Oleander and cancer - an introduction

[Guest guest]

Hi folks!

My name is Tony Isaacs and I am the owner/moderator of a sister group at

( " Oleandersoup " ), as well as the author of " Cancer's Natural

Enemy " , which is an e-book whose primary topic is the oleander plant

and it's effectiveness against cancer and other conditions.

In addition, I am the Cancer Support moderator for CureZone, where I

also host the " Ask Tony Isaacs " forum, a writer for Natural News, the

Crusader, the American Chronicle and others.

I am not here to promote my book or group or do anything else other than

to help share information I have gathered from several years and

thousands of hours of journalistic research into oleander and other

natural health alternatives, especially as they relate to cancer.

From the posts on my own group, it appears that we have share a

good number of members and I am told that there has been some interest

in this group regarding oleander. Hopefully, my input can provide

some worthwhile information and perhaps clear up some common

misconceptions as well.

First of all, let me acknowledge that oleander is indeed a very toxic

plant in raw form. However, when oleander is properly boiled, strained

and condensed virtually all of the toxins are removed and the remaining

extract is, in my humble opinion, one of the most potent cancer

fighters and immune boosters to be found anywhere.

Because oleander is toxic in raw form there is a common misconception

that the reason it is effective against cancer is due to it's toxicity

and that a key is to use enough oleander to destroy the cancer cells

without significantly harming the patient. Actually, that is not the

case - though it is easy to see why many assume that is how oleander

works.

Oleander is indeed toxic to cancer cells, but not because it is a poison

and the fact is that there is no damage whatsoever to healthy cells

from properly prepared oleander.

Oleander works through the synergistic action of a number of compounds

to prevent cancer cells from multiplying and to induce and enhance

normal programmed cell death via apoptosis and autophagy. Just

exactly how it works and all of the compounds which work together is

not yet completely understood, however, to paraphrase a department head

at M.D. 's famed cancer clinic, " We still don't know exactly

how it works, just that it does work - attacking and killing cancer

cells and only cancer cells, and preventing them from multiplying. "

Among the many cancer fighting and immune boosting compounds that have

been identified thus far in oleander are: The major active

cardiac glycoside Oleandrin, a number of other cardiac glycosides such

as Oleandrinogen, Oleandrigenin and other proven cancer fighting and

immune boosting compounds such as Beta-sistosterol, Quercitin,

Linoleic-acid, Oleic-acid, Adynerin, Alpha-amyrin, Betulin,

Foliandrin, Folinerin, Gitoxigenin, Isoquercitrin, Lauric-acid,

Neriin, Oleandrin, Oleandrigenin, Oleanolic-acid, Rutin, Stigmasterol,

Ursolic-acid, Uzarigenin.

Two recent related studies, " Bioactive Cardenolides from the Stems and

Twigs of Nerium oleander " and " Bioactive pregnanes from nerium

oleander " identified and evaluated several other compounds in oleander,

finding at least 10 which demonstrated cancer fighting and inhibiting

qualities.

It is my firm belief that a major reason for oleander's success is it's

tremendous immune boosting qualities. In European studies in 1986-87,

an aqueous extract of oleander was found to have fully six times the

immune stimulating activity of the most powerful patented immune

stimulators known to man. No doubt, that is why an herbal supplement

based on oleander has been virtually 100% successful in reversing HIV

symptoms (which was demonstrated in a clinical trial at a Johannesburg

AIDS clinic in South Africa).

One should note that the cardiac glycosides in oleander cross-assay with

digoxin/digitalis and caution should be exercised for anyone taking

digoxin/digitalis or any other cardiac glycosie as well as blood

thinners such as Wayfarin/Coumadin. However, the cardiac glycosides in

oleander are non-polar (non water soluable) compounds and the amount of

those obtained from the aqueous extraction method is tiny. The average

dose of oleander contains about 1/4oth the amount of cardiac glycosides

as does a does of digoxin.

Though the herbal supplement from South Africa was devised primarily to

combat the AIDS epidemic in the patent holder's native country

(currently they sell and dispense over 10,000 bottles per month there),

it has also been used by hundreds of people with a broad range of

cancer types and stages - many of whom had already been treated without

success by mainstream methods. Thus far, in over five years, only

eight people who have taken it are not still alive as far as can be

determined. Three began taking it with only days to live and another

five died major organ failure as a likely result of prior chemo and/or

radiation.

Those figures seem to match what I have observed in my aforemenioned

1200 member group. In five years I am only aware of three people

who are not still alive. Two were in their final days and another took

oleander for less than two months before listening to his oncologist

tell him that it would not work. He proceeded nevertheless to live

well over a year past the oncologist's prediction. Ironically, for

those who do choose mainstream treatments, oleander has been shown to

either eliminate or greatly lessen virtually all known side effects of

chemo and radiation including hair loss (with the sole exception that it

does not eliminate hair loss when the chemo drug of choice is

Cisplatin).

An increasing number of enlightened oncologists are using oleander as a

CAM item as word of it's success and abilities slowly spreads.

Currently, two investigational new drugs (INDs) are in FDA trials.

One, Anvirzel, has already passed phase I toxicity trials, and the

latest, an as yet unnamed drug which uses a liquid carbon dioxide

extraction method, is reported to be sailing through the trials at MD

. Sadly, it will be years - if ever - before any drug based

on oleander is approved and makes it to market. Given what I have

learned about the hugely profit-oriented trillion dollar goliath that is

mainstream medicine, I have serious doubts that any drug which is

anywhere close to as effective as oleander seems to be will ever make

it to market in a safe, effective and unadulterated form. Call me a

cynic, but cancer is a 400 Billion a year industry whose continued

existence and profits depends on NOT finding a cure.

The good news is that oleander is available right now as a patented

medicine from Hondura, in at least three supplement forms, and can even

be made at home by carefully following instructions on the proper

handling, boiling, condensing, straining and preserving of the extract.

So, is oleander a magic bullet? Absolutely not, though it is the

closest thing I have been able to find, especially when combined with

an overall cancer fighting lifetstyle that includes other cancer

fighting and immune boosting elements, such as the Budwig diet's

flaxseed and cottage cheese, a healthy mostly raw, mostly vegetarian

diet, sunshine, clean water, moderate physical activity, cleansing and

detoxing the body and environment, removal of stress, and other cancer

fighting and immune boosting supplementation.

Both myself and the naturopathic PhD who devised the herbal supplement

from South Africa based on oleander strongly advise such steps as

outlined above, and no doubt that following those steps has played a

great role in the success of many who have used oleander.

No supplement, medication or treatment is nearly as likely to be

successful against cancer and other major illnesses unless a person

builds a health foundation. In other words, no one should just throw

supplements or other items on top of an unhealthy body and continue

doing the same things they have been doing all along while their

condition developed.

While I could go on at length about oleander, rather than take up too

much space here I will just refer you to a series of articles I have

written about oleander for more information. See " The Oleander Series "

at

http://www.tbyil.com/articles.htm <http://www.tbyil.com/articles.htm>

Lastly, I note that this group is supported by CureZone.org

<http://www.curezone.org/> , a site I support enthusiastically and

which also supports myself and my group. If anyone is interested,

there are some testimonials and other information at CureZone in the

Oleander Support <http://www.curezone.com/forums/f.asp?f=936> and

Cancer Support <http://www.curezone.com/forums/f.asp?f=254> forums.

Again, it is not my intention to sell anything or to solicit members for

my own group, but rather to share information with this group - the same

as members of this group have shared information they got here with my

group.

Thanks for your indulgence and I hope you find this information helpful.

Live long, live healthy, live happy!

Tony Isaacs