Aged Garlic Extract, The Premier Supplement For Bladder Cancer

If you could only afford the time and effort to take one nutritional supplement for sustaining remission from bladder cancer--this supplement is not particularly expensive--it should be aged garlic extract. Urologist David L. Lamm of University of Texas at San Antonio and his colleague Dr. Dale Riggs of West Virginia University report that they get better results from giving their patients aged garlic extract than they do from chemotherapy.

Lamm and Riggs note that in laboratory experiments, aged garlic extract:

• Stimulates the production of a kind of white blood cell known as a macrophage to destroy both bacteria that cause bladder infections and pre-cancerous cells deactivated by their own protective mechanisms.
• Stimulates the production of new white blood cells in general.
• Reduces swelling of tumors caused  by invasion of white blood cells.
• Increases the activity of natural killer cells against bladder cancer.
• Increases the production of tumor-necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-2 to destroy bladder cancer cells once they have been identified by the immune system.

Aged garlic extract stimulates the immune system to do the work of fighting bladder cancer, and stimulates it in ways that get better results than chemotherapy drugs like doxorubicin (Adriamycin) while preserving the ability of the immune system to control infections that occur elsewhere in the body.

The garlic phytochemicals allylmethylsulfide, diallysulfide, diallylsulfide, and ajoene reduce the activity of enzymes in the liver that transform benzopyrenes, dimethylbenzenes, and nitrosamines into their cancer-causing forms. In other words, they counteract the cancer-causing effects of cleaning solvents, gasoline (petrol), cigarette smoke, and charcoal-grilled food.

All of these great benefits, however, are concentrated in age garlic, not the fresh garlic you would use in cooking. Aging the garlic concentrates the useful chemicals so they are more effective in stimulating the immune system and deactivating harmful enzymes in the liver. You could get the same benefits from fresh garlic if you ate 10 cloves of garlic a day, chewing each clove to release all the cancer-fighting chemicals, but you will have fewer problems with bad breath and indigestion if you use the aged garlic extract in a convenient coated tablet.

What to Avoid?

Not every nutritional supplement is helpful if you have a history of bladder cancer. In particular, you need to avoid taking supplements that cause methylation of bladder cell DNA, a process that activates the process of carcinogenesis. That means you should avoid s-adenosylemethione (sam-E), and the chemicals the body uses to make sam-E, which are folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12.

See Also: Interstitial Cystitis And Bladder Pain: Diagnosis And Treatment

If you take B vitamins at all, take them as part of a daily multivitamin that contains no more than the recommended daily intake (RDI). Calcium supplements also may increase the risk of bladder cancer.

Some studies suggest that a high intake of red meat, particularly processed meats like bacon and sausages, may be associated with a higher risk of bladder cancer. Consider reducing your consumption of red and processed meats. Minimize the consumption of highly processed and packaged foods, which often contain additives, preservatives, and unhealthy fats. These can contribute to overall inflammation and may not support your immune system.

You will never know, of course, if something you added to your diet prevented your bladder cancer from coming back. But the nutritional interventions that doctors believe will help in bladder cancer don't have side effects and aren't a burden on your budget. They are certainly worth the effort and the minimal expense.