Nutrient depletion among cancer

In addition to a poor diet, there are many things we do, such as smoking and taking medications, that can severely affect our nutrition. Smoking has been shown to dramatically lower the level of vitamin C in the tissues. Even secondhand smoke can have this effect. For some as-yet-unexplained reason, smokers cannot improve their vitamin C levels unless they take very high doses of the vitamin every day. To reach normal tissue levels of vitamin C, they need to take a minimum of 500 mil ligrams daily. In addition, smokers have significantly lowered beta-carotene levels. One study found that flavonoid intake, a reflection of fruit and vegetable consumption, was 21 percent lower in smokers than in nonsmokers. Taken together, these facts may explain why smokers have a much higher incidence of lung cancer (from among all cancers) than nonsmokers. It also means that when smokers begin treatment for cancer, they are less likely to respond well and are more likely to suffer serious complications.

One of the biggest culprits in depleting nutrition is taking a medication over a long period of time. Numerous medications can severely lower the body levels of critical vitamins and minerals. For example, oral contraceptives lower the levels of vita min C, folate, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, magnesium, selenium, and the amino acid tyrosine (which is critical to brain function). As we have seen, low vitamin C levels in women can increase their risk of cervical cancer by tenfold. One study found that vitamin C levels may be lowered by as much as 30 percent in women taking birth control pills.

Chronically low levels of folate have been shown to increase the risk of numerous cancers, especially cancer of the cervix, breast, and colon.10 Antiseizure medications, blood pressure medications, and antiulcer medications can also dramatically lower folate levels. One type of antidiabetic medication, the biguanides, can significantly deplete folate as well. Millions of people have been taking these medications every day for decades.

We now know that chronically ill people are much more likely to develop cancer than healthier people and that one of the reasons for this may be the prolonged nutritional depletion caused by both their illness and their medication.

Many medications, even when taken alone, can cause depletion of numerous nutrients. As already stated, oral contraceptives deplete a number of essential nutrients. Another group of notorious culprits is the antihypertensive medications used to control blood pressure. These medications have been shown to cause deficiencies in vitamin B6, calcium, zinc, magnesium, CoQ10, ascorbate, thiamine, and vitamin K.

Of special concern to cancer patients is the effect of medications on lowering the body's supply of CoQ10, a powerful antioxidant, supplier of cellular energy, and cancer preventative. It has been shown that virtually all cancer patients have low CoQ10 levels and that raising these levels significantly improves these patients' chances of survival.11 Of the medications known to deplete CoQ10 levels in the body, the most commonly used include:
● Most cholestrol-lowering drugs, referred to as statins
● Blood pressure medications, such as the hydralazines, thi azides, beta-blockers, clonidine, and methyldopa
● Antidiabetic drugs, such as the sulfanylureas and biguanides
● Phenothiazines and tricyclics, which are antinausea medications and types of antidepressants
The drugs used to lower cholesterol, the so-called statin drugs, have been known. for some time to cause dramatic deficiencies in CoQ10 levels. Tens of millions of people who take these drugs, usually for life, are never told of this very serious side effect. These drugs also deplete other nutrients, such as beta-carotene, folate, and vitamins A, B12, D, E, and K, as well as calcium, magnesium, zinc, and phosphate.

Magnesium depletion is a special problem with certain chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin. In fact, magnesium levels can fall to dangerously low levels, leading to cardiac and brain damage. Many commonly used prescription drugs deplete magnesium as well. Women who have taken birth control pills for decades often have severely low tissue magnesium stores. When they develop cancer, their chemotherapy treatments are much more haz ardous and likely to produce complications than those of women with normal magnesium tissue levels. This problem is rarely considered by oncologists.

It has been shown that patients going into chemotherapy and radiation treatments with good nutrition are far less likely to suffer complications, respond better to the treatments, and have a lower risk of dying during the treatment than do people with a poor nutritional status. This has been confirmed in experimental settings.

In one experiment, it was found that when rats were given cyclophosphamide alone and were operated on alone, they rarely died, but when they were given the two treatments combined, more than 75 percent died. When the rats were treated with vitamin A or beta-carotene before surgery, the mortality rate was reduced to zero-that is, none of the rats died.

So, it is fairly obvious that there are a number of things you can do immediately to boost the effectiveness of your cancer treatments. First, do not smoke and avoid being in enclosed areas where others are smoking. Not only does tobacco contain numerous carcinogens, but the nicotine in tobacco-even in the form of the nicotine patches used to stop smoking-is a rather powerful inhibitor of the immune system. The last thing you want to do is further suppress your immune system.
Second, if you have been taking medications known to lower the levels of vitamins, minerals, or CoQ10, take supplements to correct the deficiencies in order to remain on the medications. Check with your doctor to see which medications you can dis continue. In many cases, doctors are either not aware that their patients are still on inappropriate medications or they have for gotten they prescribed the medications. It is your responsibility to review your medications with your doctor on a regular basis. Finally, take a magnesium supplement. This is one supplement rarely suggested by conventional doctors. It is particularly important to supplement with this mineral since deficiencies are so common, even in healthy people. For example, one survey of more than 30,000 people found that 75 percent were deficient in magnesium intake, with two-thirds of these people drastically deficient. People taking diuretic medications are at special risk, since these medications not only wash out potassium, but also remove magnesium. Fortunately, vegetables are high in magnesium.