| Cancer Fighter |  |
By Shane Ellison M.Sc.
Over the past 100 years, cancer has advanced from the status of an
obscure and fairly rare disease to a more prominent position as the
#2 killer of American people. In 1900 the incidence of cancer was 1
in 500 among Americans. Today cancer claims 1 out of 3 lives, and
the percentage is still climbing. Despite the increased use in
chemotherapy cancer continues to claim more lives than ever before.
Regardless, effective alternative therapies are rarely discussed by
physicians and the pharmaceutically-dominated media.
Whey protein isolate is an excellent example of a safe and effective
cancer fighter that is rarely discussed. In the hunt for natural
anti-cancer drugs, researchers have found that whey isolate delivers
a unique protein known as lactoferrin to the body. Lactoferrin, only
found in whey isolate, elicits the production of glutathione within
our body.
Glutathione has a multitude of roles which serve to protect us from
cancer. Glutathione is a natural antioxidant and is found in every
cell of the body. It helps clean up metabolic by-products known as
free radicals. An imbalance of glutathione and free radicals has
been shown to induce a myriad of various forms of cancer.
Furthermore, glutathione is a powerful detoxifying agent. Through a
process known as "conjugation", it rids the body of cancer causing
substances, known as carcinogens, by attaching to them and escorting
them out of the body and into the toilet.
An increase in glutathione may not be the only mechanism by which
whey isolate fights cancer. In biochemistry, glutathione is
classified as a phase II enzyme (enzymes are compounds that carry on
many of the "life oriented" chemical functions at the cellular
level). Because whey increases the production of glutathione it is
both logical and scientifically sound to assume that whey also
increases the production of other phase II enzymes like trypsin and
chymotrypsin.
Together, trypsin and chymotrypsin are also known to be powerful
inhibitors of cancer and are considered to be the body's
natural "cancer fighters". Scientists at Johns Hopkins and Tsukuba
University in Japan have confirmed this. Researcher Paul Talalay,
M.D stated that:
"20 years of research confirms that raising the levels of phase II
enzymes [glutathione, trypsin and chymotrypsin] can offer a highly
effective way to achieve protection against carcinogenesis
(development of new cancer)".
This potent inhibition action of phase II enzymes is not hard to
explain. Phase II enzymes fight cancers by destroying "trophoblast
cells". These cells act as a protective shell to cancer by shielding
it from our immune system, thus allowing it to proliferate. Without
this protective shell cancer becomes an easy target for the body's
immune system to destroy.
Among peer reviewed scientific journals, the evidence for whey's
cancer curing ability is mounting rapidly. Anticancer Research
published the following:
"This non-toxic dietary intervention, which is not based on the
principles of current cancer chemotherapy, will hopefully attract
the attention of laboratory and clinical oncologists."(1)
Cancer Letters stated:
"Epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that dietary milk
products [such as whey] may exert an inhibitory effect on the
development of several tumors."(2)
Enthusiastically reported by researchers at the Department of Food
Science & Technology at Ohio State University demonstrated that
glutathione levels in prostate cells were increased by 50% as a
direct result of whey isolate supplementation containing
lactoferrin. (3) They concluded by stating the following:
"This represents a potential mechanism by which whey protein isolate
can provide protection against the development of prostate cancer"
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden reported that the use of
whey in combination with an unnamed component of human breast milk,
have demonstrated the ability to kill all the known types of breast
cancer cells! Their peer-reviewed paper published in the Journal of
Biological Chemistry suggested that when consumed by the body, whey
proteins selectively induce "programmed cell death" AKA suicide
among breast cancer tumors. (4) This is known scientifically as
apoptosis.
Scientists in Japan announced that lactoferrin (from whey isolate)
significantly inhibits colon, esophagus, lung, bladder and tongue
cancer in animal models.(5)
And last but not least, there is very strong evidence that whey
proteins render cancerous cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy and
radiation while protecting healthy cells from their devastating side
effects! But unlike chemotherapy and ionizing radiation, whey
proteins have no toxic side affects. Whey literally does the patient
no harm.
The World Health Organization recently reported that the number of
new cancer cases worldwide is expected to increase by 50 percent
over the next 20 years, partly because "poor nations are adopting
unhealthy Western habits". To avoid this and live cancer free, use
whey isolate (not whey concentrate). Also, if your whey isolate
contains sugar or artificial sweeteners, it is very likely that ALL
benefits derived from using whey isolate are negated! Finding a
good whey isolate is tricky but they are out there! We promise.
About the Author
Shane holds a Master's degree in organic chemistry and has first-
hand industry experience with drug research, design and synthesis.
His web site http://www.health-fx.net provides the best medicine available,
including whey isolate. Sign up at the site and get a $10 voucher
and our newsletter for free!
References
1. Anticancer Res 2000 Nov-Dec;20(6C);4785-92
2. Cancer Lett 1991 May 1;57(2):91-4
3. K. D. Kent. Et al. Dept. of Food Science and Technology, Ohio
State Univ. 2002 Annual Meeting and Food Expo.
4. J. Biol. Chem. Chemistry 274:6388-6396, 1999
5. Foods Food Ingredients J. Japa No. 200 (2002)
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