Cancer Articles (Dr. S.N White)

What are the functions of antioxidants? Antioxidants protect various compounds in the body from damage by some very active forms of oxygen, produced by various chemical reactions necessary to maintain body functions. Antioxidants protect cells exposed to toxic environmental factors, such as cigarette smoke, that cause cell damage, damage that can, in turn, contribute to the onset or progression of many diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Should I take vitamin E to protect my heart? In nature’s design, this vitamin is actually a group of substances called tocopherols. They are found in abundance in plant foods high in the good fats almonds, wheat germ, whole grains, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, and in cold pressed or minimally processed vegetableoils . Vitamin E and other tocopherols are powerful antioxidants, as well as vitamins. Like other antioxidants, they protect unsaturated fats from being damaged by oxygen. In humans, they help to protect against cell damage an...

In some cases doctors prescribe two or more drugs at a time. This is called combination therapy. Resins or plant fibers and the new margarines are sometimes given with statins, and their addition can produce a further decrease in LDL cholesterol levels of 20 to 25 percent. The further addition of niacin can produce yet another 15 to 20 percent decrease. The sum of these three types of drugs may result in a decrease in LDL cholesterol levels of up to 70 percent. But you should remember that each drug has its own possible array of side effects and these are now all added together. You should be carefully monitored by your health professional for any such adverse effects from the combination of these powerful drugs. If I take one of these drugs, should I get my liver function checked?  Yes. Your liver has many functions, one of which is to render nontoxic many harmful compounds that enter your system through food or air. When these detoxifying functions become stressed, some liv...

What are fibrates?  Another class of drugs is called fibrates, and the one most commonly used in the United States has been gemfibrozil. Fenofibrate is another fibrate that has just begun to be used here. Physicians use these two drugs to help lower triglycerides, and fenofibrate also is effective in lowering LDL. Physicians tend to prescribe fibrates for people with high triglycerides as the first line of treatment, although, as we’ve already said, niacin will also lower triglycerides. It’s important to note that the natural way of lowering triglycerides is to use only a moderate amount of alcohol, exercise regularly, stay close to your ideal weight, and eat a diet rich in vegetables and grains and other foods that are very low in sugar. Replacing some breads, potatoes, rice, and com with soy, seeds, nuts, avocado, and olive oil may aid in lowering triglycerides. This involves a partial replacement of carbohydrate rich foods with so-called good fats.

How do statins work?   Understanding how statins work will help you understand their possible adverse effects. Statins interfere with the production of cholesterol in the body, mainly in the liver. Since you synthesize your own cholesterol, it makes sense to limit the amount you consume if you are an overproducer. The liver together with cholesterol from food is responsible for most of the cholesterol found in the blood. There is a key step in cholesterol synthesis that these statins block quite effectively. The result is a reduction in blood LDLcholesterol levels of 25 percent to 45 percent, depending on the dose prescribed. Since cholesterol is the key molecule for the production or synthesis of other essential compounds (like some hormones and bile acids needed for the digestion of fats) in the body, if the dose of the statin is too high there may be some adverse effects. Statins and Cholesterol Always remember: do as much as possible in terms of diet, not smoking, ph...

Yes. During a heart attack, some heart muscle cells that lack sufficient blood and oxygen become damaged, releasing various enzymes into the bloodstream. A blood sample may be drawn every few hours to look for these enzymes as one way to diagnose whether a heart attack has occurred and how much muscle has been damaged. After a heart attack, your physician will always take blood samples to measure blood cholesterol and fractions of blood cholesterol. These tests can reveal your level of risk of developing a future heart attack. These fractions include measures of highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), often called the “good” cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), often called the “bad” cholesterol. Levels of triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood) are often measured at the same time.

Oral contraceptives pose a risk for heart disease because they raise slightly the level of LDL cholesterol while at the same time lowering the level of HDL. However, among nonsmoking women under forty who take birth control pills, there is only a slight increase in the risk of heart disease. But when women in the same age group smoke, are overweight, and take birth control pills, they are about five times more likely to suffer a heart attack.