Herbal Remedies For Cancer

Herbal Supplements Leave Out Safety Information

Herbal medicines have become popular in recent years as people seek out natural remedies to better their health, but many of those supplements can cause dangerous side effects when mixed with certain medicines or health conditions, says a new study.

Researchers from the University of Leeds evaluated several different kinds of five commonly used remedies—St. John's wort, Asian ginseng, Echinacea, garlic and Gingko—from popular pharmacies and health food stores. While typically safe, all five products can cause problems in people who take certain medications or suffer from particular diseases.

The scientists also looked for key safety messages, like the seal from the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine,and warnings about interactions and side effects.

They found that 93 percent of the tested products did not meet standard safety and quality requirements and more than half were marketed as food supplements. Only three of the 68 evaluated products contained an acceptable amount of safety information, researchers said.

"Most of the herbal medicine products studied did not provide key safety information which consumers need for their safe use," researchers wrote in the study, published in the journal, BMC Medicine. "Potential purchasers need to know, in both the short term and the long term, how to purchase herbal products which provide the information they need for the safe use of these products."

Experts noted several adverse effects when combining particular herbal remedies with other medications or health conditions. For example, St. John's wort can decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills and warfarin, an anticoagulant. Asian ginseng, often used to treat fatigue and stress, should not be taken by diabetics as it can meddle with a person's blood sugar levels. Gingko and Echinacea can cause severe allergic reactions and even garlic may interfere with drugs that treat HIV.

"Herb-drug interactions represent a serious problem," said Barrie Cassileth, chief of integrative medicine service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. "Herbal supplements often interact with prescription medications, and many cause serious unwanted side effects, such as interfering with coagulation of the blood. Our policy is to avoid herbal supplements if you are on prescription medication."

But other experts said supplement warnings would be too cumbersome, and many people wouldn't read them anyway.

Just Go for It : Natural Cures for Prostate Cancer | Cancer Treatment

Prostate cancer is treated in many ways. Hormone therapy, surgical removal of the gland and radiation therapy are just a few of the options available. Treatments like these are commonly resulting in various side effects as well. Some side effects are mild and short-term but some also are permanent and irreversible.

Alternative treatments for prostate cancer are also available and all are natural cures. From the cost viewpoint to effectiveness to less risky side effects, these are just some of the benefits gained from natural treatment of prostate cancer. Undergoing this treatment involves a change in one’s nutritional diet, supplementation and herbal remedies. Under the guidance of a nutritionist and discipline of one’s body, better health is coming your way.

Advice for Natural Cures for Prostate Cancer:

This might be a very important piece of this issue. Following a nutritionist’s advice is essential in taking the first step in undergoing natural healing process. One has to change his diet in order to have proper nutrition. Practicing healthy living through balanced diet and proper nutrition is believed to make your immune system stronger and thus hinders the growth of cancer cells. Having poor nutrition, on the other hand, will only enhance or facilitate cancer cell development.

There are several food groups that mainly consist a prostate cancer patient’s diet. Fruits and vegetables are vital components of the balanced diet. As well as good sources of omega three fatty acids from cold-water fish like tuna, mackerel and salmon. Using olive oils instead of conventional oils in your diet provides cholesterol free healthy fat.

Daily supplements prove to be one of the natural cures for prostate cancer patients. Some known healthy supplements are green tea, selenium, melatonin, lycopene, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E and folic acid. Altogether, they aid the patient’s system to make sure that the body is absorbing all essential nutrients.

Medications for Natural Cures for Prostate Cancer:

Herbal medicines are proven to be the most natural among treatment. The most popular claim of healing is serenoa repens, commonly known as saw palmetto. This herb works by preventing testosterone from breaking down in another form of the hormone associated with prostate tissue growth.

Surely herbal medicine is proven safe and effective but you still need to make sure that you’re getting the right concentration of the herb associated with healing. Other herbs taken in may inhibit the saw palmetto’s positive effect that’s why it’s better to be aware of what you take in and have your nutritionist’s approval first.

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