Herbs, Cancer and Drugs

[Guest guest]

Here is an article from the Journal of Clinical Oncology and the National Cancer

Institute on the combination of taking herbs and cancer drugs.

www.healthmonitor.com (winter 2008 edition)

Herbs have the reputation of being natural and gentle, but they contain

compounds that can profoundly affect the body. Research continues on how to

harness their bioactivity to make more effective or more tolerable cancer

treatments. The strength that herbals may have for positive effects could

significantly interfere with treatments if the wrong products are used at the

wrong times.

There is another misconception about herbal products, and all supplements for

that matter, which everyone should be aware of. Consumers may not always attain

the same benefits observed in research studies, because supplements may differ

from what was used in research. Independent tests on a variety of herbal

products have shown that some are missing significant levels of important

compounds, or are contaminated with unlisted ingredients. One safeguard against

this problem is to check the label for a mark by the United States Pharmacopeia

(USP) that says " dietary supplement verified " in a circle. For a partial list of

supplements verified by USP for quality you can visit www.uspverified.org.

Another organization that independently tests the quality of supplements is

ConsumerLab.com.Its website is www.consumerlab.com.

Individuals on chemotherapy should avoid grape seed; those who have blood

clotting problems or are taking anticlotting drugs should avoid bilberry.

Garlic may increase bleeding when used together with aspirin, warfarin, or

deipyridamole.

CYTOCHROME P450 Enzymes:

http://www.uky.edu/Pharmacy/ps/porter/CPR.htm

Ginkgo may affect the metabolism of certain cancer medications. Echinacea may

interact with cancer drugs metabolized by one of the P450 enzymes.

Soy can stimulate the growth of breast and endometrial tumors as well as

nneutralize the ability of the drug tamoxifen to slow breast cancer growth.

Women with estrogen-dependent tumors should avoid soy.

St. 's wort appears to afffect several drug-metabolizing enzymes and

interacts with drugs from a variety of therapeutic classes.

Saw palmettoshould be avoided by women taking oral contraceptives and estrogen

replacement. The reasoning is because of possible additive effects.

Ginseng can affect estrogen levels, so it should not be taken by women with

breast or endometrial cancer.

Blackcohosh may increase the effect of tamoxifen for women with breast cancer.

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Arthritis help tips:

Movements that require a strong grip or pinch are among the most troublesome for

people with arthritis. If your hands are weak or your fingers are stiff or

inflamed, look for tools with large, textured, cushioned handles, which require

less strength and protect bony surfaces. A variety of easy-grip cooking and

cleaning implements, such as those made by Oxo, can befound in supermarkets and

home-furnishing stores. Alternatively, you can slip plastic grips or foam tubes

onto a toothbrush, razor, or eating utensil, or simply wrap textured sports tape

around slippery handles.

Other gadgets use leverage to reduce stress on painful fingers. A

cabinet-mounted jar opener, for example, holds securely to screw-toplids, which

lets you grasp the jar with both hands and use your arm andshoulder muscles for

twisting. A sturdy plastic key turner provides leverage tohelp you open a door

or start your car; a door knob turner converts a standard knob into a lever you

depress with your wrist or forearm. Button hooks, zipperpulls, and elastic

shoelaces make dressing easier, and similar tools can help with writing, sewing,

and other precise movements.

http://www.healthmonitor.com/takingcare/arthritis/arthritis%E2%80%99s-little-hel\

pers-simple-tools-staying-independent.html

http://www.aicr.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle & id=7776 & news_iv_ctrl=0 & abbr=pr_h\

f_

Blessings,

Lottie