How do Glutathione and ImmunoPro help in Cancer Prevention,
Treatment?
The anti-cancer effect of whey proteins is well documented in the medical literature, but their exact mechanism of action is not clear. ImmunoPro is known to be effective in the case of cancer as stated in the medical patents and clinical trials
Here
are some of the documented cancer-fighting effects of ImmunoPro.
-
Antioxidant Effect of Glutathione
Veteran medical writer Dr. Ralph Moss believes that -- contrary to popular medical bias -- antioxidants and other dietary supplements should play a part in almost every cancer patient's treatment.
Glutathione is the body's master antioxidant. When liver glutathione levels rise, the liver is able to more effectively detoxify the body. ImmunoPro optimizes serum and liver glutathione levels.
New research suggests that whey may play a role in helping prevent prostate cancer. When Ohio State University food scientists treated human prostate cells in the lab with whey protein, cellular levels of the antioxidant glutathione increased. Cancer researchers suspect that the accumulation of free radicals plays a role in the development of prostate cancer.
In the current study, the Ohio State scientists found that treating prostate cells with whey protein elevated glutathione levels in the cells by up to 64 percent. ".. whey proteins are rich in cysteine, an amino acid that increases glutathione in the prostate," Kent said. "...cysteine is the amino acid that helps create healthy glutathione levels in the prostate, and glutathione helps keep free radicals under control." The study appears in a recent issue of the journal Toxicology in Vitro. [Source: Eat your whey: It may protect against prostate cancer; 28 May 2003]
In studies published in the Dec. 3, 2001, EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization) Journal, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego have pinpointed the biological chain of events that caused wasting in mice, then identified the same process in liver tissue from cancer patients.
They described the steps by which tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, an immune-system protein, prevents the production of albumin. Low levels of albumin, a critical protein made in the liver, is a keynote of wasting. (UCSD Health Sciences Communications)
The researchers found that one way of stopping the downward spiral caused by TNF- alpha was to treat TNF-alpha-enhanced mice with vitamin E and other antioxidants. "If we block oxidative stress, we normalize everything," explained Dr. Chojkier.
According to Dr. Chojkier, a gastroenterologist and liver specialist, antioxidants such as vitamin E might halt wasting in humans if these supplements were delivered in very high amounts-or even better, if they were targeted to the liver. "One solution will be to find a liver-specific antioxidant," he said.**
**NOTE:
Glutathione is the most important liver-specific
antioxidant. It also acts to reconstitute
vitamins C and E after they have been oxidized, and therefore plays
a determinant role in their function.
-
Anti-cancer effect of Lactalbumin & Whey components
In research conducted by C. Svanborg et al, lactalbumin was associated with apoptosis (or the programmed death) of breast cancer cells.
Glutathione and lactalbumin (a component of ImmunoPro) have been associated with the strengthening of healthy cells and (paradoxically) the weakening of cancerous cells.
In one study, when different groups of rats were given a powerful carcinogen, those fed whey protein concentrate showed fewer tumors and reduced tumor masses (McIntosh et al. 1995). In another published study, rats fed a whey protein-based diet had a decrease in their risk of developing colon tumors (Hakkak et al. 2001).
Whey appears to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells at low concentrations. In one clinical study, when cancer patients were fed whey protein concentrate at 30 grams a day, some patients' tumors showed a regression (Kennedy et al. 1995).
A wide-ranging Australian research program (Food Science Australia & CSIRO Health Sciences and Nutrition) using laboratory animals has shown that whey proteins protect against colon cancer and possibly skin cancer.
Diets supplemented with lactoferrin were associated with the lowest number of pre-cancerous cells. In addition, mice fed lactoferrin developed less UV-induced skin cancer.
Dietary lactoferrin was also linked to increased thymus size in rats fed soy protein - a good sign for the immune system.
-
Selective depletion of glutathione in cancer cells
The research using whey protein concentrate has led researchers to a discovery regarding the relationships between cancerous cells, whey protein concentrate, and glutathione. It has been found that cancer cells and normal cells will respond differently to nutrients and drugs that affect glutathione status.
It is not known why but cancerous cells seem to have a higher level of glutathione than your healthy cells. This of course makes the cancer cells stronger than your healthy cells.
By taking un-denatured whey protein, a person raises the level of glutathione in the healthy cells thus making them stronger.
And now get this - when you raise the glutathione levels in the cancer cells, they actually peak out and then shut off (by a mechanism called "feedback inhibition") causing a reduction of glutathione and thus weakening these cells.
Whey protein concentrate selectively depletes cancer cells of their glutathione, thus making them more susceptible to such cancer treatments as radiation and chemotherapy (Kennedy et al. 1995; Baruchel et al. 1996).
Hence, although ImmunoPro whey protein beneficially increases glutathione within healthy cells, it actually REDUCES glutathione concentration within cancer cells, making them more vulnerable to chemotherapy.
-
Improved response to chemotherapy
Low glutathione levels are commonly found among those undergoing cancer chemotherapy. There is abundant evidence that GSH plays a major role in tumor cell defenses against radiation therapy and chemotherapy with DNA alkylators (e.g., cisplatin, melphalan, etc.) and redox cycling (e.g., doxorubicin) drugs.
Furthermore, in many cases cancer cell resistance to therapy with these agents is correlated with abnormally elevated levels of GSH. Previous studies have suggested that glutathione (GSH) can reduce the toxicities of cisplatin (CDDP) chemotherapy.
The concentration of glutathione in tumor cells is higher than that in the normal cells that surround the tumor. This difference in glutathione status between normal cells and cancer cells is believed to be an important factor in the resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy.
Research has shown that cancer cells subjected to whey proteins were depleted of their glutathione and their growth was inhibited, while normal cells had an increase in glutathione and increased cellular growth. These effects were not seen with other proteins.
Not surprisingly, these researchers concluded, "Selective depletion of tumor glutathione may, in fact, render cancer cells more vulnerable to the action of chemotherapy and eventually protect normal tissue against the deleterious effects of chemotherapy."
Glutathione has been scientifically demonstrated to decrease cancerous cells' resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, while protecting healthy cells. This would theoretically allow a patient to respond better to chemotherapy with less side effects.
By taking ImmunoPro you have strengthened your healthy cells and weakened your cancer cells. This would appear to be a much better situation for getting good results during chemotherapy.
There have been considerations that because glutathione enhances hepatic detoxification, chemotherapy may be rendered less effective.
"Many patients are treated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, and they are often told by their doctors to avoid taking their antioxidant supplements during treatment. They are given the impression that such supplements may interfere with their treatment. This is not the case.
So far, the evidence all points to a protective effect of the supplements, no matter what other treatments are administered. In addition, the supplements appear to reduce the sometimes devastating side effects of the treatments, such as nausea, diarrhea, hair loss, and profound fatigue." writes Dr. Michael Janson, in the article "Supplements Against Cancer," published in Dr. Michael Janson's Healthy Living™ Vol. 4 Number 12 - December, 2002
He also quotes one study of lung cancer patients, in which "those given high dose antioxidants and other nutrients survived far longer than would be expected, and it worked best in those who started the supplements at the earliest opportunity. They also tolerated their other treatments better than those without supplements."
In
another study of patients with bladder cancer, "the recurrence
rate was cut in half if they were given supplements, and the average
survival time was doubled."
(Consult
your healthcare provider to find out whether ImmunoPro is compatible with your chemo regimen).
-
Whey protein in cancer cachexia (catabolic wasting, weight loss)
It is estimated that one half of all cancer patients experience catabolic wasting, with a higher occurrence seen in cases of malignancies of the lung, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract.
Catabolic wasting or cachexia is a clinical wasting syndrome that is characterized by unintended and progressive weight loss, weakness, and low body fat and muscle. Catabolic wasting is a symptom that diminishes the quality of life, worsens the underlying condition, and is a major cause of death.
Cachexia is caused by a metabolic state in which a "breaking down" rather than a "building up" occurs in bodily tissues no matter how much nutritional intake occurs. Additionally, whether a patient receives nutrition orally or intravenously makes no difference. The patient simply cannot gain weight, so eating more is not an answer.
Clinicians are currently treating cancer-related catabolic wasting with a variety of interventions, including nutritional supplementation, administration of cytokine inhibitors, steroids, hormones, cannabinoids, and thalidomide.
Scientists have examined the impact of whey protein concentrate on preventing or treating catabolic wasting, immune dysfunction, and cancer.
A study involving HIV-positive men fed whey protein concentrate found dramatic increases in glutathione levels, with most men reaching their ideal body weight (Bounous et al. 1993).
Whey peptides, like those in ImmunoPro, also increase the absorption for all nutrients by increasing receptor sites in the gastro-intestinal tract.
Whey protein has the highest biological value rating of any protein (which is why it is used by body-builders to build muscle mass). When the biological value is high, that means protein is absorbed, used, and retained better in the body.
High biological values also are associated with tissue sparing. Thus, whey protein concentrate can be beneficial for people with wasting catabolic diseases.
-
Whey protein - A"SUPER-FOOD" for Cancer patients
At the 84th Annual Meeting of the American Dietetic Association in Philadelphia, PA, Dr. Keith Block from the Block Medical Center in Chicago, IL. Dr. Block reviewed the seven key components of integrative care for cancer patients, which are Attitude, Medicine, Nutrition, Supplements, Physical Care, Stress Care and Alternatives. In regards to nutrition, Dr. Block stated that whey protein is considered to be a “Super Food” for cancer patients.
David Grotto, R.D. and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, commented, “whey protein is an essential dietary element in aiding cancer patients in their quest for optimal nutrition.”
Dr.
Block and Mr. Grotto are not alone in recommending whey protein
to cancer patients. A new book by Dr. Michael Murray titled “How
To Treat and Prevent Cancer with Natural Medicine” recommends
40-60 grams of whey protein per day for cancer patients.
Cancer
patients have a significant need for perfectly balanced protein.
A high quality whey protein isolate formula such as ImmunoPro whey protein, provides the patient with a perfectly balanced
protein without the added burden of saturated fat solids or
lactose associated with other protein sources.
Hence, ImmunoPro supplies a concentrated form of easily digestible, high efficiency protein, without the need to consume large volumes of food.
A number of clinics have observed that patients rendered anemic due to chemotherapy and radiation appear to also have robust recovery of their hemoglobin and hematocrit when fed adequate levels of nondenatured whey protein isolates.
-
Improved Immune Function
Natural Killer (NK) cells are the "hit men" of the immune system, and are directly responsible for attacking and destroying virus-infected and cancerous cells. They may become glutathione-depleted over time, and immune response weakens.
ImmunoPro optimizes glutathione levels and has been shown to increase NK cell activity. Hence it strengthens the immune system to fight cancer, viruses, bacteria, etc.
Fighting
Cancer With Whey
From the article by Will Brink, in LE Magazine,
November 1997
Whey
and Cancer
Additional studies have been done on animals regarding
cancer-causing chemicals to see what effects whey protein concentrate
would have on cancer prevention or treatment. Scientists fed rats
various proteins and then subjected them to the powerful carcinogen
dimethylhydrazine. As with the previous research, the rats fed
whey protein concentrate showed fewer tumors and a reduced pooled
area of tumors (tumor mass index). The researchers found whey
protein offered "considerable protection to the host" over that of
other proteins, including soy. (McIntosh G.H., et al., Journal of
Nutrition, 1995) Even more exciting, in vivo research on cancer
and whey showed whey protein concentrate inhibited the growth of breast
cancer cells at low concentrations (Baruchel S. and Vaiu G., Anti
Cancer Research, 1996). Finally, and most importantly, a fairly recent
clinical study with cancer patients showed a regression in some
patient's tumors when fed whey protein concentrate at 30 grams per
day. (Kennedy R.S., Konok G.P., Bounous G., Baruchel S., Lee T.D.,
Anti Cancer Research, 1995)
Whey
and Glutathione
This new research using whey protein concentrate led researchers to
an amazing discovery regarding the relationship between cancerous
cells, glutathione (GSH) and whey protein concentrate.... In
this new research it was found that cancer cells subjected to whey
proteins were depleted of their glutathione,
and their growth was inhibited, while normal cells had an increase
in GSH and increased cellular growth. These effects were not
seen with other proteins. ........The exact mechanism by which
whey protein achieves this is not fully understood, but it appears
that it interferes with the normal feedback mechanism and regulation
of glutathione in cancer cells. It is known that glutathione production
is negatively inhibited by its own synthesis. Being that baseline
glutathione levels in cancer cells are higher than that of normal
cells, it is probably easier to reach the level of negative-feedback
inhibition in the cancer cells' glutathione levels than in the normal
cells' glutathione levels.
See
also:
Protocols:
BREAST CANCER - LE Magazine January 1999
The
Benefits of Whey - Whey protein as cancer treatment adjuvant,
antibiotic, and anti-aging agent.
Whey
Protein Power - Surprising success in the prevention and treatment
of cancer is making whey protein a popular supplement.
Eat
your whey: It may protect against prostate cancer
(28 May, 2003)
New research suggests that whey, a liquid byproduct from cheese production, may play a role in helping prevent prostate cancer. When Ohio State University food scientists treated human prostate cells in the lab with whey protein, cellular levels of the antioxidant glutathione increased.
Antioxidants such as glutathione have been shown to control cancer-causing free radicals. Cancer researchers suspect that the accumulation of free radicals plays a role in the development of prostate cancer.
In the current study, the Ohio State scientists found that treating prostate cells with whey protein elevated glutathione levels in the cells by up to 64 percent. The study appears in a recent issue of the journal Toxicology in Vitro.
"...whey proteins are rich in cysteine, an amino acid that increases glutathione in the prostate," Kent said. "...cysteine is the amino acid that helps create healthy glutathione levels in the prostate, and glutathione helps keep free radicals under control."
Cancer
Chemotherapy
LEF Disease Therapies Protocol
Whey proteins used in combination with glutathione appear to reduce the concentrations of glutathione in cancer cells, thereby making them more vulnerable to chemotherapy while maintaining or even increasing glutathione levels in normal healthy cells.
Glutathione production in cancer and healthy cells is negatively inhibited by its own synthesis. Since glutathione levels are higher in cancer cells it is believed that cancer cells would reach a level of negative-feedback inhibition for glutathione production more easily than normal cells. Chemotherapy patients should consider taking 30 to 60 grams per day of whey protein concentrate 10 days before initiation of chemotherapy, during the chemotherapy, and at least 10 days after the chemotherapy session is completed.
Note: If blood testing shows that chemotherapy has suppressed the immune system, patients should insist that their oncologists use the appropriate immune restoration drug(s) as outlined in the Cancer (Adjuvant) Treatment Protocol.
USDA
Funded Research Finds That Soy, Whey Proteins May Help Prevent Breast
Cancer
Release No. 0021.00
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2000
Researchers at the Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center have found
that whey and soy protein may help prevent breast cancer. This
research, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is featured
in this month's "Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention,"
an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
"This significant new research, although preliminary, suggests that
adding whey or soy protein to the diet may help protect women and
children from developing breast cancer," said Agriculture Secretary
Dan Glickman. "These findings underscore the importance of research
as the critical link between nutrition and health."
In laboratory studies, researchers compared the protective effects
of soy protein and whey protein against chemically induced tumors
in the milk producing glands of rats. They found that approximately
50 percent fewer rats had mammary tumors when fed a diet containing
a processed whey protein as compared with rats eating a standard
diet. Whey protein is a class of minor proteins found in milk.
Soy protein prevented approximately 25 percent of mammary cancer.
According to ACNC Director Thomas Badger, who heads the USDA- funded
project, 180,000 new breast cancer cases are diagnosed each year in
women living in the United States. Rats were fed one of three diets,
each with a different protein: a control diet containing the major
milk protein casein, a diet made with soy protein isolate, or a diet
with processed whey protein.
All rats in the control group developed at least one tumor; 77 percent
of the soy-fed rats had at least one tumor; and about 54 percent
of the whey-fed rats had at least one tumor. Among the rats
that ate the whey diet, those that developed mammary cancer had fewer
and smaller tumors than control rats. "These data indicate that
feeding rats diets made with whey protein can prevent mammary tumor
formation in the major animal model of human breast cancer and illustrate
the importance of dietary factors in disease prevention," said
Badger, who has filed for a patent on the whey compound.
Wheying
in on the Battle against Cancer
From "Finding the Whey" by Paula Frank
A study conducted in Taiwan suggests that whey protein isolate can stimulate production of glutathione, an antioxidant, in normal cells, thereby protecting them from toxicity, while at the same time reducing the glutathione level in cancer cells. Cancer cells reportedly produce high levels of glutathione, which protects them from toxic substances and promotes resistance to anticancer drugs.
The
laboratory study measured the growth of human liver cancer cells over
a four day period in four different media:
1)normal medium
2) ImmunoPro (a whey protein isolate)
3) baicalein (a potential anti-cancer drug)
4) ImmunoPro and baicalein combined.
According to researchers, treatment with baicalein significantly reduced the viability of cancer cells.The combination of ImmunoPro and baicalein was even more effective. Thirteen times more cancer cells underwent apoptosis (cell death)in the group treated with baicelein alone versus the control group, whereas 45 times more cancer cells underwent apoptisis in the combination group of baicalein and ImmunoPro in comparison to the control.
The
best possible scenario for a cancer-treatment patient is to reduce
the level of glutathione in cancer cells, while increasing or at least
maintaining levels in normal, healthy cells. Initial research
results indicates that whey protein does just that.
Source: Tail WY et al.
Nutr and Cancer, 38(2): 200-208, 2001 summary by Judith Jarvis,MS,
RD National Dairy Council, Rosemont, Ill.
Improved
Cancer Treatment May Be Just a Glass of Milk A "Whey"
Press Release from the National Dairy Council quoting a recent
study on Immunocal®
A recent study found that whey proteins – which are pure, high-quality proteins found in cow’s milk – may enhance the effectiveness of the potential anticancer drug, baicalein.
The researchers conducted the study using a whey protein isolate, Immunocal, and found that nearly 45 times more human liver cancer cells died when they were treated with both the whey protein and baicalein than the control group.
In addition, ImmunoPro enhanced the cancer killing effect of the anti-cancer drug by 13 times. The researchers conclude that whey proteins may provide some benefit in cancer treatment.
Enhancing Effect of Patented Whey Protein Isolate (ImmunoPro) on
Cytotoxicity of an Anticancer Drug. Tsai, W.Y. et al. [Nutrition
and Cancer. 2000; 38(2): 200-208.]
Glutathione:
New Supplement on the Block
(Living Better Feature - WebMD)
(Extracts from the article by Alison Palkhivala)
Who wouldn't like to get their hands on a naturally occurring substance that acts as an antioxidant, an immune system booster, and a detoxifier? Something that can help your body repair damage caused by stress, pollution, radiation, infection, drugs, poor diet, aging, injury, trauma, and burns?..... The strong antioxidant effect of glutathione helps keep cells running smoothly. Bounous and another glutathione expert, Jeremy Appleton, ND, say it also helps the liver remove chemicals that are foreign to the body, such as drugs and pollutants...... "If you look in a hospital situation at people who have cancer, AIDS, or other very serious disease, almost invariably they are depleted in glutathione," says Appleton. "The reasons for this are not completely understood, but we do know that glutathione is extremely important for maintaining intracellular health."
Glutathione is probably not well absorbed into the body when taken by mouth......A more practical solution is to take the precursors -- that is, the molecules the body needs to make glutathione -- rather than glutathione itself......
The best studies have been conducted in cancer. One study involved women with ovarian cancer who were being treated with chemotherapy. Some of the women were also treated with intravenous glutathione. Those given the glutathione not only had fewer side effects from the chemotherapy but also had better overall survival rates.......This research has demonstrated that taking ImmunoPro actually lowers glutathione in cancer cells while increasing it in normal cells. As a result, the cancer cells are more vulnerable to chemotherapy, and the normal cells are protected.
The upshot? The experts disagree on who should take glutathione or its precursors. Bounous says everyone should take it in order to optimize overall health. Appleton would reserve it for people with cancer. Jones says it might only prove beneficial for those who eat poorly and are thus unlikely to be getting much glutathione or its precursors in their diet. They all acknowledge that people with severe diseases known to be associated with low glutathione levels, such as AIDS, may well benefit from the supplement.
Scientists
find key to 'wasting syndrome' seen in cancer, AIDS
From the Department of Veterans Affairs website
Published 9 a.m. (ET) Monday, Dec. 9, 2001
Department of Veterans Affairs researchers and colleagues have discovered a biochemical mechanism that may explain wasting syndrome, a condition that causes severe weight loss and weakness in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases and often hastens their death.
Scientists in San Diego pinpointed the biological chain of events that caused wasting in mice, then identified the same process in liver tissue from cancer patients. Dr. Chojkier and lead author Martina Buck, Ph.D., of VA, UCSD and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, described the steps by which tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, an immune-system protein, prevents the production of albumin. Low levels of albumin, a critical protein made in the liver, is a keynote of wasting.
The researchers found several ways of stopping the downward spiral caused by TNF- alpha. One way was to treat TNF-alpha-enhanced mice with vitamin E and other antioxidants. "If we block oxidative stress, we normalize everything," explained Dr. Chojkier.
According to Dr. Chojkier, a gastroenterologist and liver specialist, antioxidants such as vitamin E might halt wasting in humans if these supplements were delivered in very high amounts-or even better, if they were targeted to the liver. "One solution will be to find a liver-specific antioxidant," he said. "With the technology we have today, this is very feasible. We believe this will provide an exciting avenue for intervention."
Note: Glutathione is a the most important liver-specific antioxidant and also acts to reconstitute vitamins C and E after they have been oxidized, and therefore plays a determinant role in their function.
Milk
Protein Destroys Cancer Cells
12/12 The Daily News
A milk protein — lacto ferracin — can zap deadly cancer cells, particularly in leukemia tumours, Dalhousie University scientists have found in a new study. The most encouraging result is that the protein seems to kill only the cancer cells, not healthy cells.
News
from Sweden:
Human
Breast Milk Kills Cancer Cells!
from the June,1999 issue of Discover Magazine
In the June, 1999 issue of Discover Magazine, on the front cover; News from Sweden: Human Breast Milk Kills Cancer Cells! In this article, Peter Radetsky interviews Dr. Catharina Svanborg who is a physician and immunologist at Lund University in Sweden. She talks about her discovery with a team of researchers that Human Breast milk in vitro, killed every type of cancer cell they tested it against. This included lung cancer, throat cancer, kidney cancer, colon cancer, bladder cancer, lymphoma and leukemia. The research has been ongoing for seven years.
It took two years before they pinpointed the killer of the cancer cells, which turned out to be ALPHA- LACTALBUMIN! This is one of the major three thermolabile components of ImmunoPro!
Got
cancer killers?
DISCOVER Vol. 20 No. 6 (June 1999)
Breast-feeding protects babies from cancer, but no one knows quite how. So when biologists in Catharina Svanborg's lab saw mothers' milk kill cancer cells, they knew they were onto something big.
When Catharina Svanborg and her research associates began mixing mothers' milk and cancer cells together seven years ago, she wasn't looking for a cure for cancer; she was after a way to fight germs.
Nevertheless, the physician and immunologist at Lund University in Sweden has discovered that a previously taken-for-granted component of ordinary human breast milk compels cancer cells--every type of cancer cell tested--to die. Now Svanborg must prove her discovery, demonstrating to wary scientists that her surprising find is for real. So far, it hasn't been easy.
Elevated
Blast Glutathione Levels Predict Relapse In Childhood ALL
ALL WESTPORT, CT Jan 18 (Reuters Health)
Children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) who have elevated blast glutathione levels have a higher risk of relapse than those with lower levels, according to a report in the January 15th issue of Blood. Some previous studies have suggested that elevated glutathione levels might indicate resistant malignancies, the authors note, but results in leukemia patients have been conflicting. (Source: Blood 2001;97:393-398)
More references:
Whey
Protein Shown Effective in Preventing, Treating Breast Cancer
Prepared Foods Online Newsletter - October 8 , 2001
Cancer Prevention with Whey Protein (Prev 1)
Potential Anti-cancer activity of Milk and Milk Components
Breast milk component kills cancer cells
