The immune system plays the most critical role in your body's
ability to prevent and cure cancer. Modern "treatments" are mostly
directed at either accomplishing what the immune system has failed to
achieve, or working with the immune system to rid the body of the
abnormal cells. In my lectures, the main focus is on either boosting or
supporting proper immune function- getting the body to react the way God
intended it to. I cannot stress enough the importance of taking care of
your immune system. This of course involves my Four Pillars of Great
Health-diet, your activity level, your mind/spirit and your
supplementation regimen.
Our immune system can handle only so much stress. I overuse the phrase "the straw that broke the camel's back", but in this case none of us know which straw will be the one to break our immune system's back. A genetic predisposition places more weight on the camel's back right out of the gate. A diet high in refined foods also places extra weight on the camel's back. Exposure to a toxic environment (you can eat organic, drink pure water, but you still have to breathe) is even more weight. And don't forget the daily grind-stress. Stress is linked to just about every major health issue (hypertension, obesity, cancer to name a few) facing the modern world.
So which "straw" will it be for you? Here are a few symptoms of a taxed immune system. Listen to your body and don't let the camel's back break.
It only takes ONE
The fact remains that if your immune system was functioning properly you wouldn't get cancer. We all produce abnormal "cancer" cells each day. Free radical damage, environmental stress, stress, and other lifestyle choices all contribute to the formation of these abnormal cells. When your immune system is functioning properly, these abnormal cells are identified and destroyed. If for some reason you don't have enough immune cells to destroy the mutated cells or you are producing more cells than can be destroyed, you end up with the onset of cancer. Yes, one single cell that is formed incorrectly and left to multiply over and over again will lead to some sort of cancer.
So what's a person to do?
Great question with a simple yet difficult answer-change your lifestyle immediately if you don't want or you already have cancer. I beat to death the Four Pillars of Health, but there is a reason for it- IT WORKS! I am not going to expand on the first 3 Pillars because they are included in past posts are available here. The same dietary, activity and mind/spirit information applies no matter what health condition you may have.
Dietary Supplements to the rescue
The focus of this article is on what to do with your Dietary Supplement program. You need to start with Dietary Supplement Pyramid. Taking a Multivitamin/mineral and broad-spectrum Calcium/mineral/D supplements should not change. What will change are your choices for Antioxidant(s) and Special Needs. If you aren't familiar with the DSP, please refer to the same website mentioned above for a past article explaining its importance.
Let's talk antioxidants
As a quick recap, antioxidants neutralize something called free radicals. Free radicals occur natural in the body and also come into the body from outside toxins. Free radicals can and will cause damage to the cell exterior and interior and can be a major contributing factor to all of the major diseases we face. Free radical damage can cause damage to your DNA which in turn can and will lead to the formation of abnormal cells (perhaps cancer cells). If we don't do something to neutralize these little buggers, we will become sick-and even die! I know this may seem dramatic to many of you and I am glad it does. Antioxidant consumption will not only help prevent the damage free radicals do, but in some cases will help the body repair the damage that has already been done. The following are a few well known antioxidants that can provide benefits for those concerned with cancer.
Slow and steady wins the race
While addressing cancer concerns you want to look for supplements which support your immune system not stimulate. Stimulating the body the body over long periods of time is not a good thing to do in my opinion. Short term immune stimulating supplements like Echinacea, C, Goldenseal, Wild Indigo, and Elderberry can be helpful when you are need a quick boost. You may wish to look for a combination product such as; Esberitox or This may be needed following certain cancer treatments provided by modern medicine. Using these supplements may help you recover more quickly and even keep you from getting sick (not vomiting) post-treatment.
The best route is to support the immune system. By supporting it, we are providing you body with the added nutrition so your immune system and cells can respond when needed. Supplements such as the medicinal mushrooms-Maitake, Reishi, Shiitake-possess the support components needed to properly support immune health. Combination products like New Chapter's Host Defense are at the top of my list for immune support. (I use this supplement as part of my special needs in my Dietary Supplement Pyramid) Other supplements that can provide your immune system with support are:Beta Glucan (Wellmune® WGP)
Yes, the headline reads correctly. Bacteria (Probiotics) can and do play a huge roll in the long term strength of your immune system. The gastrointestinal tract relies on these bacteria to help support the body's immune response. Probiotics are important because they help prevent foreign bacteria and allergens from passing through the intestinal wall. They are also important to the overall health of your intestinal immune system. Probiotics also help to strengthen the barrier found in the digestive tract which helps protect the body from disease. Lastly, probiotics help to improve the activity of certain immune cells responsible for ridding the body of abnormal cells.
No Science but I still recommend them
Ok, I understand that this is a first for my loyal readers. The Herbal Pharmacist ® is going to mention things that don't have any or too little science. Sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and with regards to cancer there is no better time. I have seen so many positive things happen to people with cancer yet there is no scientific study to prove them. Why? Well, if I had a nutritional supplement that anyone else could make, why would I want to spend millions of dollars proving it did something if everyone else could use my research to sell their product too? The following are products I would include in my special needs section of the dietary supplement pyramid if I had serious concerns with Cancer.
Cancer is a complex disease. Even modern medicine realizes the complexity of treating this disease. Otherwise there would be a "cure". It is for this reason I will fall back on my Four Pillars of Great Health. You can't miss any one of these FOUR components of health. If you do, you are opening yourself up to problems down the road.
For more information about natural health, please visit the Herbal Pharmacist
Our immune system can handle only so much stress. I overuse the phrase "the straw that broke the camel's back", but in this case none of us know which straw will be the one to break our immune system's back. A genetic predisposition places more weight on the camel's back right out of the gate. A diet high in refined foods also places extra weight on the camel's back. Exposure to a toxic environment (you can eat organic, drink pure water, but you still have to breathe) is even more weight. And don't forget the daily grind-stress. Stress is linked to just about every major health issue (hypertension, obesity, cancer to name a few) facing the modern world.
So which "straw" will it be for you? Here are a few symptoms of a taxed immune system. Listen to your body and don't let the camel's back break.
- Do you have 2 or more colds during the year?
- Are you on or regularly using antibiotics?
- Are you experiencing yeast or fungal infections?
- Do you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
- Do you or have you had cancer?
- Have you been diagnosed with Lupus/MS/Rheumatoid Arthritis?
- Do you frequently become exhausted?
- Do you have a problem with warts?
- Do you have frequent viruses, cold sores, or herpes?
- Do infections usually settle in head, neck, or chest?
It only takes ONE
The fact remains that if your immune system was functioning properly you wouldn't get cancer. We all produce abnormal "cancer" cells each day. Free radical damage, environmental stress, stress, and other lifestyle choices all contribute to the formation of these abnormal cells. When your immune system is functioning properly, these abnormal cells are identified and destroyed. If for some reason you don't have enough immune cells to destroy the mutated cells or you are producing more cells than can be destroyed, you end up with the onset of cancer. Yes, one single cell that is formed incorrectly and left to multiply over and over again will lead to some sort of cancer.
So what's a person to do?
Great question with a simple yet difficult answer-change your lifestyle immediately if you don't want or you already have cancer. I beat to death the Four Pillars of Health, but there is a reason for it- IT WORKS! I am not going to expand on the first 3 Pillars because they are included in past posts are available here. The same dietary, activity and mind/spirit information applies no matter what health condition you may have.
Dietary Supplements to the rescue
The focus of this article is on what to do with your Dietary Supplement program. You need to start with Dietary Supplement Pyramid. Taking a Multivitamin/mineral and broad-spectrum Calcium/mineral/D supplements should not change. What will change are your choices for Antioxidant(s) and Special Needs. If you aren't familiar with the DSP, please refer to the same website mentioned above for a past article explaining its importance.
Let's talk antioxidants
As a quick recap, antioxidants neutralize something called free radicals. Free radicals occur natural in the body and also come into the body from outside toxins. Free radicals can and will cause damage to the cell exterior and interior and can be a major contributing factor to all of the major diseases we face. Free radical damage can cause damage to your DNA which in turn can and will lead to the formation of abnormal cells (perhaps cancer cells). If we don't do something to neutralize these little buggers, we will become sick-and even die! I know this may seem dramatic to many of you and I am glad it does. Antioxidant consumption will not only help prevent the damage free radicals do, but in some cases will help the body repair the damage that has already been done. The following are a few well known antioxidants that can provide benefits for those concerned with cancer.
- Green Tea
- Alpha Lipoic Acid
- E (mixed tocopherols)
- C
- Selenium
- Mixed Carotenoids
- Lignans
- IP-6
- Zinc
- CoQ10
- N-acetyl-cysteine
- Lycopene
- Lutein
- Bilberry
- Turmeric
- Grape Seed Extract
Slow and steady wins the race
While addressing cancer concerns you want to look for supplements which support your immune system not stimulate. Stimulating the body the body over long periods of time is not a good thing to do in my opinion. Short term immune stimulating supplements like Echinacea, C, Goldenseal, Wild Indigo, and Elderberry can be helpful when you are need a quick boost. You may wish to look for a combination product such as; Esberitox or This may be needed following certain cancer treatments provided by modern medicine. Using these supplements may help you recover more quickly and even keep you from getting sick (not vomiting) post-treatment.
The best route is to support the immune system. By supporting it, we are providing you body with the added nutrition so your immune system and cells can respond when needed. Supplements such as the medicinal mushrooms-Maitake, Reishi, Shiitake-possess the support components needed to properly support immune health. Combination products like New Chapter's Host Defense are at the top of my list for immune support. (I use this supplement as part of my special needs in my Dietary Supplement Pyramid) Other supplements that can provide your immune system with support are:Beta Glucan (Wellmune® WGP)
- Advanced Immune Support (MD Select)
- AHCC ®
- Maitake D-Fraction ®
- Immunolin ®
- Immune Support Formula (Weil Nutritional Supplements)
Yes, the headline reads correctly. Bacteria (Probiotics) can and do play a huge roll in the long term strength of your immune system. The gastrointestinal tract relies on these bacteria to help support the body's immune response. Probiotics are important because they help prevent foreign bacteria and allergens from passing through the intestinal wall. They are also important to the overall health of your intestinal immune system. Probiotics also help to strengthen the barrier found in the digestive tract which helps protect the body from disease. Lastly, probiotics help to improve the activity of certain immune cells responsible for ridding the body of abnormal cells.
No Science but I still recommend them
Ok, I understand that this is a first for my loyal readers. The Herbal Pharmacist ® is going to mention things that don't have any or too little science. Sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and with regards to cancer there is no better time. I have seen so many positive things happen to people with cancer yet there is no scientific study to prove them. Why? Well, if I had a nutritional supplement that anyone else could make, why would I want to spend millions of dollars proving it did something if everyone else could use my research to sell their product too? The following are products I would include in my special needs section of the dietary supplement pyramid if I had serious concerns with Cancer.
- Flor-Essence Tea or Essiac Tea
- Systemic Enzymes
- Chlorella
- Cat's Claw
- Pau d'arco
- DIM
- Calcium D-Glucarate
- Mistletoe
- Theanine
- Lactoferrin
- Milk Thistle
- Modified Citrus Pectin
Cancer is a complex disease. Even modern medicine realizes the complexity of treating this disease. Otherwise there would be a "cure". It is for this reason I will fall back on my Four Pillars of Great Health. You can't miss any one of these FOUR components of health. If you do, you are opening yourself up to problems down the road.
For more information about natural health, please visit the Herbal Pharmacist
Visit my website at http://www.herbalpharmacist.com, there you will find my podcast, blog, Facebook and much more! All free!
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