June 19, 2008
Study links vitamin D to colon cancer survival

Charles Fuchs, MD, MPH

Patients diagnosed with colon cancer who had abundant vitamin D in their blood were less likely to die during a follow-up period than those who were deficient in the vitamin, according to a new study by scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The findings of the study — the first to examine the effect of vitamin D among colorectal cancer patients — merit further research, but it is too early to recommend supplements as a part of treatment, say the investigators from Dana-Farber and the Harvard School of Public Health.

In a report in the June 20 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the authors note that previous research has shown that higher levels of vitamin D reduce the risk of developing colon and rectal cancer by about 50 percent, but the effect on outcomes wasn’t known. To examine this question, the investigators, led by Kimmie Ng, MD, MPH, and Charles Fuchs, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber, analyzed data from two long-running epidemiologic studies whose participants gave blood samples and whose health has been monitored for many years.

They identified 304 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Followup Study who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 1991 and 2002. All had had vitamin D levels measured in blood samples given at least two year prior to their diagnosis. Each patient’s vitamin D measurement was ranked by "quartiles" — the top 25 percent, the next lowest 25 percent, and so on. Those whose levels were in the lowest quartile were considered deficient in vitamin D.

The researchers followed the 304 patients until they died or until 2005, whichever occurred first. During that period, 123 patients died, with 96 of them dying from colon or rectal cancer. The researchers then looked for associations between the patients’ previously measured vitamin D blood levels and whether they had died or survived.

The results showed that individuals with the vitamin D levels in the highest quartile were 48 percent less likely to die (from any cause, including colon cancer) than those with the lowest vitamin D measurements. The odds of dying from colon cancer specifically were 39 percent lower, the scientists found.

"Our data suggest that higher prediagnosis plasma levels of [vitamin D] after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer may significantly improve overall survival," the authors wrote. "Future trials should examine the role of vitamin D supplementation in patients with colorectal cancer."

The measurements of vitamin D in the patients’ blood reflected both the amounts made by the body when exposed to sunlight and to all sources of the vitamin in their diets, said Ng. However, she added, there may be additional unknown factors that might account for individual differences. Patients with the highest vitamin D levels tended to have lower body-mass index (BMI) indicating that they were leaner, and also were more physically active. However, after controlling for BMI and physical activity, as well as other prognostic factors, higher vitamin D levels were still independently associated with better survival rates.

Ng said that a trial is being planned in which colon cancer patients will take vitamin D along with post-surgery chemotherapy to look for any benefits of the supplements.

What does this mean?

The SEVENPOINTFIVE Serious Illness Protocol (SIP) has long been successfully assisting Cancer sufferers to fight cancer. Included in this protocol are the Omega SLO (Shark Liver Oil) and Coral8 products, both rich in Vit D amongst other ingredients. This research gives the reason why the SIP is so useful in fighting cancer.

There is one other VITAL factor which was missed in the research findings and that is; Why should the Vit D make such an impact?

The answer lies in the fact that in actual fact, ionic CALCIUM is the essential ingredient needed in this battle because it is the nutrient that ALKALISES the body, and as we should all know, cancer cannot grow in an alkaline environment. However, and this is the key to the research, Calcium cannot be absorbed unless the 1400 VDR (Vitamin D Receptors) in the colon are filled with Vit D. Hence the need for Vit D for surviving cancer…..

Of course the SIP is based on this very issue, that of alkalise to stay alive! And there is no better way to do that than with the SEVENPOINTFIVE Coral Calcium.

The artificial sweetener aspartame is a food ingredient that is perhaps the most controversial of all: Its manufacturers and official bodies claim it’s safe, but a stack of anecdotal evidence and a fair degree of science says it’s not.

Common Sweetener Tellingly, whether a study finds for or against aspartame seems to be intimately related to, er … who paid for it. One online review [1] of the evidence finds that while 100 percent of industry-funded studies conclude aspartame is safe, 92 percent of independently funded research and reports identified aspartame as a potential cause of harmful effects. In a review published this month in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, scientists in South Africa assessed the potential effects not just of one of aspartame’s components, methanol, but other constituents (phenylalanine and aspartic acid) on the brain. The review is long and detailed and is supported by more than 50 scientific references. In their review of the effects of phenylalanine, the authors detail the ability of this chemical to disrupt the chemistry of the brain, including its potential to lower levels of key brain chemicals such as serotonin (which may adversely influence all sorts of things including mood, behavior, sleep, and appetite). The authors note that phenylalanine also has the potential to disrupt amino acid metabolism, nerve function, and hormonal balance in the body. They go on to suggest that aspartame has the ability to destroy nerve cells and that this damage may mimic or even cause Alzheimer’s disease.

When the authors of this review turn their attention to aspartic acid, they highlight this chemical’s ability to stimulate or ‘excite’ the nervous system. In their analysis of the effect of methanol in the body, the authors describe the ability of this substance to create formaldehyde, along with the cancer-causing agent diketopiperazine and a "number of highly toxic derivatives." Here are the conclusions that come at the end of this review [2] (I’ve added some detail in brackets here and there to aid clarity and understanding): "It was seen that aspartame disturbs amino acid metabolism, protein structure and metabolism, integrity of nucleic acids [which are the building blocks of DNA], neuronal function, endocrine [hormonal] balances, and changes in the brain concentrations of catecholamines [brain chemicals such as noradrenaline and dopamine that can affect, among other things, mood].

"It was also reported that aspartame and its breakdown products cause nerves to fire excessively, which indirectly causes a very high rate of neuron depolarization [which basically means aspartame has the capacity to ‘excite’ nerve cells]. "The energy systems for certain required enzyme reactions become compromised, thus indirectly leading to the inability of enzymes to function optimally. "The ATP [the basic currency for energy in the body] stores in the cells are depleted, indicating that low concentrations of glucose are present in the cells, and this in turn will indirectly decrease the synthesis of acetylcholine, glutamate, and GABA [chemicals that play a part in nerve and brain function]. "The intracellular calcium uptake has been altered, thus the functioning of glutamate as an excitatory neurotransmitter is inhibited. "Mitochondria [the miniature ‘engines’ that generate energy in the body’s cells] are damaged, which could lead to apoptosis of cells and infertility in men and also a lowered rate of oxidative metabolism are present, thus lowering concentrations of the transmitters glutamate and production of GABA.

"The cellular walls are destroyed; thus, the cells [endothelium of the capillaries] are more permeable, leading to a compromised BBB [the ‘blood brain barrier’—a structure which, in health, keeps certain substances from making their way from the blood stream into the brain]. Thus, overall oxidative stress and neurodegeneration are present. "From all the adverse effects caused by this product, it is suggested that serious further testing and research be undertaken to eliminate any and all controversies surrounding this product." If you read this study in full (or even this short summary of it), it’s difficult not to come away with the idea that aspartame has considerable potential for harm. The best thing, I think, would be for this substance to be banned from the diet. At the very least, I’d like to see the potential problems with aspartame to be widely known, so individuals can at least make a properly informed decision about whether to consume it or not. Here’s hoping that this latest review of aspartame gets the publicity it deserves.

Franchise Team

The 2008 Franchise seminar saw two new products join the Sevenpointfive range.
Pictured here are some of the delegates that attended, and as can be seen from the smiles, it was an enjoyable weekend.

One of the features of the Conference was a hands on re-acquaintance with the technicalities of the Microscopes; how to set the up correctly, how to ensure the best specimen view and so on. This was an appropriate refresher, especially in view of the junk that is now being offered in the open market. People have seen that we are getting good results and scientifically we offer a good service, so as usual, there are the copy-cats that want to ride the wave.