Olive oil bad?

[Rich]

Foods That Kill Cancer Cells


There is no question that a proper diet can contribute to a cancer free
life. However, once cancer becomes established specific foods cannot,
for
the most part, actually kill cancer cells. For the most part this is due
to the low concentrations of medical compounds in most foods.
Supplements
can help, but many supplements enter the body poorly. The prevention and
treatment of cancer are two drastically different processes.


I know of two foods that can powerfully kill cancer cells. If people can
think of others, please post a comment to this essay with the
information.
I will check it out.


The first food is flaxseed, ground into a meal. Twenty give grams of
flaxmeal baked into a muffin and eaten once a day for 30 days killed 31%
of the breast cancer cells in newly diagnosed women. Flaxseed contains a
high concentration of pre-lignans which are converted into lignans by
intestinal bacteria. There is a very large scientific literature
published
on the biochemistry of lignans. In addition to breast cancer cells,
lignans can also kill melanoma cells. In fact, the lignans from flaxseed
can probably kill any cancers.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd....eve&db=pubmed.. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed..).


Now let's talk about fats. We all know that olive oil contains wonderful
anti-oxidants and very little saturated fat. It's good for us, right?
Yes,
in general olive oil is a wonderful, flavorful oil that has many
medicinal
values.


UNLESS, you have cancer. Then you are in trouble.


The two most pleniful fatty acids in body are the 16 carbon saturated
fat
palmitic acid and the 18:1 mono-unsaturated oleic acid. The medical
dogma
is that saturated fats are intrinsically bad for us while un-saturated
fats are good.


Wrong!!!


Saturated fatty acids like palmitic acid are VERY toxic to cancer cells,
while unsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid, the primary fatty acid in
olive oil, block apoptosis or programmed cell death in cancer and other
cells.


Although palmitic acid can be made in cells by an enzyme called fatty
acid
synthase (FAS), this palmitic acid is immediately converted to other,
growth promoting lipids. It's an interesting paradox that inhibiting FAS
(EGCG and flavonoids readily inhibit FAS) causes cancer cells to die at
an
accelerated rate, while FEEDING dietary palmitic acid to cancer cells
kills them by another mechanism.


The following paper shows that palmitic acid inhibits the synthesis of
cardiolipin, a lipid that is concentrated in the inner mitochondrial
membrane. This lipid complexes cytochrome C and prevents it from being
released out of the mitochondrial. The release of cytochrome C out of
mitochondria is THE signal for apoptosis or programmed cell death.
Cancer
cells go to great lengths to prevent this from happening. While dietary
palmitic acid promotes the release of cytochrome C, oleic acid (oleate)
prevents it by reactivating cardiolipin synthesis. This is not good news
if you have cancer.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd....eve&db=pubmed.. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed..).


I am preparing a more extensive Blog on the biochemistry of palmitic
acid
on cancer cells.


Here is the problem. Triglycerides are fat molecules. They look like a
coat hanger that has three ties of unequal length hangling from it. The
ties are fatty acids. Olive oil contains primarily oleic acid, while
saturated fat in meat and milk products contains alot of palmitic acid.
The bottom line is that the palmitic acid and oleic acid tend to cancel
each other out, at least with respect to cancer growth.


A cancer diet would exclude all oils but flaxseed oil. The palmitic acid
must be fed as a free fatty acid in semi-pure form because there is no
other way to exclude the non-saturated fatty acids like oleic acid that
antagonize its anti-cancer abilities. Linoleic acid, the primary fatty
acid in most cooking oils, is a non-saturated fat that will also block
palmitic acid's cancer killing properties.


No, olive oil does not cause cancer. It's use is simply not appropriate
if
you are trying to kill cancer cells, and the oleic acid in olive oil is
working against you. Linoleic acid, in addition to blocking palmitic
acid's effects on mitochondrial integrity, is converted to
prostaglandins
and other molecules that contribute to cancer cell growth. We have
already
discussed in previous Blogs the horror and havoc these oils place on the
body.


In another Blog, I will tell you the story of the exciting new
anti-leukemia drug discovered in red algae. The scientists later
discovered it was just palmitic acid. I got the impression in reading
the
article that the authors were disappointed that they didn't discover
some
new exotic anti-cancer molecule. I mean, palmitic acid is NOT at all
sexy.
It just happens to work if other fats in the diet are minimized to
prevent
their interference with its anti-cancer properties.


So now you know. Foods can kill and they will if consumed under the
proper
conditions. In the case of flaxseed, the pre-lignans will not be
converted
to lignans in the intestines if the bacterial propulation is reduced due
to excessive antibiotic use or excessive fat intake. Palmitic acid in
free
fatty acid form will kill cancer cells, or at a minimum make them
incredibly unstable, if other interfering fats like linoleic acid and
oleic acid are rigidly excluded from the diet.


So eat lots of flaxmeal muffins and smoothies and be happy. But use ONLY
the brown flax seed. It can be purchased in bulk in most high end
markets
or health food stores. The golden flax seed contains NO oil.


Stay tuned...and don't forget to contact me if you find another
anti-cancer food. Be realistic...if you have to eat a ton of the stuff
to
get an affect it's worthless.


Grouppe Kurosawa, Medicine in the Public Interest
(http://www.grouppekurosawa.com

[madubois63]

And yet, I have heard that Flaxseed is NOT good for Her2. This is all so confusing!!!

[*_Trudy_*]

I have always been told that Flaxseed and Soy products are not good for BC that
is Her2 and/or Estrogen pos, while extra virgin olive oil has been recommended
many times.

This is so confusing to patients who are trying to stay informed and who want to do
the right thing.


Thank You

[Esther]

I have seen reports published by reputable MD's, and Phd's that give convincing arguments both for and against using Olive Oil, and Flaxseed oil when you have BC.

I have also seen opposing opinions from reputable MD"s on the proper treatment options within conventional medicine, chemo, rads, surgery, etc.

It's all incredibly hard for a lay person to go through and intelligent decisions. In my case, I do some research, and then make my own decisions.

I have also seen oppposing stances on whether nutrition and supplements can help fight off cancer once you are diagnosed with it. So who know's?

I chose to use nutrtion and supplements to combat my cancer, just in case they will help. It's my body, I make my own decisions. That being said, I am presently showing NED from liver and bone mets diagnosed in Feb 2004. The liver mets were so extensive you could barely see the liver on the ct scans. I underwent chemo at the same time as I underwent my own nutritional and supplements regimen. What worked? Maybe it's a combination of both.

But from coming back from the brink of liver failure, I am now in top energy, snow and water skiing, rock climbing, working out, etc.

I do think a blanket statement saying that nutrition and supplements do not help once you are diagnosed with cancer is not necessarily correct. Just as we all react differently from chemo, I think we also all react differently to diet and supplements.

To each his own...we all find our path.

[Susan M (PA)]

Rich, A suggestion, maybe email Sloan with your question
on this link regarding herbs, botanicals, supps, alternative therapies,etc.
I can't find oleic acid or olive oil, specifically.
It is confusing.
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11570.cfm

Susan M (PA)

[Monica]

Have you looked into brocco-sprouts? More and more clinical research is showing the anti-oxidant effects of brocolli, and brocco-sprouts are presumablely 30 to 50 times more concentrated than brocolli. A new research study just came out yesterday that brocolli may help beat bladder cancer, especially agressive bladder cancer. Any information on brocco-sprouts you could find would be great.
Best,
Monica

[*_Becky_*]

Hello to all

I found the article below on Artemis (Archive from Feb 2005 on the Johns Hopkins Breast Cancer site)

Best regards,

Becky

-- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Uncovering the Science Behind the Breast Cancer Protective Effect of Olive Oil

Researchers have uncovered reasons why the Mediterranean diet, with its high intake of oleic acid-rich olive oil, seems to protect against breast cancer. They have also found evidence that oleic acid may have a future role in treatment. The findings were reported in the journal Annals of Oncology.

The researchers have demonstrated in a series of laboratory experiments on breast cancer cell lines that oleic acid dramatically cuts the levels of an oncogene called Her-2/neu (also known as erb B-2). High levels of Her-2/neu occur in over a fifth of breast cancer patients and are associated with highly aggressive tumors that have a poor prognosis.

Not only did oleic acid suppress over-expression of the gene, other tests on the cell lines showed that it also boosted the effectiveness of trastuzumab (Herceptin), the monoclonal antibody treatment that targets the Her-2/neu gene and has helped to prolong the lives of many breast cancer patients.

Lead researcher, Dr. Javier Menendez, assistant professor at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and a research scientist with the Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Research Institute, said: "Our findings underpin epidemiological studies that show that the Mediterranean diet has significant protective effects against cancer, heart disease and ageing."

The strongest evidence that monounsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid may influence breast cancer risk comes from studies of southern European populations, but animal research to date has thrown up inconsistent results, possibly because olive oil has been administered as a mixture of several fatty acids and other natural protections and not on its own.

"To our knowledge this is the first report that a dietary monounsaturated fatty acid previously suggested to be protective against breast cancer significantly down-regulates the expression of Her-2/neu, cutting it by up to 46%. Her-2/neu is one of the most important oncogenes in breast cancer," said Menendez. "Moreover, in our tests, oleic acid's inhibition of Her-2/neu synergistically interacted with Herceptin-based immunotherapy by promoting the death of breast cancer cells exhibiting high levels of the oncogene.

"Additionally, alongside the sensitizing effect of oleic acid on the efficacy of Herceptin we found it increased the expression of a protein (p27Kip1), a tumor suppresser protein, which is implicated in the development of resistance to Herceptin treatment."

Menendez said that his team's findings should not only help in understanding the molecular mechanisms by which individual dietary fatty acids regulate the malignant behavior of breast cancer cells, but also suggested that dietary interventions based on oleic acid may delay or prevent Herceptin resistance in Her-2/neu-postive breast cancer patients.

Menendez emphasized that while it was important to be cautious about the implications of the study, as laboratory results did not always translate into clinical practice, their findings did present the concept that a higher level of oleic acid in breast tissue could provide an effective means of influencing the outcome of breast cancer in patients carrying high levels of the rogue gene.

"They may also help in designing future epidemiological studies and, eventually, dietary counseling to delay or prevent drug resistance developing in patients taking Herceptin," he said.

SOURCE:
Annals of Oncology, January 10, 2005

[sassy]

Does anyone have any information on how much olive oil should be ingested daily?

Sassy

[*_Julie_*]

Found this on web

For example, the study by Dihua Yu, M.D., published August 2004 in the journal Cancer Cell (see associated news release) potentially explains why some patients with HER-2-positive tumors never respond to Herceptin. The finding that presence of a protein known as PTEN, which helps put a brake on cancer growth, determines whether or not Herceptin will work suggests that PTEN can become a powerful predictor of who will respond to Herceptin. It also implies that drugs that mimic the action of PTEN could help restore Herceptin’s beneficial effects.

Esteva has also found another pathway that might be targeted to restore Herceptin sensitivity. Results published by his laboratory June 1, 2004 in the journal Cancer Research showed that Herceptin-resistant cells lost p27kip1, a molecule that can arrest cell growth. “This is another pathway that we can target to restore the ability of Herceptin to treat breast cancer,” he says.

[*_Julie_*]

Apparantly olive oil seems to increase the production of p27kip1 protien which helps to promote the response to Herceptin.

[karen w]

Hi Everyone,

So, what is the decision about oleic acid? Is it good or bad for cancer patients?
I have read several artical that said it is really good for Her2 positive cancers by itself and an added benifit when taken with Herceptin. I also read the same article that, Becky posted, that talked about oleic acid helping those who are resistant to Herceptin.

Karen

[Esther]

Everyone has to make their own decision on the Olive Oil thing....I saw the same studies where the conclusion drawn was that Olive Oil acted synergistically with Herceptin.

It was from a credible source so I went with it. I don't specifically add Olive Oil, but I use it in salads, and for all my cooking uses.

The issue of complementary medicine, food and supplements taken with conventional medicine is a tough and personal choice. But I do know that at my last appt with my onc., my CA 27-29 and my liver enzymes, as well as all scans, were the best they've ever been.

My onc. said to me " whatever you've been doing, keep doing it!"

[Gina]

Hi, just wanted to put my 2 cents worth in about oleic acid..., I think everything depends on the exact type of cancer we are talking about. I think the evidence right now is weighing far more positive for the use of oleic acid WITH her-2 and the synergistic effect of oleic acid with Herceptin. Live cells are very complex, cancerous or no. I can not speak for the exact science, but in my case, a diet that includes moderate amounts of olive oil and canola oil in place of butter, margerine, and other kinds of fats has been most helpful. On the contrary, flax oil has been detrimental to me, personally, but that could be because I am hormonal negative and still get my periods...I agree with with Esther...it is a very personal decision and one has to try various nutritional strategies for herself/himself to see what works best for one's particular biochemistry. I think it is really hard to generalize or make blanket statements because the inner workings of cells and how they communicate and function in higher systems is really extremely complex. I say that from being her-2, 3+ for eight years now and successfully managing my breast cancer ER/PR negative mets with only Herceptin and a diet that was accidentally discovered to be rich in oleic acids. I have not taken any "HARD Core" chemo since 1998. I currently follow my own diet and take 6mg per body weight of herceptin every 6 weeks. It has worked for me. That is all I can say. Of course, my diet includes MANY other things besides oleic acid, so in the end, it may be difficult to completely disregard this well-constructed opinion and I will look into the other acid he mentions. Interestingly, many cancer theories that have come and gone have suggested various "acids" --the first most studied was probably retinic acid (vitamin A) but then this research was set aside suggesting it would be impractical and perhaps even unsafe to ingest the quantities of vitamin A that might be needed to match the cancer killing properties seen in test tubes...sigh...then there was oxalic acid..., then GLA, LA...blah blah...but still, an interesting insight. I will look into it more and post anything I can find out. Best to all, Gina

[karen w]

Gina,

I am very interested in knowing how much oleic acid you have in your diet. Do you use supplements or just olive oil? I would also like to know what other supplements you are using and what type of diet you follow. You seem very knowledgeable in this area. If you would like, you can email me at: karen@thunderbay.net.

Thanks,

Gina