New Study: Antioxidants may safely help reduce side effects of Chemotherapy.

While oncologists have long been concerned that chemotherapy patients' use of antioxidents as a health supplement could decrease the effectiveness of the chemotherapy treatments; new studies show that the opposite could be the case; offering better recovery from the therapy's negative side effects. 

From Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden 

Inflammation is a natural and necessary response in the body whenever we are accosted by harmful germs or when we injure ourselves. When this occurs, our immune system steps in to fight foreign invaders and to bring our body back into balance so that we can heal.

Inflammatory chemicals are produced during this process, which can be harmful to our tissues, but antioxidants in our foods, such as vitamins C and E, help to quell this response and restore order to our tissues.

Inflammation can run amok, however, and cause persistent damage to healthy tissue, especially if we smoke or if we are overweight or obese. Chemotherapy drugs that are used to treat cancer also produce severe inflammation in the body, and this particular inflammatory response helps to kill off cancer cells. But it also harms healthy tissue in the process.

Many oncologists have been fearful of having their patients take any antioxidants during chemotherapy for fear that antioxidants might reduce the effectiveness of the chemo.

In a recent article in the journal Alternative and Complementary Therapies, Dr. Keith Block, a renowned integrative cancer specialist affiliated with the University of Illinois, discussed his review of more than 2,300 studies on the use of antioxidants during chemotherapy, and his report is very reassuring.

In summary, antioxidants often help to reduce side effects from chemotherapy, and this may allow patients to complete their full course of medication without interruption, which itself leads to better outcomes. Certain antioxidants also enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy, reduce long-term toxicity and improve survival.

Not a single study reviewed by Block showed any evidence of antioxidants interfering with the effectiveness of chemotherapy. In fact, a recent article looking at the impact of antioxidants in Chinese women undergoing treatment for invasive breast cancer found that use of antioxidant vitamin supplements in the first six months after diagnosis resulted in a reduced risk of both mortality and cancer recurrence.

Other studies have suggested survival benefit in certain cancers when patients take melatonin, as well as reduced toxicity from chemo with the use of glutathione and coenzyme Q10 among others.

Original Article: Antioxidants and Chemotherapy

New Trend: Online Doctor Treatments via Phone and Web

With new technology, including Skype and Video Chat / Conferencing, getting professional therapy and help has gone from something that had to be meticulously scheduled along with often travelling long distances to see a specialist, to something that you can acheive in the comfort of your own home. 

From the New York Times: 

Since telepsychiatry was introduced decades ago, video conferencing has been an increasingly accepted way to reach patients in hospitals, prisons, veterans' health care facilities and rural clinics - all supervised sites.

But today Skype, and encrypted digital software through third-party sites like CaliforniaLiveVisit.com, have made online private practice accessible for a broader swath of patients, including those who shun office treatment or who simply like the convenience of therapy on the fly.

"In three years, this will take off like a rocket," said Eric A. Harris, a lawyer and psychologist who consults with the American Psychological Association Insurance Trust. "Everyone will have real-time audiovisual availability. There will be a group of true believers who will think that being in a room with a client is special and you can't replicate that by remote involvement. But a lot of people, especially younger clinicians, will feel there is no basis for thinking this. Still, appropriate professional standards will have to be followed."

The pragmatic benefits are obvious. "No parking necessary!" touts one online therapist. Some therapists charge less for sessions since they, too, can do it from home, saving on gas and office rent. Blizzards, broken legs and business trips no longer cancel appointments. The anxiety of shrink-less August could be, dare one say ... curable?

Ms. Weinblatt came to the approach through geographical necessity. When her therapist moved, she was apprehensive about transferring to the other psychologist in her small town, who would certainly know her prominent ex-boyfriend. So her therapist referred her to another doctor, whose practice was a day's drive away. But he was willing to use Skype with long-distance patients. She was game.

Now she prefers these sessions to the old-fashioned kind.

 Read the Original Story Here: http://mobile.nytimes.com/article;jsessionid=482B91B57CA7FE8619892CD3E87F24AB.w5?a=845424&f=35&p=1

Coriander/Cilantro oil has anti-bacterial properties.

Coriander oil is capable of killing many strains of bacteria in laboratory tests, researchers have found.

Coriander, also called cilantro, is an aromatic plant used in cooking. For centuries, oil produced from the seeds has been tied to health benefits, including pain relief, ease of cramps, nausea fighter, aid for digestion and treatment of fungal infections.Coriander, also called cilantro or Chinese parsley, has been used for centuries to aid digestion. Apichart Weerawong/Associated Press

Now scientists writing in the Journal of Medical Microbiology say the oil reduced the growth of 12 bacterial species, including E. coli, salmonella and the MRSAsuperbug. Most strains were killed by solutions containing 1.6 per cent coriander oil or less.

"The results indicate that coriander oil damages the membrane surrounding the bacterial cell," said Fernanda Domingues, who led the study at the University of Beira Interior in Portugal.

"This disrupts the barrier between the cell and its environment and inhibits essential processes including respiration, which ultimately leads to death of the bacterial cell," she added in a release.

The sterilized coriander oil did not work against two types of bacteria,Bacillus cereus and Enterococcus faecalis.

"These results, showing a potent antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria due to membrane permeability, are noteworthy and justify the use of this plant, not only as a food flavouring agent, but also as a food preservative in order to prevent bacterial spoilage of foods," the study's authors concluded.

"However, this research needs further enlightenment in order to evaluate the suitability of these remarkable antibacterial properties in practical applications."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/08/24/coriander-bacteria.html

Milk Thistle extract fights effects of Hepatitis C: New Study

A laboratory study suggests that silymarin—an extract from the milk thistle plant—has multiple effects against the lifecycle of the hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C is a chronic (long lasting) disease that primarily affects the liver and is often difficult to cure. The laboratory study examined the antiviral properties and mechanisms of silymarin on cultured (grown in a lab) human liver cells infected with the virus. The study, funded in part by NCCAM, was published in the journal Hepatology.

The researchers grew human liver cells and infected them in vitro with the hepatitis C virus. The cells were then exposed to either standard hepatitis C drug treatment or to a diluted dose of silymarin. By analyzing the interactions between silymarin and the virus, the researchers observed that silymarin prevented the entry and fusion of the hepatitis C virus into the target liver cells. They also found that silymarin inhibited the ability of the virus to produce RNA (a chemical that plays an important role in protein synthesis and other chemical activities of the cell), interfering with a portion of the virus's lifecycle. When measured against untreated cells, silymarin also significantly decreased viral load (the amount of virus in the cells), although to a lesser degree than treatment with interferon did. The researchers also found that silymarin prevented the cell-to-cell spread of the virus.

These findings build on previous research of silymarin's antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties and provide more information about the potential mechanisms involved in silymarin's antiviral actions. Further research, particularly in clinical trials, is needed to determine if silymarin could be a safe and effective supplement for treating hepatitis C in humans.

Reference

• Wagoner J, Negash A, Kane OJ, et al. Multiple effects of silymarin on the hepatitis C virus lifecycle. Hepatology. 2010;51(6):1912–1921.

http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/061610.htm