The quality of supplementary product for cancer

One question I am frequently asked concerns whether synthetic vitamins or natural vitamins are better. In most cases, the natural vitamin is better, yet some synthetic vitamins are converted into numerous metabolic breakdown products when absorbed and these products can have powerful anticancer effects of their own. This has been shown to be the case with synthetic beta- carotene, which can be converted into numerous other com pounds.

A recent study of commonly available forms of synthetic beta carotene supplements found that many often contain no beta carotene at all, only the breakdown products of beta-carotene.' This doesn't mean that these supplements are ineffective against cancer, since in animal tests these breakdown products were also effective against cancer.

In some instances, vitamins compete for absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. For example, synthetic beta-carotene interferes with the absorption of another very important carotenoid called lutein.7 Similarly, synthetic vitamin E in high doses can lower the blood levels of beta-carotene. This competition for absorption can have major consequences for the person with cancer. Lutein, for example, is more important in preventing lung cancer and possibly breast cancer than is beta-carotene. In addition, taking beta-carotene from natural sources, such as from the algae Dunaliella bardawil or salina, results in much higher levels of the cars otenoids than does taking synthetic forms of the vitamin

Another problem with taking synthetic vitamins is that many natural vitamins consist of a number of components, whereas the synthetic forms have only one form. For example, vitamin E is actually composed of eight different fractions (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta tocopherols, and four tocotrienols), with some having more anticancer activity than others. The same is true for the carotenoids. While most people are familiar with beta-carotene, some of the other forms of the carotenoids are significantly more potent against specific cancers. Alpha-carotene, for instance, has been shown to play a more important role in preventing breast cancer, and lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lycopene may be more important in preventing ovarian, prostate, and lung cancers.8 Astaxanthin, another carotenoid, has been found to strongly inhibit bladder cancer. If you take only synthetic beta-carotene, you will miss all of these powerful anti cancer carotenoids.
Even when taking synthetic vitamins, you should always try to use the form that most closely resembles the one found in nature or that has been shown to have a special anticancer effect, such as vitamin E succinate. Following are some guidelines.

Use the ascorbate form of vitamin C and not ascorbic acid. The acid form is more likely to upset your stomach, is poorly absorbed, and must be converted in your body to be used. Taking higher doses of ascorbic acid can cause acid build up (acidosis) and can increase your risk of osteoporosis. The best forms are magnesium ascorbate and calcium ascorbate. I prefer the former.
Never use vitamin E acetate (which is also called d- or dl alpha-tocopheryl acetate). This form of vitamin E is poorly absorbed, can cause a loss of carotenes in the liver, does not enter the brain, and has very little, if any, anticancer effect. The most powerful form of vitamin E is vitamin E succinate, which is also known as d-alpha-tocopheryl succinate or dry E. It comes as a white powder in a capsule. As we shall see, this form of vitamin E has the most powerful effect against cancer.

The second-best form of vitamin E for the cancer patient is the natural form, which is also called mixed tocopherols. In most cases, the supplement contains four types of tocopherols: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. Technically, vitamin E also includes four other types of components, called tocotrienols, which include alpha, beta, gamma, and delta forms. Recent research has shown that the tocotrienols have powerful cancer-inhibiting effects, especially when combined with certain anticancer drugs, such as tamoxifen.

Many vitamin E supplements come in a gelatin capsule mixed with oil. In most cases, this oil is one of the tumor growth-promoting oils, usually soybean oil. This is another reason to take only vitamin E succinate, a dry powder. Unfortunately, no one has produced a vitamin E supplement dissolved in extra virgin olive oil.

Multiple vitamins should be taken only as a powder in a capsule and not as a hard tablet. Many tablets have been shown to contain binders that can prevent the absorption of the vitamins. Binders are like glue, used by manufacturers to keep the tablets from breaking during shipping. The ease with which a tablet can be broken down is of special concern for people who have undergone chemotherapy or radiation, since many have poor digestive abilities.
In general, avoid supplements that contain aspartate, glycine, or amino acid chelates-the so-called chelated vitamins or minerals. While they claim to improve absorption, and many do, these amino acids are excitotoxins. Excitotoxins not only can damage the brain, but some individuals have an extreme sensitivity to them. Granted, they are present in small doses, but for a person with a brain tumor, they might stimulate the tumor to grow faster.

You should also avoid gelatin capsules as much as possible, since gelatin is very high in glutamate, a powerful excitotoxin. In addition, gelatin is a bovine product and therefore carries a risk of mad cow disease.

Beware when buying plant extracts-that is, supplements containing extracts of fruits or vegetables. Many of these supplements contain such low amounts of the extract that you gain little nutritional benefit. This is a problem with vitamin C brands that claim rose hips as an ingredient. In truth, most of these brands have only a trace of rose hips, nowhere near enough to have any benefit, but enough to jack up the price.

Buy only fruit or vegetable extracts that come either as a loose powder or as a powder in a capsule. The label should list the amount of each ingredient. Note that these products require freeze drying or low-temperature drying to preserve the phyto chemicals. None of the brands I have examined are complete, and none should be used in place of a multivitamin-and-mineral supplement. Most are also low in magnesium. Do not buy a vegetable supplement that comes as a hard tablet with little flecks of green or red, since most such products are worthless.

Another common problem is supplements that come as a dry powder or tablet, but that are, in fact, absorbed only when dis solved in oil. Unfortunately, the label never tells you this. For in stance, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a very important anticancer nutrient, is absorbed poorly as a dry powder. It is fat-soluble and best absorbed when dissolved in an oil. One solution is to dissolve the powder in extra virgin olive oil. Just empty the capsule in a tablespoon of oil and take it as you would medicine. It has very little taste.
I have found several supplements in this category. Many of the flavonoids, such as curcumin, quercetin, and hesperidin, are better absorbed in an oil base as well. (At least one manufac turer makes water-soluble forms of quercetin and hesperidin that do not need to be dissolved in oil.) Often, failure to address the solubility issue explains why supplements do not seem to work for some people.

Finally, we must deal with the issues of quality and price. Many people shop for supplements the way they shop for toilet tissue, choosing whichever is the cheapest brand. This is like buying spoiled food to save money. In many cases, the brands with the highest quality cost more, sometimes significantly more. This does not always hold true, however, because occa sionally some worthless brands have high prices.

The only way to tell is to take a close look at the manufacturer. Some will hold a pharmaceutical manufacturer's license, which requires the company to pass rigorous standards and meticulous examinations of its manufacturing methods. Others sell their products to university laboratories and therefore must meet certain standards of quality and purity.

While the length of time a company has been in business and its size are major considerations, some smaller, younger companies make very high quality products. Most supplement companies keep records showing the analysis profiles of their supplements. These are available to health food stores and pharmacies. You should ask to look at the analysis of any supplement in question.
Quality is especially important in patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments because often they have difficulty absorbing nutrients. How a supplement is manufactured makes a great deal of difference. For example, most supplement manufacturers add what is called an excipient to their products. One of the most commonly used is magnesium stearate, which has been shown to reduce nutrient absorption by more than 60 percent, even when used in a capsule. Other excipients are ascorbylpalmitate and stearic acid, both of which cause the same absorption problem.

Supplements can also be coated with a substance to make them easier to swallow. This coating is, in fact, nothing more than shellac, just like the kind used on furniture. Some companies use none of these additives and instead utilize a process that preserves the quality and purity of the product, maximizing absorption.

Herbs are in a special category all their own. Unlike most plants, herbs contain powerful chemicals that have pharmaceutical effects. The amounts of these chemicals in an herb depends on the soil the herb was grown in, the climate of the area, the moisture of the soil, and even the time of day the plant was harvested. When making large batches of herbal supplements, manufacturers must use exacting methods to make sure each capsule has the same amount of active ingredient.

To be sure your herbal supplement has the right amount of the active ingredient, check the label for standardization information. For example, a ginkgo biloba label should say the product is standardized to 24 percent heterosides and 6 percent ter penes. This guarantees that each capsule contains at least these amounts of active ingredients. The best protection is to only buy herbal products that have "Guaranteed Potency Herb" written on the label. This assures you of a very high standard herb. Never buy cheap herbs.