Our New Cancer Diagnosis'
delta- and gamma-tocotrienols for the win?
In my last newsletter, 2 Biopsies and a New Diagnosis, we met 2 new biopsies (my good friends) and we introduced a new cancer diagnosis (my aunt) which was vaguely alluded to in the underlined title above, but also left some of you cliff hanging for the rest of that news. One of our biopsies, my anxious, cheerful, yellow t-shirt loving friend, is negative for cervical cancer (which confirmed my sneaking suspicion that it would be). YAY! Unfortunately, this happy biopsy was attacked by a VERY large dog the following week and is now painfully healing 3 broken arm bones. We had a prayer service for her and her family. I wore the cheery yellow t-shirt she gave me because ‘pay it forward’ is a good thing to do, and it seemed more appropriate than the “Be Still and Know That I Am God” t-shirt that I had been wearing for her while waiting for all of the anxiety induced biopsy results, especially since the broken arm now has her being more still than she would probably like to be. She one up’d me during the anointed with oil prayer meeting by putting me, her prayer partner, in the prayer hot seat while in the presence of her professional minister who does things like praying in public for a living. This, among other spontaneous things that she does, is why I love her so much.
The other biopsy, her spouse, was diagnosed with grade 2 prostate cancer which will be treated with radiation and hormone therapy. There is a lot of hope for his healing recovery!
As for my aunt, who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer (we are still waiting to hear what stage), I am hoping that my recent revisit of all things beneficial in regard to vitamin E, may give her and others like her, a lot of healing hope.
Those of you who also subscribe to my Long-Covid Corner subsection newsletter, already know about my current Covid situation. Last night was a rough C-word night, and it is raining quite a lot which is preventing me from wandering outside among the sunflowers in my garden oasis, so I’ve been doing a bit of research on the U-tubes, and I stumbled across a man named Dr. Barrie Tan. He has done a lot of research on Tocotrienols, a component of vitamin E. Vitamin E is made up of Tocopherols and Tocotrienols and is an important part of what gives the Mediterranean diet it’s antioxidant and cancer preventing/killing mojo boost, especially since getting vitamin E in its natural form (with all of its components) is what is being shown to be best for helping our bodies be well.
If you are interested in dietary sources of vitamin E here is a list-
Extra virgin olive oil
Wheat germ oil
Sunflower oil
Safflower oil
Spinach
Broccoli
Asparagus
Kiwi
Mango
Olives
Almonds
Sunflower seeds
Hazelnuts
Peanut butter
Peanuts
Pecans
Walnuts
However, when it comes to cancer, supplementation may most likely be necessary.
According to Dr. Tan, cancer is on the rise, and the research shows that Tocotrienols increase life expectancy in cancer patients:
To date, tocotrienols’ beneficial effects have been shown clinically in ovarian and pancreatic cancer, and pre-clinically for breast, prostate, lung, colon, liver, and skin cancer.Of all the vitamin E molecules, delta- and gamma-tocotrienols attach to tumors most preferably, and, in doing so, help kill them. They do not harm normal cells and they have a penchant for aberrant ones.
From- The Research Behind Tocotrienol - Dr. Barrie Tan
And,
Supplementation with delta-tocotrienol, a form of vitamin E derived from annatto seeds, can delay progression of ovarian cancer and improve overall survival when combined with anti-angiogenic drug therapy, according to a recent study……Brenner Thomsen and her colleagues studied the effect of delta-tocotrienol supplementation at dose levels of 300 mg, thrice daily, in combination with bevacizumab in a small cohort of 23 women with refractory ovarian cancer…….The present study suggests that a prolonged lifespan can be reached without negative influence on quality of life
See more here- Delta Tocotrienol Improves Survival in Advanced Ovarian Cancer - Holistic Primary Care
Here is the link to the product recommended by Dr. Tan-
Amazon.com: E Annatto Tocotrienols Deltagold 125mg, Vitamin E Tocotrienols Supplements 60 Softgel
Dr. Tan’s work highlights the benefits of Annatto Tocotrienols and ovarian cancer, but there is also Vitamin E (gamma tocopherol) hope for our prostate cancer friend and my walking miracle of a dad who had another kind of cancer than prostate:
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health released the results of a huge study (10,456 men). The startling findings showed that men with the highest gamma tocopherol blood levels had a five-fold reduction in prostate cancer risk. This same study showed that selenium and alpha tocopherol also reduced prostate cancer risk, but only when gamma tocopherol levels were high….. This article uncovers new research showing the ability of gamma tocopherol to combat conditions as diverse as asthma, cancer, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular conditions, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease.
See more here- Importance of Gamma E Overlooked - page 1 - Life Extension
Here is a link to a good gamma tocopherol mixed E product-
Amazon.com: Life Extension Gamma E Mixed Tocopherols & Tocotrienols - Complete Spectrum of Vitamin E for Antioxidant Protection
In addition, Dr. Qing Jiang gives this recommendation when supplementing with vitamin E:
“Because most nutritional supplements contain only alpha-tocopherol, a different form of Vitamin E that alone does not have these anticancer properties, it may be better to supplement the diet with mixed forms of Vitamin E…..while alpha-tocopherol is a strong fighter, it is also something of a bully. High levels of alpha-tocopherol (above 150 IU) suppress gamma-tocopherol levels.”
To ensure your Vitamin E supplementation program brings you the optimum anti-cancer, anti-heart disease benefits, you must:
Use a supplement with all 8 Vitamin E components (tocopherols and tocotrienols).
Use only the natural (d-) forms of tocopherols and tocotrienols … and avoid the mixed dl-synthetic forms.
Keep your daily intake of alpha-tocopherol well below 100 IU, preferably near 30 IU.
Use a supplement with at least 40 mg gamma-tocopherol, preferably 60 mg.
Be careful of “so-called” mixed tocopherol supplements, which usually contain mostly alpha-tocopherol and provide more than 100 IU of alpha-tocopherol daily.
By following these guidelines, you will gain the full benefits of Vitamin E’s master antioxidant power … while protecting yourself from possible problems from alpha-tocopherol’s suppression of gamma-tocopherol’s strength and protection.
See more here- Vitamin E—Understanding Tocopherols and Tocotrienols and What They Mean to Your Health! - Us Smart Publications (smart-publications.com)
That’s today’s hopeful Vitamin E story, and I’m going to drop a couple of links to additional information here-
Tocotrienols are increasingly being recognized for their potential roles in protecting against cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, liver disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and even osteoporosis. See more here- Tocotrienols: The Little-Known Benefits - Life Extension
The Truth about Vitamin E with Dr. Barrie Tan - YouTube
That’s the Leaving Death in the Dust News for now which is not as exciting as the news from “Lake Woebegon” or Ellen’s letters about the Pakistani (Doc Hollywood), but helpful to you, I hope. Did I ever tell you about the time I heard the Woebegon news and sang, “It Is Well With my Soul” hymns at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville with Garrison Keillor while feeling like I was swimming in a blurry eyed, Long-Covid, fishbowl about this time last summer? It was the sausage gravy on my buttermilk biscuits, and it made me about as cheerful as being given a cheery yellow t-shirt by a friend who loves me in my woes. I’ve heard that being cheery (and loved) helps give you hope in the midst of sickness and might even help contribute to your hopeful healing. You can even relive your cheery moments when you are homebound in sickness because they are captured in photos and on video. See here-
News From Lake Wobegon - YouTube
I found me and The Hubs in the crowd, and my grey hair is glowing like angel hair under the cheery Ryman lights!
Friendly reminder to all of our loved ones and supporters-
Hope is the beginning of healing, healing often begins with prayer,
and
*Leaving Death in the Dust is a newsletter and is not a replacement for professional, regulated, medical, healthcare. It is informational and educational. Some of us in this community may have worked in the healthcare system, but we are not your medical provider and whatever you find here is not the establishment of a professional medical relationship or medical advice.
