the lifestyle is 100% raw food and taking care of one's total dietary (includes supplements) health as well as total lifestyle changes, e.g. water, exercise, sunlight, sleep, etc. During the three week program, all participants were encouraged to sign a self-contract that toothpaste, shampoo, and cosmetics would even be the pure and natural kind. People, if they weren't on serious prescriptions, were even encouraged under doctor's guidance not to take their meds and especially to lay off their "health-supporting" supplements. Wow, Brian Clement, the program director and author of several books including Supplements Exposed, told about some people having such serious withdrawals from their supplements that they would have tremors and other disturbing side-effects. Unlike what marketing strategies suggest, these "healthy supplements" really aren't all that healthy!

 

Warning: Too Many DietarySupplements May Increase Cancer Risk

Amy CapettaApril 22, 2015

A large-scale study has shown that over-supplementation could be very bad for our health.

Source

Could it be possible that too many vitamins and minerals can bring about various forms of cancer? Yes, according to a large-scale study delivered during the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2015.

The research presented at this conference dates back 20 years, when scientists discovered that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables was shown to keep cancer at bay. Then study experts shifted their focus to over-the-counter supplements, assuming that consuming extra vitamins and minerals would also produce anti-cancer benefits.

First came the testing on animals and the results were encouraging. Scientists then studied thousands of patients—over 300,000—who were given either dietary supplements or a placebo over a 10-year period. 

And their findings were alarming...

“We show that not only is supplementing your diet with vitamins that are found in a healthy diet unlikely to decrease your risk of developing cancer, but in some cases, taking more than the recommended daily allowance of these supplements can increase cancer risk,” lead investigator Tim Byers, MD, MPH from the University of Colorado Cancer Center tells Yahoo Health.  “More specifically, taking more than the recommended daily allowance of folic acid, Vitamin E and beta-carotene were all shown to increase cancer risk.”

Related: Young Woman Dies After DNP Diet Pills Bought Online ‘Burned Her From Within’ 

One trial showed that taking more than the required amounts of beta-carotene — which is known for its ability to improve immunity and enhance vision — in supplement form increased the risk for developing both lung cancer and heart disease by 20 percent. Men who took an excess of vitamin E were at a higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer. And while folic acid — a B vitamin — was considered a possible remedy for reducing the number of polyps in the colon, it increased the number in another trial.

"There really is no strong hypothesis explaining why these dietary supplements increase cancer risk," states Byers. "It may have to do with the body's overall nutrient balance, in this case 'imbalance', or it may have to do with specific effects of overall consumption of specific supplements."

So should we avoid the vitamin aisle altogether? "Unfortunately, few Americans eat a well-balanced diet and hope to make up for this by taking dietary supplements," says Byers. "My recommendation is to get your nutrients from a healthy diet. If you take vitamins or other dietary supplements, choose products that stay within the recommended daily allowance." 

________________________________________________________

My personal take on this article is every person who consumes vitamins should be aware that in almost all cases the vitamins and supplements are manufactured by pharmaceutical companies and the substance of the "supplementation" is actually chemical, which is not food and should not be treated as food or food supplements. For more on this read "Supplements Exposed" by Brian Clement, and there are many more books on the market exposing the fallacy that supplementation is beneficial for "supplementing" our poor diet choices.

Magnesium, an Essential for the Body

Good information on magnesium from the Web MD:

Magnesium is a mineral that is important for normal bone structure in the body. People get magnesium from their diet, but sometimes magnesium supplements are needed if magnesium levels are too low. Dietary intake of magnesium may be low, particularly among women. Magnesium deficiency is also not uncommon among African Americans and the elderly. Low magnesium levels in the body have been linked to diseases such as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, clogged arteries, hereditary heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. 

An easy way to remember foods that are good magnesium sources is to think fiber. Foods that are high in fiber are generally high in magnesium. Dietary sources of magnesium include legumes, whole grains, vegetables (especially broccoli, squash, and green leafy vegetables), seeds, and nuts (especially almonds). Other sources include dairy products, meats, chocolate, and coffee. Water with a high mineral content, or "hard" water, is also a source of magnesium. 

People take magnesium by mouth to prevent magnesium deficiency. It is also used as a laxative for constipation and for preparation of the bowel for surgical or diagnostic procedures. It is also used as an antacid for acid indigestion. 

Some people use magnesium for diseases of the heart and blood vessels including chest pain, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, high levels of "bad" cholesterol called low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, low levels of "good" cholesterol called high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, heart valve disease (mitral valve prolapse), metabolic syndrome, clogged arteries (coronary artery disease), stroke, and heart attack. 

Magnesium is also used for treating attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, cystic fibrosis, alcoholism, mania, recovery after surgery, leg cramps at night and during pregnancy, diabetes, kidney stones, migraine headaches, a long-term pain condition called complex regional pain syndrome, weak bones (osteoporosis), premenstrual syndrome (PMS), altitude sickness, urinary incontinence, a condition that causes burning pain and redness called erythromelalgia, restless leg syndrome, asthma, hayfever, multiple sclerosis, and for preventing hearing loss and cancer. 

Athletes sometimes use magnesium to increase energy and endurance. 

Some people apply magnesium on their skin to treat infected skin ulcers, boils, and carbuncles; and to speed up wound healing. Magnesium is also used as a cold compress in the treatment of a severe skin infection caused by strep bacteria (erysipelas) and as a hot compress for deep-seated skin infections. 

Magnesium is injected into the body for nutritional purposes and to treat magnesium deficiency that occurs in people with pancreas infections, magnesium absorption disorders, and cirrhosis. It is also injected to treat high blood pressure during pregnancy and other pregnancy complications. 

Magnesium is also used as an injection to control seizures, to treat irregular heartbeat, to control irregular heartbeat after a heart attack, and for cardiac arrest. Magnesium is also injected into the body to treat asthma and other lung disease complications, for migraines and cluster headaches, jellyfish stings, poisonings, pain, swelling in the brain, chemotherapy side effects, head trauma and bleeding, sickle cell disease, to prevent cerebral palsy, and for tetanus.

How does it work? 

Magnesium is required for the proper growth and maintenance of bones. Magnesium is also required for the proper function of nerves, muscles, and many other parts of the body. In the stomach, magnesium helps neutralize stomach acid and moves stools through the intestine.

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Slathering the body with magnesium after workouts

Bitter-melon Salad (raw)

Salad: 

2 bittermelons, de-seeded and shredded
1 long English cucumber, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 purple onion, diced
1 head Romaine lettuce, finely shredded
several sprigs parsley, finely chopped 

Dressing: 

1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 T. garlic powder or 5-6 cloves fresh minced garlic
1/2 rounded t. sea salt
black pepper (optional)

Prepare the salad ingredients and put in a large bowl. The salad is much like a salsa with Romaine lettuce if the pieces are small. Whizz the dressing ingredients in a high-speed blender and pour over the prepared salad, mixing well.

the basic salad ingredients

de-seeding and shredding the bitter-melon 

adding the dressing to the prepared salad

the salad itself ... very much like a salsa!

A note on bitter-melon: Some people find the bitter-melon just that, very bitter; however, prepared with complementary veggies and the lemon-garlic dressing marinade here, the strong bitterness is very much toned down. For people with low iron, the bitter-melon is an excellent dietary choice for boosting that iron and this is one way it is quite nice!

Bloodwork for Unknown Causes (Systemic Candida?)

A friend from the UK is having extreme health issues, most of which clearly are food reactions on foods that he previously ate with joy. His issues are very similar to what mine were - absolute confusion about what is going on and unable to get answers.

In trying to get answers he keeps trimming foods but the symptoms rage on. So he decided to undergo a serious bloodwork battery from a healthcare practitioner who recognizes systemic candida as a problem and looks for dietary alterations to control symptoms. The practitioner does not diagnose, but he/she is licensed to advise on diet and nutritional intake to control symptoms. With permission my friend has allowed me to publish his bloodwork. The bloodwork and dietary suggestions are specific to my friend's needs and are not to be used to treat others. However, others may benefit from ideas in how a healthcare practitioner advises his/her clients so as to mask symptoms and regain control of one's diet, health, and perhaps life.

Bloodwork [click to enlarge]

Revised Dietary Programme

Your programme is an individually tailored programme and should not be used by anyone else without supervision of a qualified nutritional therapist. Your prescription is not intended to be a lifelong guide to eating habits, unless otherwise indicated and will be subject to review and alteration as your treatment progresses.

Cooking Methods
Steaming, baking and stir frying are the most beneficial cooking methods. Heat destroys vitamins and other nutrients, so minimal cooking times and temperatures. Boiling leads to loss of vital minerals in the fluid. Please avoid fried food. Avoid microwaving.
To make the best success from your nutritional therapy programme it is important that you eat plenty of nutritious foods on a daily basis in their most natural form.

Preparation for Changing Your Diet
In many cases people find it easier to implement changes slowly over the next few weeks rather than trying to change everything at once. If for example your programme recommends excluding both wheat and dairy, you will probably find it easier to tackle one at a time, rather than both at once. If you are excluding foods, then do make sure you have plenty of the alternatives to hand first to optimise your likelihood of making successful long-term changes.

Planning is also an important part of success with this programme. It will probably take you a while to get used to the changes in your cookery regime. I find it helpful to plan before shopping which meals I will be eating. Then I make sure that I buy in all the foods I will need.

Do buy some recipe books that support your new dietary regime.
It is useful to have healthy “quick grab” snacks etc.. so that you have something healthy to eat if you are hungry.

Cooking everything from basics is more time consuming (but the rewards are great!). The way that I manage this is to plan ahead – if I know I am going to have a busy day, I will try and make the basics of meal the day before – so it just needs cooking or re-heating. I often eat the same meal two nights on the trot to reduce cooking times. You could also batch cook and freeze meals for easy use at a later date. I also have a repertoire of meals that are very easy / quick to prepare i.e. baked potato / salad and meat or fish. Pasta (Gluten free if needed) and Pesto with stir fried veggies etc...

Please include a power drink daily:

Power Drink -

Daily - great as a snack between meals or with breakfast to get you going Preparation: Blast seeds in the blender in the water they were soaking in Add the other ingredients and blend

Handful of mixed Berries (frozen is fine) or fresh fruit for your list Handful of watercress 1 tablespoon of mixed seeds (Pumpkin, Sunflower, Flax, chai etc...) soak overnight in water with nuts 1 tablespoon of nuts (Almond, Hazelnut) soak overnight in water with seeds If you don’t want to use nuts you could use ImmunoPro Pure Whey Protein (Allergy Research Product) 30g serving of Higher Nature Hemp Protein Powder 1 tsp coconut oil 1 tablespoon Lecithin granules Raw Egg 1⁄4-1⁄2 Avocado A cup of Kefir (see instructions below) or live soya / nut based yoghurt 1 tablespoon E-Lyte Electrolyte concentrate A green Superfood such as Dr Schulze www.superfoodplus.co.uk would also be a good addition NB you don’t need to use all the ingredients every day i.e. but I would definitely use frozen fruits, pre soaked nuts and seeds each day.

Food Group	Frequency	What to Use
Proteins
Meat	Up to x 1 daily	Use fresh or frozen poultry, game & lamb with lean beef used occasionally only. Avoid pig products and processed meat products such as sausages, burgers, luncheon meat and canned produce. Meat particularly should preferably be organic, as is preferable for as much of your food as you can manage. Try to ensure meat is a fresh as possible to reduce histamine content. i.e. freeze on day of purchase until you require it, avoid leftovers etc.. and avoid smoked meats
Fish	4 x 125g per week	Use fresh/tinned in spring water/frozen oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, tuna) and white fish. Avoid shellfish, salted, smoked, breaded, battered fish products.
Eggs	None	Food intolerance results
Pulses (Beans & Lentils)	60g per day	All types of canned and dried pulses are included (chickpeas, lentils, beans, peas etc) No red kidney or pea
Seeds	30g per day	Use pumpkin, linseed, sesame, sunflower.

Nuts	Ideally I would like you to have 1-2 portions per day, but it really depends upon whether they impact on your symptoms or not	Nuts can be sprinkled onto salads, used as the basis of main meals (e.g. nut roast, nut rissoles etc.) or turned into ‘milk’. Note the order of preference (in descending order): (1) Almonds, (2) Hazels. Only these two should ever be used as the main base of a meal, or for milks or spreads. Other nuts, e.g. Brazil’s / pistachio, pine, pecan, are acceptable in small amounts in cakes (if any of these are included in the Diet) or in small amounts to chew as kernels. Chestnuts are fully acceptable, but protein content is negligible. Limit walnuts and cashews re histamine content; caution nut content generally to assess if Tyramine an issue Caution nuts - cashew, pine and pistachio very close to tolerance level on test
Sprouted pulses & grains	Use x 2-3 weekly	See table below – use wide variety
Carbohydrates
Potatoes – white & sweet	4 per week	Cut off any sprouts or green areas. Preferably eat the potato skin.
Cereal Grains	2 portions per day	The cereal grains should be used with each meal, and can be used as snacks. Always use wholemeal / wholegrain cereals. Please use short grain brown rice or millet at least once daily, oats (one portion daily only), and quinoa, buckwheat, corn / maize (small amounts only), or barley.
Wheat & Rye	None	Wheat & Rye may be used as wholemeal bread, wholemeal or spelt pasta, wholemeal flour or as a wholegrain breakfast cereal. Replace with other grains.
Fats
Dairy Produce	Remove all animal sourced dairy	Milk: replace cow’s milk with Nut, Soya (unsweetened) Oat, or Rice milks. Replace sugary desserts and yogurts with plain live Soya or nut based yoghurt (I have recipes if you would like). Avoid cheese, cream, crème fraiche, milk based desserts, ice cream and chocolate. Cows milk showed strongly on your food intolerance test
Fats & Oils	Maximum 4 tsp (20g) per day	Use olive or coconut oil, butter or ghee only in heated dishes. Olive, linseed / flax oil can be used for salad dressings. Butter or non hydrogenated dairy free spread / olive oil based margarine for spreading & baking.
Vegetables
Vegetables	50% of 2 meals per day of wide variety	Use a wide range of all vegetables with at least 2 meals per day. Include each day – one portion salad / raw as well as cooked vegetables. Vegetable crudités make great snacks. Where blood sugar is an issue, root vegetables should be avoided or eaten in small quantities only.
Sea Vegetables	Include at least x 2-3 weekly	These are a rich source of minerals, vitamins, amino acids and chlorophyll and help to build up the blood. Available in health shops or www.seagreens.com

Veggie Juices	1-2 glasses daily	All vegetable juices are encouraged – preferably fresh / homemade so that all the enzymes and nutrients are still intact. A good juicer can be purchased for around £80 (www.ukjuicers.com) use non salted variety such as Eden carrot if you don’t have a juicer. One glass of diluted (50/50) fruit juice daily.
Fruit
Dried Fruit	None	High sugar content can exacerbate candida; caution required re Tyramine content too
Fruit	Max 3 pieces per day	Apple, berries, nectarines, lemon, orange, cherries, plums, apricots, grapefruit, pomegranates & pear only. Some people with candida cannot tolerate any fruit due to sugar content. These fruits are the low glycemic variety which are less likely to cause problems
Drinks
Alcohol	Limit / Avoid	One unit of alcohol is 125ml of wine, 1⁄2 pint of beer / lager or 25ml spirits. If alcohol is taken dry white wine or white spirits are preferable. Avoid sugary mixers. Additional hazard of Histamine / Tyramine content
Beverages	2 litres every day of filtered water	Using largely filtered or mineral water, also a variety of herbal & fruit teas, coffee substitutes (such as Barley cup), green tea, Rooibosch tea & vegetable juices. Black tea can be used twice per day. Coffee (whether regular or decaf) is limited to once per day/removed. No coca cola
Herbs	Use freely	Please use a wide variety of culinary herbs in your cooking. The herbs listed are those which may be particularly beneficial in your case. No gingko
Foods to limit or	exclude from	your diet
Processed Food	Limit / exclude	Includes all pre-made, packaged, boxed products such as microwave meals, sauces, crisps, pizza, made up meat products. No Agar Agar
Salt	Exclude	Remove salt added at table or in cooking. Remove highly salted products such as stock powders, Bisto, gravy, canned products, marmite, soy sauce, packaged products. Marigold Swiss low sodium/wheat/dairy/yeast free stock powder may be used.
Yeast	Remove	Foods high in yeast include bread, leavened dough (pizza, doughnut, breadsticks, and pastries), vinegar, alcoholic drinks, marmite, stock cubes, gravy powder, and soy sauce.
Sugar	Remove refined sugar	Sugar is hidden in many products, please read the labels. Added sugar can be called sucrose, dextrose, lactose, maltose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, concentrated grape juice.
Sweeteners	Try to avoid	3 teaspoons of honey or molasses may be used per day. Avoid the sugar substitute’s aspartame and saccharin. If you need a sweetener, use Xylitol from health food shops.
Exclude		Remove confectionary, sweets, and additives.

Supplements in addition to controlled diet:

I learned a lot from this report. The US alternative lifestyle practitioners and those in the UK look at blood range normalities a bit differently (that is, norms for both countries are viewed differently; usually that of the UK are narrower, which I think is a better view of the norm). Both countries also utilize different herbs, e.g. I've heard of belladonna but never in my research come across its use for people with food reactions, and different brand names that could be beneficial to check out, e.g. High Nature Citricidal and Biocare liquid whatever.

My friend got ideas about dietary care from my research and I got more insights from his holistic practitioner's advice. He allows me to publish this here because his food reaction traumas, like mine, were horrendous. He hopes that even a tiny piece of information could benefit someone who is having sudden food reactions, because just maybe, the person can recognize the need to trim foods to see if an altered diet could be of benefit.