Ginsengshowsbenefitsincancertreatment
Flaxseedslowedthegrowthofprostatetumorsinmen,whileginsenghelpedrelievethefatiguethatcancerpatientsoftenfeel,USresearchersreportedonSaturdayintwoofthefirstscientificallyrigorouslooksatalternativemedicine.
Thestudiesreflectdoctor’seffortstoexploretherisksandbenefitsoffoodsandsupplementsthatareroutinelytakenbytheirpatientswithlittlescientificprooftheyhelp.Americansspendbetween$36billionand$46billionyearoncomplementaryandalternativetherapies,accordingtotheNationalCenterforHealthStatistics.“Patientsaretakingthesecompoundsbutweneedtoknowiftheyaredoinganygoodoranyharm,”saidDr.BruceChesonofGeorgetownUniversityHospitalinWashington,wholedapanelonalternativetherapiesatameetingoftheAmericanSocietyofClinicalOncology.
Intheflaxseedstudy,researchersatDukeUniversityMedicalCenterinNorthCarolinaandcolleaguesevaluatedtheseed’sroleasafoodsupplementin161menwhowerescheduledtoundergosurgeryforprostatecancer.“Thegrowthratewasdecreasedinthemenwhogotflaxseed,”saidDr.NancyDavidson,anoncologistatJohnsHopkinsUniversityinBaltimorewhoispresident-electofASCO.“Ithinkthisisfascinating.”Flaxseedisrichinomega-3fattyacidsandlignins,afiberfoundontheseedcoat.“Wewerelookingatflaxseedbecauseofitsuniquenutrientprofile,”saidWendyDemark-Wahnefried,aresearcherinDuke’sSchoolofNursing,wholedthestudy.
Halfofthemeninthestudyadded30gramsofflaxseeddailytotheirdietsforabout30days.Halfoftheflaxseedgroupalsowentonalow-fatdiet.Afterthesurgery,thecancercellsinboththeflaxseedgroupsgrewabout30to40percentslowerthanthecontrolgroup.
ButDemark-Wahnefriedisnotreadytoprescribeflaxseed.“It’sahealthyfood.Ithasalotofvitaminsandalotoffiber.Butwecannotdefinitelysayatthispointyoushouldtakeflaxseedbecauseitisprotectiveagainstprostatecancer,”shesaid,addingthatflaxseednowneededtobestudiedtoseeifitcanpreventprostatecancer.
Intheginsengtrial,DebraBartonoftheMayoClinicinRochester,Minnesota,andcolleaguestestedthreedifferentdoesoftheherbonpatientswithavarietyofcancerswhowereexpectedtoliveatleastsixmonths.Twenty-fivepercentofpatientstakinga1,000-mgdoseandtwenty-sevenpercentofpatientstakinga2,000-mgdoessaidtheirfatiguesymptomswere“moderatelybetter”or“muchbetter”.Only10percentofthosetakinga750-mgdosereportedanimprovement,whichwasaboutthesameastheplacebogroup.PatientsonthetrialtookWisconsinginsengfromasinglecropthatwastestedforuniformpotency.Itwaspoweredandgiveninacapsuleform.“Iwouldn’thavepredictedthis,Ihavetoadmit,”Davidsonsaidinaninterview.“Wemightwanttotestthisinalargescale.”
TheflaxseedstudywasfundedbytheNationalInstitutesofHealthandtheginsengstudywassupportedbyUSPublicHealthServicegrants.
1.Paragraph2___.C.thedoctors’responsibilitiesledthemtocarryoutthesetwostudies
2.Paragraph4___.E.themethodsandresultsofthestudyonflaxseed
3.Paragraph5___.F.adifferentopinionontheuseofflaxseed
4.Paragraph6___.B.thestudyonginsengdisplaysitsgoodpromise
5.DoctorsintheUSwantedtoknow___.C.whetherthefoodsandsupplementspatientstookeverydayweregoodornot
6.Bothstudiesonflaxseedandginsengshow___.E.thateitherofthemisbeneficialtocancerpatients
7.Itistheuniquenutrientprofileofflaxseed___.A.thatledtheresearchersinDuke’sSchoolofNursingtostudyit
8.Intheginsengtrialtheresearcherstestedthepotencyofginseng___.B.bygivingdifferentdoseoftheherbtopatientswithdifferentcancers
|
|
