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Ailmemts & Remedies

Bronchitis

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Description:
Bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the tubes that carry air to your lungs. This condition causes you to cough persistently, sometimes making it hard to breathe. The coughing may even lead to chest pain and wheezing. Bronchitis is also known as a chest cold because it usually occurs after you’ve already experienced symptoms of the common cold.

About 5 percent of adults self-report an episode of acute bronchitis each year. Up to 90 percent of them seek medical advice. In fact, bronchitis is the fifth most common reason why adults see their general practitioner.

Symptoms:
The main symptom of acute bronchitis is a persistent cough. This cough lasts until your bronchial tubes heal and the swelling goes down. The cough lasts for less than 3 weeks in 50 percent of patients. But for 25 percent of patients it may last more than one month. Because bronchitis usually develops after you’ve already had a cold or flu, you may also experience typical cold and flu symptoms, such as:

*Sore throat
*Fatigue
*Stuffy or runny nose
*ever
Body aches
*Vomiting
*Diarrhea

When you cough, you may produce a clear mucus, or slimy substance; if the mucus is a yellow or green color, that’s a sign that you have a bacterial infection as well.

Other symptoms of acute bronchitis include wheezing (a whistling or squeaky sound when you breathe), chest tightness or pain, lower fever and maybe even shortness of breath, especially during physical activity.

People with chronic bronchitis most commonly experience coughing (often called a smoker’s cough) with large amounts of fluid, wheezing and chest discomfort.

When to Call Your Doctor
If a persistent cough interferes with your sleep or compromises your daily activities.
If mucus becomes darker or thicker or increases significantly in volume.
If your fever is above 100F.
If your breathing becomes increasingly difficult or if you cough up blood.
If your symptoms last more than 48 hours.
Reminder: If you have a medical condition, talk to your doctor before taking supplements.

What It Is ....click & see the pictures
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the windpipe and bronchial tubes, the large airways that lead to the lungs. These airways swell and thicken, paralyzing the cilia, the tiny hairs that line the respiratory tract and sweep away dust and germs. Mucus builds up, resulting in a cough.
There are two types of bronchitis: acute and chronic. Acute is marked by a slight fever that lasts for a few days and a cough that goes away after several weeks. In chronic bronchitis, a hacking cough along with discolored phlegm persists for several months and may disappear and recur.

There are two types of bronchitis: acute and chronic. Acute is marked by a slight fever that lasts for a few days and a cough that goes away after several weeks. In chronic bronchitis, a hacking cough along with discolored phlegm persists for several months and may disappear and recur.

What Causes It
Acute bronchitis frequently follows a cold or the flu, though it can also result from a bacterial infection or exposure to chemical fumes. Chronic bronchitis occurs when the lungs have been irritated for a long time. The primary cause of chronic bronchitis is cigarette smoking. People with long-term exposure to secondhand smoke, workers routinely exposed to chemical fumes, and individuals with chronic allergies are also susceptible.

How Supplements Can Help
Supplements can help strengthen your body’s immune response and also stimulate its normal process of loosening and bringing up phlegm. The supplements for acute bronchitis should be taken only while you are ill. Those for chronic bronchitis require long-term use.
The following vitamins should be used daily. Vitamin C is particularly helpful in fighting off viruses that attack the respiratory system. Take it coupled with powerful antioxidants called flavonoids (or bioflavonoids), which are natural antivirals and anti-inflammatories. Vitamin A is also important for immune health. In chronic bronchitis, both vitamins assist in the healing of damaged lung tissue.

For an acute attack, drink horehound tea to help thin mucus secretions. Or use the herb slippery elm in place of horehound if you prefer. The amino acid-like substance NAC (N-acetylcysteine) also thins mucus and has been reported to reduce the recurrence rate of bronchitis.

The herbs echinacea and astragalus have antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-strengthening properties. At the higher doses, they can be used to fight off acute bronchitis. For chronic or seasonal bronchitis, try taking the following herbs in rotation: echinacea (200 mg twice a day), astragalus (200 mg twice a day), pau d’arco (250 mg twice a day), and 1,500 mg of reishi or 600 mg of maitake mushrooms a day. Use one herb for one week, then switch to another; continue this cycle as long as needed.

What Else You Can Do
Quit smoking — and avoid situations where others smoke.
Drink plenty of fluids, such as diluted fruit juices and herbal teas. Dehydration can cause mucus to become thick and difficult to cough up.
Eliminate the use of aerosol products (hair sprays, deodorants, and insecticides), which can irritate airway passages.
Stay indoors when the air quality is poor if you have chronic bronchitis.
When suffering from bronchitis, people often have difficulty breathing while they’re eating. So try to avoid foods that are hard to chew, such as meats and raw vegetables.
Avoid antihistamines and decongestants, which won’t help alleviate lung symptoms and may actually make your condition worse. That’s because these drugs can dry up and thicken mucus, making it more difficult for you to cough up.


Supplement Recommendations

Vitamin C/Flavonoids
Vitamin A
Horehound
NAC
Echinacea
Astragalus

Vitamin C/Flavonoids
Dosage: 1,000 mg vitamin C and 500 mg flavonoids 3 times a day.
Comments: Reduce vitamin C dose if diarrhea develops.

Vitamin A
Dosage: 25,000 IU a day for 1 month.
Comments: Women who are pregnant or considering pregnancy should not exceed 5,000 IU a day.

Horehound
Dosage: As a tea, 3 or 4 cups a day.
Comments: Use 1 or 2 tsp. per cup of hot water; add honey to taste.

NAC
Dosage: 500 mg (acute) or 250 mg (chronic) 3 times a day.
Comments: Take between meals. For long-term use, add 30 mg zinc and 2 mg copper daily.

Echinacea
Dosage: 200 mg 4 times daily (acute) or twice a day (chronic).
Comments: Standardized to contain 3.5% echinacosides.

Astragalus

Dosage: 200 mg 4 times daily (acute) or twice a day (chronic).
Comments: Supplying 0.5% glucosides and 70% polysaccharides.
Source:Your Guide to Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs

Click for herbal cure & Home remedies for BRONCHITIS

Click to learn more about Acute Bronchitis and its Ayurvedic Remedy

IT IS ADVISED TO DO PRANAYAMA (BREATHING EXERCISE)  DAILY TO GET RID OF THIS TYPE DISEASE PERMANENTLY

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.

Categories
Ailmemts & Remedies

Cataracts

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Although half the people over age 50 and three-quarters of those over age 75 develop cataracts, the condition isn’t an inevitable part of aging. Recent studies show that certain lifestyle strategies can lessen your chance of developing this serious but treatable vision disorder.

Symptoms
Gradual and painless blurring or dimming of vision.
Increased sensitivity to sun glare or car headlights at night
Seeing halos around lights
Changes in color perception.

When to Call Your Doctor
If you begin to develop cataract symptoms.
Reminder: If you have a medical condition, talk to your doctor before taking supplements.

What It Is
The eye’s lens is normally transparent; it refracts and focuses light on the retina, which allows a clear image to form. When the proteins in the lens break down, they clump together and form opaque spots called cataracts. These spots hinder light from being transmitted properly to the retina, and vision becomes cloudy or blurry. The degree of impaired vision depends on the cataract’s size, density, and location on the lens.

What Causes It
Cataracts may develop as a result of age-related body changes; but some experts now think that the majority of cases can be attributed to smoking or to lifetime exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun. A low level of antioxidants (vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and selenium) may also be a factor. These compounds can squelch free radicals — unstable oxygen molecules — that can damage the lens. (Normally, the lens has a high concentration of glutathione, an antioxidant produced by the body.) In addition, having diabetes or being overweight increases the risk of cataracts, probably because high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood contribute to the destruction of lens proteins. Injury to the eye can cause cataracts too.

How Supplements Can Help
Taking supplements before a cataract appears may postpone its development or prevent it altogether. In the early stages of a cataract, supplements may slow its growth. Only surgery will remove a cataract, however.

What Else You Can Do
Quit smoking.
Protect your eyes from UV rays by wearing sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat when outdoors
Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables; they’re good sources of antioxidants.

Supplement Recommendations

Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Selenium
Bilberry
Ginkgo Biloba
Alpha-lipoic Acid
Grape Seed Extract
Flaxseed Oil

Vitamin C
Dosage: 1,000 mg twice a day.
Comments: Reduce dose if diarrhea develops.

Vitamin E
Dosage: 400 IU a day.
Comments: Check with your doctor if taking anticoagulant drugs.

Selenium
Dosage: 400 mcg a day.
Comments: Don’t exceed 600 mcg daily; higher doses may be toxic.

Bilberry
Dosage: 80 mg 3 times a day.
Comments: Standardized to contain 25% anthocyanosides. May be included in nutritional supplement eye formulas.

Ginkgo Biloba
Dosage: 40 mg 3 times a day.
Comments: Standardized to have at least 24% flavone glycosides.

Alpha-lipoic Acid
Dosage: 150 mg a day.
Comments: Take in the morning with or without food.

Grape Seed Extract
Dosage: 100 mg twice a day.
Comments: Standardized to contain 92%-95% proanthocyanidins.

Flaxseed Oil
Dosage: 1 tbsp. (14 grams) a day.
Comments: Can be mixed with food; take in the morning.

Click to learn more about Cataracts

Source:Your Guide to Vitamins,Minerals,and Herbs

Categories
Ailmemts & Remedies

Angina

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Definition:  Angina pain develops when the muscles of the heart are not getting enough oxygen. This is usually caused by narrowing or blockages of the coronary arteries which deliver oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle (known as coronary artery disease). So angina is a sign of heart disease……….click & see

If the blockage of a coronary artery progresses and becomes complete, then the blood supply to part of the muscles of the heart is lost, causing a heart attack. Angina is a warning sign that the heart is at risk of a heart attack, and should be taken very seriously. One patient in every ten will go on to have a heart attack within a year of diagnosis of angina.

When your heart isn’t getting enough blood and oxygen, the crushing, squeezing pain of angina is typically the result. Usually the pain begins below the breastbone and radiates to the shoulder, arm, or jaw, increasing in intensity until it reaches a plateau and then diminishes. The attack can last up to 15 minutes.

Angina may be an occasional problem or may rapidly increase in severity and duration until a heart attack occurs.

Although conventional medications for angina may help relieve the intense chest pain of this heart disorder, they do very little to halt the physiological mechanisms behind it. Vitamins, minerals, and natural remedies may actually improve the condition — or at least keep it from.

Symptoms:…….

Symptoms include:

*Crushing or squeezing chest pain.
*Weakness.
*Sweating.
*Shortness of breath.
*Palpitations.
*Nausea.
*Light-headedness.

When to Call Your Doctor
If you have any of the above symptoms for the first time.
If there is any change in the normal pattern of your angina attacks — for example, if they increase in frequency, intensity, or duration, or if they are brought on by new activities.
If an angina attack lasts more than 15 minutes, which may be a heart attack — call for an ambulance immediately.
Reminder: If you have a medical condition, talk to your doctor before taking supplements.

Causes and risk factors:
Angina is common – about eight per cent of men and three per cent of women aged between 55 and 64 have experienced it, and it becomes more common with age.

It’s most commonly caused by narrowing of the arteries which carry oxygen to the heart muscle by a process called atherosclerosis (sometimes known as hardening of the arteries). This is a common condition where fatty deposits or plaques build up in the coronary arteries. Symptoms don’t usually develop until there is at least a 50 per cent blockage of the artery.

Most people in the developed world will have some atherosclerosis by the time they reach mid-life (and often much earlier), but some conditions can make it worse including:

•High cholesterol levels in the blood (especially if there is an inherited tendency to high cholesterol or a strong family history of heart disease).
•Cigarette smoking.
•Diabetes mellitus.
•High blood pressure.
Other conditions can also interfere with the blood supply to the heart muscle and lead to angina. These include:

•Abnormal heart rhythms (for example when the heart beats so fast that it isn’t pumping blood efficiently around the body).
•Heart valve disease.
•Inherited structural abnormalities of the coronary arteries.
•Severe anaemia (where the blood count is so low that it cannot carry much oxygen to the tissues).
Other important risk factors for angina include obesity, and raised levels of chemical in the blood called homocysteine, or other chemicals involved with clotting.

In another condition, known as Prinzmetal’s angina or coronary artery spasm, the coronary arteries aren’t permanently blocked but intermittently narrowed by spasm. This often develops in the early hours of the morning and may last up to 30 minutes. Those affected may also complain of palpitations and abnormal heart rhythms, or have similar conditions linked to spasm of the arteries such as migraine or Raynaud’s phenomenon.

Events which put extra strain on the heart can make angina worse, such as:

•Fever.
•Infection and serious illness.
•Emotional stress.
•An overactive thyroid gland.
•Sudden extreme exertion.
But angina can come on at rest, even when a person is lying down in bed.

Diagnosis and modern treatment :
There are many problems which can be confused with angina, especially simply indigestion or gastro-oesophageal reflux. There may be no visible signs of angina so it’s important that tests are done to establish the diagnosis, to ensure the affected person gets the right treatment.

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is essential and may show typical changes but can be normal in angina. Blood tests can be done to check for causes such as anaemia and look for chemical enzymes (called Troponins) released from the heart if a heart attack has occurred. Other checks for cholesterol levels, blood fats, diabetes and thyroid disease may be done. In most areas of the UK these tests will be done at the local Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic.

More complex tests such as an ECG during exercise, echocardiogram or other sophisticated x-ray tests may be recommended. However, NICE has recently produced guidelines which direct which tests should be done based on a statistical calculation of how likely to patient is to have angina. For example, invasive coronary angiography (where a tube is inserted into the coronary arteries and dye injected to produce x-rays pictures of the coronary arteries) is usually offered when there is a greater than 61 per cent chance of coronary artery disease.

Treatment of angina includes:

•Lifestyle advice to manage risk factors, such as weight loss, exercise, quitting smoking and a healthy diet.
•Medical treatment, including a drug called glyceryl trinitrate or GTN which can be taken repeatedly as a tablet put under the tongue or as a spray, and medical advice on what to do if pain persists (ie. if there is a risk of a heart attack).
•Assessment and treatment for coronary artery disease, including a variety of drug treatments to help open the arteries or treatments such as aspirin and a statin type drug which help to reduce the risk of a heart attack. More invasive treatments to open up the coronary arteries may be recommended especially when there is severe blockage. These are known as coronary revascularisation. The main two types are either coronary artery bypass grafting, or percutaneous transluminal angioplasty.

How Supplements Can Help
The supplements listed in the chart can all be used together or alone. They can also complement your prescription angina medications; never stop your heart medication without first consulting your doctor, however.
The antioxidant effect of vitamins C and E can help prevent cell damage: Vitamin C aids in the repair of the arteries injured by plaque, and vitamin E blocks the oxidation of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, the initial step in the formation of plaque. In addition, some people with heart disease have low levels of vitamin E as well as the mineral magnesium, which may inhibit spasms of the coronary arteries.

Amino acids can benefit the heart in several ways. Arginine plays a role in forming nitric oxide, which relaxes artery walls. One study found that taking this amino acid three times a day increased the amount of time individuals with angina could exercise at moderate intensity without having to stop because of chest pain. Carnitine, an amino acid-like substance, allows heart muscle cells to use energy more efficiently, and another amino acid, taurine, may temper heart rhythm abnormalities.

Like carnitine, the nutritional supplement coenzyme Q10 enhances the heart muscle, reducing its workload, and the herb hawthorn improves blood flow to the heart. Essential fatty acids may be effective in lowering triglyceride levels and keeping arteries flexible.

What Else You Can Do
Eat a low-fat, fiber-rich diet; use canola or olive oil instead of butter.
Don’t smoke and avoid smoky places.
Learn to relax. Meditation, t’ai chi, and yoga may reduce angina attacks.
Join a support group. Determine what brought you to this point in your life and what you can do to begin reversing the disease.

Supplement Recommendations
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Magnesium
Arginine
Carnitine
Taurine
Coenzyme Q10
Hawthorn
Essential Fatty Acids

Vitamin C
Dosage: 1,000 mg 3 times a day.
Comments: Reduce dose if diarrhea develops.

Vitamin E
Dosage: 400 IU twice a day.
Comments: Check with your doctor if taking anticoagulant drugs.

Magnesium
Dosage: 200 mg twice a day.
Comments: Do not take if you have kidney disease.

Arginine

Dosage: 500 mg L-arginine 3 times a day on an empty stomach.
Comments: If using longer than 1 month, add mixed amino acids.

Carnitine
Dosage: 500 mg L-carnitine 3 times a day on an empty stomach.
Comments: If using longer than 1 month, add mixed amino acids.

Taurine
Dosage: 500 mg L-taurine 3 times a day on an empty stomach.
Comments: If using longer than 1 month, add mixed amino acids.

Coenzyme Q10

Dosage: 100 mg twice a day.
Comments: For best absorption, take with food.

Hawthorn

Dosage: 100-150 mg 3 times a day.
Comments: Standardized to contain at least 1.8% vitexin.

Essential Fatty Acids
Dosage: 1 tbsp. flaxseed oil a day; 2,000 mg fish oils 3 times a day.
Comments: Take fish oils if you don’t eat fish at least twice a week.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.

Resource:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/in_depth/heart/angina.shtml
http://www.gulfmd.com/cardiology/Facts_About_Angina.asp
http://indiahealthtour.com/treatments/health-check-screening/treadmill-test-india.html

Your Guide to Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs

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Canker Sores

Patients with ulcerative colitis can occasiona...

Given their diminutive size, it’s hard to fathom how canker sores can hurt as much as they do. Commonsense self-care measures can assist you in avoiding these painful mouth ulcers, and supplements may help you reduce their frequency and speed their healing.


Symptoms
Small white or yellowish sores surrounded by a red area on the tongue, gums, or soft palate, or inside the lips or cheeks.
Burning, itchiness, or a tingling feeling before a sore appears.
Raw pain when eating and speaking; strongest during the first few days.

When to Call Your Doctor
If pain is too severe to consume adequate liquids.
If more than four sores appear throughout your mouth.
If sores persist longer than two weeks.
If fever is 101 degree F or higher.
If sores occur more than two or three times a year.
Reminder: If you have a medical condition, talk to your doctor before taking supplements.

What It Is
Though not serious, canker sores can be so bothersome that they can cause intense pain when talking, kissing, drinking, and eating. Affecting women more often than men, these shallow, ulcerated areas appear singly or in small clusters inside the mouth, and range in size from as tiny as a pinhead to as large as a quarter. Cankers emerge fairly suddenly and usually go away within one to three weeks. Fortunately, it is possible to ease the discomfort they cause.


What Causes It

The prevailing view is that the sores are triggered by stress, which can cause the body’s immune system to overreact to bacteria normally present in the mouth. Canker sores can also be precipitated by a number of actions, such as irritating the
mouth cavity with a rough filling or a jagged or chipped tooth or wearing ill-fitting dentures. Maybe you’ve unconsciously gnawed the inside of your cheek, used a toothbrush with very hard bristles, or brushed too vigorously. Occasionally, even
eating acidic, spicy, or salty foods — tomatoes, citrus fruits, hot peppers, cinnamon, nuts, or potato chips — can be the initiating factor.
Some experts believe recurring cankers are an allergic reaction to food preservatives (benzoic acid, methylparaben, or sorbic acid, to name a few) or to something in a food. They single out gluten, the protein found in wheat and some other grains, as the most likely offender.

How Supplements Can Help
When canker sores erupt, turn to one or more of the following supplements. First try lysine — a deficiency in this amino
acid has been associated with canker sores. Echinacea strengthens the immune system, and lower doses of this herb (200 mg each morning, three weeks a month) may also prevent cankers from forming. Another immune-booster, vitamin C helps heal the
mouth’s mucous membranes; flavonoids are natural compounds that enhance the effectiveness of this vitamin. Licorice (DGL) wafers coat and protect sores from irritants and help them heal. Goldenseal in liquid form applied directly to the sore also promotes healing. Instead of DGL or goldenseal, you may want to try zinc lozenges to speed healing and boost your resistance.

People who get canker sores frequently may be deficient in B vitamins; a daily vitamin B complex is useful as a preventive.

What Else You Can Do
Keep your mouth clean and healthy by flossing and brushing your teeth at least twice a day. Be gentle and use a soft-bristled brush.
See your dentist if a tooth problem is irritating your mouth.
Be aware if you’re constantly gnawing at the inside of your cheek.
Don’t eat spicy foods if you’re prone to recurrent canker sores. Stay away from coffee and chewing gum, other known irritants.
Eating onions regularly might prevent these sores. Onions contain sulfur compounds that have antiseptic properties, and they are also a leading source of quercetin, a flavonoid that stops the body from releasing inflammatory substances in response to allergens.
If supplements or other self-treatments don’t help relieve the pain or frequency of canker sores, you might want to try a new prescription oral paste known by the generic name of amlexanox.
Supplement Recommendations

Lysine
Echinacea
Vitamin C/Flavonoids
Licorice (DGL)
Goldenseal
Zinc Lozenges
Vitamin B

Lysine
Dosage: 500 mg L-lysine 3 times a day.
Comments: Take on empty stomach; discontinue when sores heal.

Echinacea
Dosage: 200 mg 2 or 3 times a day at first sign of a sore.
Comments: Begin with higher dose and reduce as sore heals. As a preventive, take 200 mg each morning for 3 weeks of each month.

Vitamin C/Flavonoids
Dosage: 1,000 mg vitamin C and 500 mg flavonoids 3 times a day.
Comments: Reduce vitamin C dose if diarrhea develops.

Licorice (DGL)
Dosage: Chew 1 or 2 deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) wafers (380 mg) 3 or 4 times a day.
Comments: Take between meals.

Goldenseal
Dosage: Apply liquid form to the sore 3 times a day.
Comments: After application, wait at least an hour before eating.

Zinc Lozenges
Dosage: 1 lozenge every 2 hours for 3 or 4 days.
Comments: Do not exceed 150 mg zinc a day from all sources.

Vitamin B
Dosage: 1 pill each morning with food.
Comments: Look for a B-50 complex with 50 mcg vitamin B12 and biotin; 400 mcg folic acid; and 50 mg of all other B vitamins.

Herbal Remedy: YOU can fight small and painful ulcers on the tongue, lips, gums and insides of cheeks with underlying causes ranging from poor dental hygiene to allergies, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances to viral infecrion with the following herbs:-

Red clover, burdock, garlic extract, and any herb containing berberine as an active ingredient, including barberry, Oregon grape root and goldenseal root.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.

Resources:
Your Guide to Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs
http://www.herbnews.org/cankersoresdone.htm

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Cancer Prevention

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Lifestyle choices are thought to contribute to about 75% of all cancer cases. The strategies

you can adopt to lower your risk of developing the disease range from getting regular

screening exams to boosting your intake of cancer-fighting antioxidants.

Symptoms
Change in bladder or bowel habits.
Sore, scab, or ulcer that won’t heal.
Unusual bleeding or discharge.
Thickening or lump in the breast or anywhere beneath the skin.
Recurring indigestion or difficulty in swallowing.
Obvious change in a mole or wart, including bleeding.
Nagging cough or hoarseness, or coughing up blood.
Unexplained weight loss or fatigue.

When to Call Your Doctor
If you develop any of the symptoms of cancer, and they don’t go away on their own within two weeks.
Reminder: If you have a medical condition, talk to your doctor before taking supplements.
What It Is
Almost every cell in the body is replaced regularly, and within each cell is a code that
tells it how and when to multiply and when to die. Cancer occurs when something goes wrong with this process, allowing cells to develop abnormally and grow uncontrollably. As these cells proliferate and spread, they damage healthy tissue, blood vessels, and nerves.
Fortunately, in many cases the body is able to identify these changes and destroy the
abnormal cells before they become a threat to health.

What Causes It
Tobacco smoke, excessive exposure to radiation (from X rays or the ultraviolet light of the sun), some industrial chemicals, certain viruses, and some hormones all increase your risk of cancer. Heredity and dietary choices also play a major role in cancer risk: Excessive
amounts of fat, alcohol, and pickled and smoked foods may contribute to cancer, just as fiber, certain nutrients, and fruits and vegetables help protect against it
.
Not everyone exposed to cancer-causing agents, however, will be affected by the disease. A major factor in the development of cancer appears to be the immune system’s ability to
detect and destroy free radicals, unstable oxygen molecules that cause cell damage.

Antioxidants
, compounds produced by the body or derived from food and supplements, can inactivate free radicals and aid the immune system in eradicating early cancer cells.

How Supplements Can Help
Though not a substitute for poor lifestyle choices, supplements may help protect against a variety of cancers. Taking several antioxidants daily is the first line of defense. Vitamin
C with flavonoids play a role in preventing many cancers, such as those of the lung,
esophagus, stomach, bladder, cervix, and colon. Vitamin E may reduce the risk of breast,
colon, prostate, and possibly other cancers. Recent research suggests that antioxidants
protect against cervical cancer. In one study, women with cervical cancer had very low blood levels of vitamin E and carotenoids (such as beta-carotene and lycopene) compared with women who did not have the disease.
The mineral selenium shows promise as a weapon against a number of cancers as well. Taking

200 mcg of selenium a day was shown to reduce cancer risk by 39% and cut the risk of dying from the disease nearly in half in a study of 1,300 people. Because the participants were mostly men, more studies are needed to see if these results apply to women.
For additional protection, the nutritional supplements green tea extract and grape seed
extract may help prevent a host of cancers, including lung, breast, stomach, colon,
prostate, and skin. Though it’s not an antioxidant, flaxseed oil is important because it
contains compounds called lignans, which may protect against breast, colon, and prostate
cancers.

If you wish, you can add the nutrient coenzyme Q10 and the amino acid glutathione, both of which also support the immune system. Take carotenoids only if you don’t eat many fruits and vegetables. These substances — which represent the yellow, orange, and red pigments in fruits and vegetables — help prevent a number of cancers. For example, the carotenoid lycopene (which gives tomatoes their red color) is particularly beneficial in warding off lung and prostate cancers.

What Else You Can Do
Don’t smoke or chew tobacco. Drink alcohol only in moderation.
Eat a diet low in saturated fat and high in fiber. Include plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. Shield yourself from the sun and wear sunscreen when outdoors.
Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.
Schedule regular physical exams and screening tests, such as Pap smears, mammograms, and skin examinations. If cancer develops, catching it and treating it early increase your
chance of full recovery.
Eating plenty of tofu and other soy products may help prevent cancer. Animal studies show that a compound in soy called genistein blocks the production of certain proteins that help cancer cells thrive.
Getting an adequate daily amount of calcium may reduce your risk of colon cancer. The
mineral appears to neutralize bile acids in the colon. Without calcium, these digestive
substances can be altered by intestinal bacteria and then cause abnormal cell changes that may eventually lead to cancer.


Supplement Recommendations

Vitamin C/Flavonoids
Vitamin E
Selenium
Green Tea Extract
Grape Seed Extract
Flaxseed Oil
Coenzyme Q10
Glutathione
Carotenoids

Vitamin C/Flavonoids
Dosage: 1,000 mg vitamin C and 500 mg flavonoids 3 times a day.
Comments: Reduce vitamin C dose if diarrhea develops.

Vitamin E
Dosage: 400 IU a day.
Comments: Check with your doctor if taking anticoagulant drugs.

Selenium
Dosage: 400 mcg a day.
Comments: Don’t exceed 600 mcg daily; higher doses may be toxic.

Green Tea Extract
Dosage: 250 mg twice a day.
Comments: Standardized to contain at least 50% polyphenols.

Grape Seed Extract
Dosage: 100 mg each morning.
Comments: Standardized to contain 92%-95% proanthocyanidins.

Flaxseed Oil

Dosage: 1 tbsp. (14 grams) a day.
Comments: Can be mixed with food; take in the morning.

Coenzyme Q10
Dosage: 50 mg each morning.
Comments: For best absorption, take with food.

Glutathione
Dosage: 100 mg L-glutathione each morning.
Comments: Take with food to minimize stomach irritation.

Carotenoids
Dosage: 1 pill mixed carotenoids a day with food.
Comments: Each pill should supply 25,000 IU vitamin A activity.

Source:Your Guide to Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs (Reader’s Digest)

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