Cancer and Dietary Supplements

Aviva Levina, Rachel Codd and Peter A. Lay Centre for Heavy Metals Research and Centre for Structural Biology and Structural Chemistry, School of Chemistry, 

Address all correspondence to Peter A. Lay, Centre for Heavy Metals Research and Centre for Structural Biology and Structural Chemistry, School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia phone 61-2-93514269, fax 61-2-93513329, email p.lay chem.usyd.edu.au. 

Hanson, L. Berliner (eds.). High Resolution EPR, Biological Magnetic Resonance 28, 

The importance of EPR spectroscopy in flie development of Cr bioinorganic chemistry is based on flie sensitive detection and speciation of Cr(V) and radical intermediates and (to a lesser extent) Cr(III) products, which are formed in biological and biomimetic systems exposed to Cr compounds. While the technique is very powerful in these studies, it is not wifliout its controversies, such as its purported use for the detection of Cr(TV) intermediates and hydroxyl ( OH) radicals in biological systems (see 3 and 4) [1]. The strength and limitations of EPR spectroscopy in relation to various Cr-derived reactive intermediates are discussed in detail in the following sections. 

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A. Levina, R. Codd, and P. A. Lay, Chromium in cancer and dietary supplements, in G. Hanson and L. Berliner, (Eds.) High Resolution EPR. Applications to Metalloenzymes and Metals in Medicine, Biological Magnetic Resonance, Vol. 28, Springer, New York, 2009, pp. 551-579. 

Oxidation reactions are important in many reactions that keep our bodies going. But oxidation has also been blamed for aging, cancer, hardening of the arteries, and rheumatoid arthritis. Research is being done to evaluate the benefits of antioxidants in foods and dietary supplements. Antioxidants are natural reducing agents such as... 

Having mentioned soy again, a referral is made to a lengthy article appearing in the same November 2004 issue of the Townsend Letter for Doctors Patients. By Vijaya Nair, M.D., and titled Soy and Cancer Survivors Dietary Supplementation with Fermented Soy Nutraceutical, Haelan 951 in Patients Who Survived Terminal Cancers, tyrosine kinase inhibition is not specifically cited, but components elsewhere identified with this particular inhibiting action are prominently included. 

Selenium is widely sold as a dietary supplement. It is advertised to protect women from breast cancer. Write the nuclear symbol for naturally occurring selenium. It has 34 protons and 46 neutrons. 

In nearly every pharmacy, supermarket, and health food store, you can find bottles of antioxidants and antioxidant-rich natural products, such as fish oils, Gingko biloba leaves, and wheat grass. These dietary supplements are intended to help the body control its population of radicals and, as a result, slow aging and degenerative diseases such as heart failure and cancer. 

In order to get recent advances on the effects of phytoestrogens on hormonal-dependent diseases as well as on human supplementation trials, it might be useful to refer to http //www.venus-ca.org/ (EU-funded project on dietary exposure to phytoestrogens and related compounds and effects on skeletal tissues) http //www.phytos.org (EU-funded project on the prevention of osteoporosis by nutritional phytoestrogens) http //www.phytoprevent.org (EU-funded project on the role of phytoestrogens in the prevention of breast and prostate cancer) and http //www.nutrition.tum.de/isoheart.htm (EU-funded project on cardiovascular health of postmenopausal women). 

The sterols and sterolins in rice bran are potent immunomodulators. The best response was obtained with a 100 1 sterol/sterolin mixture that demonstrated T-cell proliferation from 20% to 920% and active cell antigens after four weeks in human subjects (Bouic et al, 1996). Another in vitro experimental study with sterol/sterolins, demonstrated a significant increase in cytokinines, interleukin-2 and y-interferon between 17% and 41 % in addition to an increase in natural killer cell activity. These experiments (Bouic et al, 1996) prove that sterol/sterolins are potent immunomodulators with important implications for the treatment of immune dysfunction. Rice bran products are excellent dietary supplements for the improvement of immune function. It is probable that the effects of rice bran on diabetes, CVD and cancer all result from improved immune function. 

Kucuk, O. et al.. Effects of lycopene supplementation in patients with localized prostate cancer, Exp. Biol. Med. (Maywood), 227, 881, 2002. van Breemen, R.B. et al.. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry of cis- and all-trans-lycopene in human serum and prostate tissue after dietary supplementation with tomato sauce, J. Agric. Food Chem., 50, 2214, 2002. 

Dietary and pharmacologic agents influence the risk of colon cancer. Diets high in fat and low in fiber are associated with increased colon cancer risk, whereas the regular use of aspirin (and other NSAIDs) and calcium supplementation may decrease the risk of colon cancer. 

The risk of colon cancer appears to be inversely related to calcium and folate intake. Calciums protective effect may be related to a reduction in mucosal cell proliferation rates or through its binding to bile salts in the intestine, whereas dietary folate helps in maintaining normal bowel mucosa. Additional micronutrient deficiencies have been demonstrated through several studies to increase colorectal cancer risk and include selenium, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and 3-carotene however, the benefit of dietary supplementation does not appear to be substantial.11... 

Several studies have linked lutein to a lower risk for eye, skin and other health disorders, probably through its antioxidant activity. Lutein is apparently metabolized to zeaxanthin, an isomer, and several other compounds which protect the macula from ultraviolet radiation. The suggestion is that lutein may play a positive role in reducing macular degeneration. Other reports have linked lutein to a reduction of risk of cancer.13 Regardless, lutein is currently being promoted as an important dietary supplement. 

In view of the reported growing importance ascribed to folic acid deficiency in the prevention of various disease conditions, such as neural tube defects, megaloblastic anemia, colon cancer, and colorectal cancer, a dissolution requirement is specified for folic acid when it is present in multivitamin-mineral combination products. Currently, the dissolution standard required in the official articles of dietary supplements (including vitamin-mineral combination products) places folic acid outside the index vitamin hierarchy. Therefore, a mandatory dissolution test for folic acid is required that is independent of and in addition to the mandatory index vitamin test for multivitamin preparations containing folic acid. 

About Herbs, a project of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York, New York), evaluates more than 300 herbs, dietary supplements, and "alternative" cancer treatments. Both "professional" and consumer versions are provided, but most of the professional information is readily understandable by la5q>eople. The articles are shorter than their counterparts in the Natural Medicines database, but they are researched and written quite well. 

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