Asparagus, an olde cancer-fighting remedy

This morning a visitor to Natural Health News seemed to be trying to locate a 2009 report from CNN about asparagus and cancer.

For many years this information has been on the Cancer pages at Leaflady.org

The information always seemed to be better to use canned asparagus and puree it, then to eat 2 tablespoons daily.

Other information states that asparagus are high in glutathione which boosts your immune system's health.

• Asparagus Extract well known as a Cancer Preventative Agent
• A detoxifying agent extracted from Organic Whole Plant Asparagus
• Excellent source of folic acid helps maintain healthy homocysteine levels, lower risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke
• Strengthen the Immunity, Reduces the risk of Hypertension
  
• An excellent Diuretic Agent, cleanse the Kidney, Liver, and promote functions of the Spleen
• Improving immunity, digest functions and destroying abnormal cells
• Excellent for women who desire to become pregnant or are pregnant.
• Help prevent neural tube defects
• Decreases renal glomerulus re-absorption and increases kidney function.

Asparagus Extract well known for its function as a cancer preventative agent, Asparagus contains high levels of selenium, which enhances the activity of glutathione peroxidase, one of the three most important enzymes associated in the removal of the body's dangerous free radicals. Chi's Enterprise , Inc. uses organically grown whole plants, including the roots, to offer a special concentrate prepared from the whole plants, including the roots to offer a special concentrate prepared from the whole plant of Asparagus Officinalis linn, containing Asparagosides, Asparaginase, organic folic acid, glutathione, selenium, zinc, asparamide, histone and more. This product is an excellent diuretic agent that cleanses the kidney liver and strengthens the immunity functions of the spleen.

Benefits of Asparagus Extract: Asparagus Extract contains Asparagoside

In 1983, Stirpe discovered that Asparagoside is able to restrict DNA synthesis and the translation of proteins and inhibit adenocarcinoma. Gorgann, in 1984, revealed that Asparagoside is effective in reducing breast, pancreatic, and cervical cancer on mice. In 1985, Sati used Asparagoside to reduce JTC-26 (human cervical cancer cell) and P-388 (leukaemia cell) in mice.

Asparagus Extract doubles the activity of IL-2 for healthy humans and, more importantly, cancer patients.

In a clinical study on 40 lung cancer patients, the individuals were given 3 packets of Asparagus Extract daily for 2 months. 16 experienced an increase in appetite while 8 patients observed an increase in their weight. In another study, 30 esophageal cancer patients took Asparagus Extract for 2 months. 24 increased their ability to consume foods and relieve pain. 18 noticed an increase in body weight.

Asparagus Extract contains Asparaginase
Asparaginase is an enzyme used to treat some forms of cancer in the blood. The USP Drug information book (1998 edition, p.3213 and 3215) lists asparaginase as treatment for acute lymphocytic, leukaemia, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, acute myelomonocytic leukaemia, acute myelocytic leukaemia (AML), Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In order for cells to grow, they need a chemical called aspargine – an amino acid synthesised from aspartic acid. Cancer cells cannot produce their own asparagines, so they rely on the normal cells to live.
Asparaginase, however, breaks down asparagines in the body, thereby inhibiting unwanted cell growth.

Asparagus Extract contains highest organic folic acid

Folate is crucial for normal DNA methylation, synthesis, and repair. Deficiency of this nutrition is hypothesized to lead to cancer through disruption of these processes. There is some evidence to suggest that relatively high dietary folate intake might be associated with reduced colorectal cancer risk, especially among individuals with low methionine intake. Folate intake may be inversely related to the risk if colorectal cancer, as noted by a case-control study out of Italy .

Folacin which is necessary for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease. Folacin has been shown to play a significant role in the prevention of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, that cause paralysis and death in 2,500 babies each year.
Asparagus Extract contains Glutathione
Clinical studies have found intravenous GSH administered just prior to chemotherapy reduces the side effects, increases tolerability and may actually improve efficacy. In particular, it has been found to have effects on advanced ovarian carcinoma and colorectal cancer.

Asparagus Extract increases Interleukin-2

The effectiveness of Asparagus Extract in improving the rates of peripheral blood lymphocyte mitosis was illustrated when both Asparagus Extract and IL-2 were given to mice. The results revealed that the activity of the IL-2 was doubled due to the addition of the Asparagus Extract. The researchers then discovered that this situation not only occurred in mice but also in healthy humans and, more importantly, in cancer patients.
Experiments were conducted on 400 tumor patients who had already undergone radiation and chemotherapy treatment and had extremely low immunity levels. After taking Asparagus Extract twice a day for 2-3 months, the statistics verified an increase in immunity modulation activity and augmented T-cell activity, with enhanced immune-pharmacological functions. Asparagus Extract is excellent for long-term use, as reported by Dr. McCain of Mountain View , Arkansas , Dr. R. Devgan of La Jolla , California , and Hana Krueger, of Boulder , Colorado .
T Baroody, DC from NC, in his book Asparagus Can Do It For You quotes: “Asparagus should be taken by everyone for a number of reasons the two best being heart balance and cancer prevention. Among other things this tasty vegetable supplies is its extremely high alkaline forming property that is very beneficial to overall health. I test for 175 primary deficiencies in my patients and asparagus can strengthen and supply every one of these imbalances at one time or another.”

Asparagus Extract FOR LOWERING HOMOCYSTEIN LEVELS

Asparagus Extract is an excellent natural source of folic acid among other nutrients. 1.5 bags (5gm/bag of granules) or 6 capsules of Asparagus Extract provide more than the 400 of folic acid required by the FDA for daily consumption. Studies have shown that taking at least this much folic acid can help lower homocysteine levels. Too much homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood, can cause cardiovascular disease and stroke. In one study in China , patients took Asparagus Extract (2-3 packs) for 1 month
And their serum folic acid increased by 37%. Four months later, the patients' homocysteine levels reduced by 28%.
Case of Studies:
C.M. a 60 year-old male from CA, used Dyaside and Atonal for his hypertension. His blood pressure was 135/90. He added Hypertine, Vein Lite, and Asparagus Extract. His blood pressure dropped to 128/68 in one week. His physician promptly reduced his medication
M. McCain , ND from the Herbal Healer Academy of AR, had excellent reports on patients using Asparagus Extract. One patient was in total kidney failure and facing dialysis. After taking Asparagus Extract for 2 days, he began to urinate. Within 3 weeks, he had total kidney function.
Kidney Chi and Asparagus Extract for Kidney Stones
Some kidney stones exist in alkaline conditions (pH over 7.3). If we can correct the urine pH to less than 7 then not only will the kidney stones not form but they also will have a chance to dissolve. Kidney Chi has this ability to correct the urine pH to a slightly acidic condition. Kidney Chi is able to dissolve kidney stones or bladder stones less than 7mm in size, allowing them to pass through the urinary tract within 3 months.
In addition to its ability to adjust the urine pH, Kidney Chi's anti-bacterial property makes it an ideal therapy for struvite kidney stones.
Asparagus Extract Case Reports
One study on 6512 patients with various urinary system conditions, Kidney Chi was 62.44% effective on those with kidney stones.
1. T.Davis, ND from OH, reports on 41 year old male patient who had kidney stones, could not urinate and was in a lot of pain. He took Kidney Chi and Asparagus Extract and was able to urinate within 8 hours and is pain disappeared. He stayed on the products for 4 months to prevent the return of the kidney stones.
2. I.F., a nurse from NY, relates the case of a 59 year old male with a 1.2cm³ kidney stone. After taking Kidney Chi (2 capsules, 3 times daily) for about 5 months, the stone reduced to 0.6cm³.
3. J.S. a 50-year-old male from CA had 8mm kidney stones and was preparing for laser surgery. He started taking Kidney Chi and Asparagus Extract. Just 3 days later, 2 stones came out. When he went for his surgery appointment, no stone was found, only dissolved particles.
4. M.S., a 55 year old male from NY, had 4mm kidney stones. Because of that, he also had a frequent urination problem. It was so bad that drinking just 250ml of liquid in the morning would cause him to go to the bathroom 4 times within 5 hours. After using kidney Chi for 2 years, his kidney stones have cleared and frequent urination problem is gone. Now he can drink 1litre of liquid in the morning and only need to go to the bathroom twice.
5. A.J., a 68 year old female from NY, had kidney stones. After using Kidney Chi and Asparagus Extract for 6 months, all her kidney stones were dissolved and cleared.

Asparagus Extract For Chronic Renal Failure

Asparagus Extract is a diuretic agent that helps improve creatinine levels. It reduces renal glomerulus re-absorption and improves kidney function. It should be noted that those with gout should not take Asparagus Extract as it may increase uric acid.
Asparagus Extract Success Stories:
1. M. McCain , ND from AR, had excellent reports on patients using Asparagus Extract:

• Another patient had been on dialysis for 10 weeks. After using Asparagus Extract, he began to have kidney function again.
• A 70 year old male patient who suffered from a degenerating kidney condition, which made urination almost impossible. She suggested that he try Asparagus Extract. There was a noticeable difference the very next morning. He began urinating and within 3 weeks, he fully recovered his kidney function.
• Another patient wrote to her: “About a month ago, my gynaecologist advised me that I needed a partial hysterectomy due to Adenomyosis. I had been suffering with lower back pain for over a year. My family physician had ordered… lots of medications along the way. I still got very little relief… you suggested a cup of warm Asparagus tea… You felt a lot of doctors were not connecting back pain with toxic kidneys… after only a little over 2 weeks on the tea, I am now pain free. Thank you!

2. M.Zesiewicz, MD from CO, reports on a 55 year old male patient who was ready for dialysis. Instead he started drinking Asparagus Extract tea. After six months, his kidney function improved and he did not need dialysis anymore.
3. C.Stanley, ND from AZ, reported on a patient who had a serum creatinine level of 2.8 that dropped to 1.8 after taking Asparagus Extract for 2 to 3 months.
4. P.Gonzalez, ND from TX, has a patient with kidney failure and who has been on dialysis for 2 years. After 6 weeks on Asparagus Extract, Bathdetox and MIT, she no longer needed dialysis.

My favorite food nutrition information site tells you more about asparagus

I found an iReport submission about this topic on CNN.

Citrus Asparagus

Matters of the Heart

Yes, it is heart month and with that comes the latest attack on herbal remedies at the behest of Big PhRMA, CNN, and Time-Warner's medical mainstream Health.com.
While the ABC was contacted and interviewed for the article, nothing was given to provide the risks of the anticoagulant warfarin or statin drugs used as examples in the article.
Health.com lists 20 herbs in their article and I will follow up with my comments on the drugs and the benefits of their 20 selected herbs.
Included in the list is garlic.  And of course you know that CNN's own Larry King uses a garlic supplement for his heart condition, and has advertised it for years.Garlic is one of the best herbs for blood thinning as well as being an excellent source of magnesium to help keep blood pressure levels down.
Stay tuned...
And now - here's that retort to CNN and Health.com

Natural Health News: Continuing the Attack on Natural Health Care
By Gayle Eversole, Dhom, PhD, MH, NP, ND
www.leaflady.org, and rense.com

Today, CNN and Time-Warner's Health.com published articles warning you to avoid 30 herbs if you are taking drugs like the allegedly cholesterol lowering statins and “blood-thinning” Coumadin (warfarin). http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20340370_20,00.html

As an inveterate and intrepid nurse practitioner (over 30 years), medical herbalist and otherwise expert and advocate in natural health (50+ years), I am staking my claim to equal time and offering a second opinion.

Statin drugs by and large are a class of very expensive drugs with a range of mixed results. The very serious effects of these drugs include liver failure, sudden cardiac death, increased risk of cancer, kidney failure, destruction of CO-Enzyme Q 10 and specific B vitamins needed by the heart, muscle pain and destruction, as well as being questionable over all because they appear not to serve the purpose described in the advertising according to many recent studies.

There are many natural approaches to lowering cholesterol including changes in diet and exercise, as well as making sure your thyroid is functioning properly.

One common supplement to help lower cholesterol is lecithin. Health.com' s expert Bill Benda MD says he has no knowledge of the benefit of lecithin yet suggests using red rice yeast. Red Rice Yeast is LOVASTATIN and has the same risk of rhabdomyolysis leading to kidney failure as do the Rx strength drugs.

Each tablespoon (7.5 grams) of lecithin granules contains about 1700 mg of phosphatidyl choline, 1000 mg of phosphatidyl inositol, and about 2,200 mg of essential fatty acids as linoleic acid. It also contains the valuable omega-3 linolenic acid. These constituents should be supllied daily.

Rinse, Jacobus (1975) Atherosclerosis: prevention and cure (parts 1 and 2). Prevention. November and December. Very important reading. Ask your librarian to get you these specific issues (or photocopies) through inter-library loan.
Rinse, Jacobus (1978) Cholesterol and phospholipids in relation to atherosclerosis. American Laboratory Magazine, April.

Glabridin shows a significant 10 percent drop in LDL cholesterol levels. These studies show a 20 percent reduction in oxidized LDL cholesterol and measures of oxidative stress, well-known risks for development of atherosclerosis. No change in these predictive markers, was seen in the placebo group.1

Glabridin is a powerful polyphenol flavonoid derived from Glycyrrhiza glabra L root (licorice). Animal studies have revealed that daily doses of glabridin can suppress abdominal fat accumulation and blood sugar elevation in diabetic mice, while human trials show that it can reduce weight gain and body fat—especially visceral or belly fat. And according to another recently published clinical trial, this botanical extract packs the same punch against LDL cholesterol, too.

1 Carmeli E, Fogelman Y. Antioxidant effect of polyphenolic glabridin on LDL oxidation. Toxicol Ind Health. 2009 May-Jun;25(4-5):321-4.

Herbs and foods included in the report that help thin the blood naturally include: Garlic, saw palmetto, ginkgo, green tea, alfalfa, ginger, bilberry, fenugreek, ginseng, Butcher's Broom and capsicum (cayenne).

The report did not explain that long term use of aspirin or warfarin increases the risk of silent bleeding, ulcers and the severe risk of destruction of the cell wall membrane and clotting disorders.

Statins, beta-blockers, and calcium-channel blockers can be effected by St. John's wort, Echinacea, grapefruit juice, and Black Cohosh. But remember that statins come with the risk of liver damage. Calcium channel blockers can cause sudden death at one point were almost taken off the market because of the risk. Beta blockers have come into question for safety and efficacy in recent years.

Hawthorn has been shown to strengthen the contractions of heart muscle, which may interact negatively with prescription heart-failure medications. Hawthorn has always been a first line of defense for heart health in herbal medicine. I have worked with many people who lived with heart health issues. I've always found Hawthorn to be a key factor in their improved quality of life.

Night blooming cereus and Lily of the Valley may also be an experienced herbalist' s choice for cardiovascular care.

Yohimbe can elevate blood pressure and at times and for some people this would be helpful, but in general it is not one I often suggest.

Aloe vera can effect potassium levels. Licorice can interfere with digoxin and it can raise blood pressure. Like aloe vera, it can also cause a dangerous drop in blood potassium levels.

Other herbs in the study mentioned in this report include Butcher's broom, angelica, capsicum (cayenne), fumitory, gossypol, Irish moss, kelp, khella, lily of the valley, ephedra, night-blooming cereus (cactus flower), oleander, and strophanthus can all interact negatively with heart medications.

Health care is your choice. Natural remedies like herbs and supplements can do an effective job helping you heal when you do not wish to choose or cannot tolerate prescription drugs.

Because doctor's work for you, the question must be asked: When will today's medicine and today's doctors meet you half way and support natural choice?

Always stay in communication with your health provider and contact an experienced herbalist or naturally oriented doctor for additional resources.

Reinforcements from the field

ABC Responds to Article on Herb-Drug Interactions in Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2010/02/03 - American Botanical Council

Article should be retracted and corrected says herbal science group (Austin, TX) February 2, 2010. At least several times per year an article is published in a medical journal that purports to provide health professionals and the public with useful information on the safety of herbs and herbal dietary supplements. Instead, what sometimes occurs is an article written by people with apparently little to no expertise in the subject area of herbal medicine and medicinal plant research and likewise apparently peer reviewed—if peer reviewed at all—by reviewers with little botanical knowledge or expertise. Yesterday, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology published such an article.1 This particular article has so many flaws and errors that it is difficult to know where to begin to critically review it. First, Latin names for the herbs discussed are missing, a disservice to any readers who may not be familiar with common names used in the United States. Second, some of the tables in the article contain entries for “commonly used herbs,” which include the toxic plant oleander (Nerium oleander, a toxic herb with cardioactive glycosides not sold to consumers in the US dietary supplement market); chan su (presumably dried Chinese toad venom—not an herb nor generally available as a dietary supplement!); and Uzara root (Xysmalobium undulatum, an anti-diarrhea herbal drug approved in Germany.) None of these are “commonly” found in the US herbal dietary supplement market. Grapefruit juice, which is well known for increasing serum levels of many pharmaceutical drugs, is referred to as an herb. The authors refer to “ginseng” without clarifying to which species of the genus Panax they are referring, many of which cause varying pharmacological effects. Also, with respect to ginseng, the authors unfortunately repeat the highly erroneous adverse effect information from the widely discredited 1979 uncontrolled study by RK Siegel on the “Ginseng Abuse Syndrome,” stating that “ginseng” can cause “hypertension, behavioral changes and diarrhea.” Capsicum is listed in a table as being used for shingles, trigeminal, and diabetic neuralgia, when it is actually the US Food and Drug Administration-approved over-the-counter and prescription drug capsaicin, the vanillanoid compound derived from chili peppers (Capsicum spp.), which is used for such purposes. There are more; the errors and problems in this paper are too numerous to list completely at this time. While there are potential and actual interactions that various herbs can have with drugs used by patients with cardiovascular diseases, this paper will do little to improve professional awareness and skill in this area. However, the resulting media coverage will undoubtedly increase public confusion over what is an already confused subject. This paper should not have been published in its present form without serious additional edits, revisions, and deletions, and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology would be advised to retract it. Reference Tachjian A, Maria V, Jahangir A. Use of herbal products and potential interactions in patients with cardiovascular diseases. J Amer Coll Cardiol. 2010;55(6). [DOI:10.1016/j.jacc.2009.07.074]. About the American Botanical Council Founded in 1988, the American Botanical Council is a leading international nonprofit organization addressing research and educational issues regarding herbs and medicinal plants. ABC’s members include academic researchers and educators; libraries; health professionals and medical institutions; government agencies; members of the herb, dietary supplement, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries; journalists; consumers; and others within over 70 countries. The organization occupies a historic 2.5-acre site in Austin, Texas where it publishes the quarterly journalHerbalGram, the monthly e-publication HerbalEGram, HerbClips (summaries of scientific and clinical publications), reference books, and other educational materials. ABC also hosts HerbMedPro, a powerful herbal database, covering scientific and clinical publications on more than 220 herbs. ABC also co-produces the “Herbal Insights” segment for Healing Quest, a television series on PBS. ABC is tax-exempt under section 501(c) (3) of the IRS Code. Information: Contact ABC at P.O. Box 144345, Austin, TX 78714-4345, Phone: 512-926-4900. Website: http://www.herbalgram.org/.