Lycopene Aids Advanced Prostate cancer

20 Men with prostate cancer that didn't respond to hormone therapy were enlisted into this study between January 2001 and December 2002. They were 56 to 90 years of age with a median age of 72. The men were placed on Lycopene 10mg a day for 3 months (this is a lower dosage compared to most studies). One mans prostate cancer completely disappeared over the eight week follow up period and his PSA had returned to normal, this man had a complete response to Lycopene. 30% of the men had a good response where their PSA level fell by 50% and their disease remained stable. Of these men, the ones who had bone pain due to metastasis had their pain alleviated. In 50% of the men the disease remained stable, and in 15% of the men the disease continued to progress. In almost all of the men the ECOG Performance Scale, a scale used to track the progression of disease, improved. The response to this conservative dose given for a limited time lasted from 12 to 72 weeks after stopping the supplementation, and lasted an average of 25 weeks. Lower urinary tract symptoms improved in 61% of the men who had them. The study is published in the September-October 2004 issue of the journal Urologic Oncology

Gamma-Tocopherol: an Underestimated Nutrient

The main body of research over the past two decades has focused on Alpha-Tocopherol (AT), the form of vitamin E customarily used in most supplements. New research is aimed at Gamma-Tocopherol (G-T), its twin. Research shows that G-T offers different antioxidant value than A-T. G-T is stronger at protecting us from some very toxic substances known as lipophilic electrophiles. Lipophilic electrophiles are highly unstable forms of metals and heavy metals, such as oxidized forms of mercury, arsenic, and lead that have a strong affinity for penetrating into the brain, liver, kidneys, heart, and other important organs where they can cause inflammation and cell damage. G-T also excels and is superior to A-T at protecting us from nitrogen and oxygen free radicals. G-T is much more active at protecting the kidneys, and it has ability to protect us from heart disease and cancer risk, an ability that is not present in A-T. The study review comes from the Institute of Nutritional Sciences, University of Vienna, and is published in the July 12th 2004 issue of the journal Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism.

Gamma-Tocopherol Deserves More Attention

Researchers at the University of California, the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Berkeley, Ca. state that Gamma-Tocopherol (G-T) is the major form of vitamin E in plant seeds (a very healthy food) and it possesses unique health features. Recent studies indicate that G-T is a more effective trap for lipophilic electrophiles (see former study) than Alpha-Tocopherol, and G-T penetrates certain tissues better than A-T. G-T and its metabolite have anti-inflammatory activity, an activity missing in A-T. Human and animal studies show that higher levels of G-T decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer. High doses of A-T deplete plasma and tissue levels of G-T in contrast with supplementation with G-T, which increases levels of both. The study is published in December 2001 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Commentary by Jerry Hickey, R.PH.

More evidence that your vitamin E supplement should have all 8 isomers (structural variations) of vitamin E. Although G-T excels at some activities, A-T excels at others. I have listed some vitamin E studies in regards to the differing isomers of vitamin E under July 19th.

Development of Gamma-Tocopherol as a Colorectal Cancer Preventive Agent

Nutritional factors play an important role in the prevention of colon cancer, and poor food choices play a part in the causation of colon cancer. Vitamin E is a generic term that describes a group of eight structurally related forms of the antioxidant Vitamin E. Vitamin E may help prevent colon cancer by a number of activities:

• Preventing fecal fats from oxidizing and creating chemicals that mutate colon cells
• Preventing oxidative damage to the cells lining the colon
• Allowing cells to develop normally instead of abnormally
• Allowing cells to communicate properly with one another decreasing the risk of abnormal cell production
• Protecting chromosomes and DNA

Most epidemiological, experimental, and clinical studies have focused on Alpha-Tocopherol and not on Gamma-Tocopherol. However, recent epidemiological, experimental and mechanistic studies show that Gamma-Tocopherol may be a more potent cancer-preventing agent than Alpha-Tocopherol. There is a rationale for developing Gamma-Tocopherol as a colorectal cancer-preventing agent. The study-review was performed at the Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, James H Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, and is published in the September 2003 issue of the journal Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology.