Omega three six balance. How many consider in their diet.

[R.B.]

I would be really grateful for some idea as to now many of you consider the omega three six balance as part of your diet.

How many supplement EPA and DHA and how much.

How important do you consider diet as an adjunct to treatment.



Just your thoughts generally would be helpful.


Many thanks

RB

[hutchibk]

Hi RB - Here is a good book that I found... and I consult with the doc who wrote it. He is in Seattle, I am in Texas, but I make phone appointments and he offers me a plan based on what my onc has me doing. He consults with my onc first and likes to be updated on my progress and/or set-backs. Of course I need to call him tomorrow due to my treatment changes.

Honestly, I have been a bit lazy about his supportive and integrative supplement plan since I last talked to him in October, but it is time for me to get serious again. He doesn't go to the fringes with anything, he sticks close to conventional supplementation (although he knows what the fringes are doing and you can ask him about it...he will give his opinion). With me, he mostly works with vitamins (dosaging is one of the most important aspects, what you can and can't take when you are on certain chemos) as well as a few extras like L-glutamine, etc. He's not much of a fan of anything that has no true regulations in place (chinese herbs) for chemo patients, and he does sell certain brands vitamins (they are formulated specifically for his dosages.) What I have found is that his vits are equal in price or less than what I used to buy at Whole Foods. And he has total control over the ingredients that go into them.

>>>>
In Complementary Cancer Therapies, Dan Labriola has written a book that attempts to bridge the gap between “conventional” and “alternative” medicine for the patient with cancer. As such, this volume meets a need that has not been successfully addressed elsewhere. Most of what is written on other books for the lay reader emphasizes one approach to exclusion (and often denigration) of the other. Yet many who have recently received a diagnosis of this dreaded disease are actively searching for all available means to relieve their suffering, prolong their lives, and (if possible) achieve a cure. I am a “conventional” practitioner, but one who is well aware that patients use “alternative” therapies. If such therapies are to be employed, it is important to recognize that they have biological effects. Some may be helpful, others harmful. Harm is an especially likely consequence when one agent competes with another and decreases the antitumor efficacy.

Unfortunately, most forms of alternative therapy have not been subjected to rigorous testing by the scientific method. Incentives to do this have been lacking since there is a little financial reward and the agents employed are not regulated by the government like prescription drugs are. Such testing is, however, now underway; some of it sponsored by the federal government. As more information based on randomized trials become available, it should be possible for the cancer patient to make more intelligent choices about what, if any, alternative therapies to elect.

In the meantime, Dr. Labriola offers what information exists regarding the potential usefulness of the naturopath’s armamentarium. He also provides pithy, readily understood summaries of how various cancers are staged and treated according to “conventional” approaches. The toxicities of the latter are well described, but fairly.

This volume can serve as a valuable reference for practitioners on both sides of the present fence. Most important, it should act as a resource and advisor for the perplexed patient or family member who is in between.

~ Forward written by Robert B. Livingston, M.D., Professor of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, and Chief of the Division of Oncology, University of Washington Medical Center.

“…loaded with information for anyone with cancer.” Bernie Siegel, M.D., author of the best-selling Love, Medicine, and Miracles and Prescriptions for Living

[LAURIE]

I try to eat a high fiber, low fat diet with 12 servings of veggies a day. I also supplement with 20 fish oil tablets(each pill 1000 mg) = 20,000 mg. EPA- 120 mg each pill, DHA-120 mg each pill. I also supplement with Vitamin D, selenium, CoQ10, milk thistle and multi vitamin.

You would think a breast cancer diagnosis would change my eating habits and be easy to do but the power of sugar is super high for me, my will power is horrrible. I have to go, Turtle pie is ready for desert.

[Becky]

I eat a high fiber diet with lots of veggies and some fruit. I take 4-8 fish oil capsules per day and 2 cod fish oil tablets. The amount depends on my intake of fatty fish (then I will take less fish oil tablets) or fish in general (where I will take alittle more but not as much as if I have salmon, tuna, halibut). I have walnuts almost every morning with plain nonfat yogurt, berries and other fruit and extra fiber all bran cereal (or Uncle Sam's). I use wheat germ on this mix half the time and the other half I put ground flax.


I try to be as low fat as I can but I am not obsessive about it. I eat a salad with lemon juice for lunch every day (I am not sure about the oil in the "oil and vinegar" selection on the work salad bar so I don't use it). For dinner we have fish 2X per week and vegetarian 2 or 3 X per week and then usually chicken. We do occassionally eat beef and pork. I make salad and veggies again. I always make a starch as my husband and I are both runners and we HAVE to have it. I use only extra virgin olive oil (or canola for high heat - yes, sometimes I still make fried chicken!!).

I also take a mulit, CoQ 10, vitamin D, cranberry (suffered from UTI's), olive leaf and tumeric.

That's my diet and I'm sticking to it.

[R.B.]

Thank your for the replies

B Hutchinson - I will try and find the book. My main interest is omega three and six of course within the frame work of varied nutrient dense whole food diet - lots of fruit and veg etc. I find that this subject alone is massive and ever expanding. For me fats are very fundamental and in evolution/design terms came well before particular nutrients (which may well have a place and real effect e.g. Curcumin) and for me there is increasing evidence that balanced omega three and six, ensuring a supply of long chain EFAs and strict moderation are likely dietary pillars.

Laurie - do you watch intake of other fats as part of your dietary considerations? Depending on your budget etc you might like to think about bottled fish oil - I suspect it may be a cheaper option.


Again many thanks

RB

[AlaskaAngel]

On our last trip back to Alaska I found that the brand of wild Alaskan salmon and fish oil blend we were getting in Canada wasn't available, and I haven't found it here at home either, so since then I've been using a fish oil concentrate of anchovy, sardine, mackerel and soy but am still looking around. It has 1200 mg of fish oil concentrate, 216 mg of Omega-3 (EPA) and 144 mg of Omega-3 (DHA) per capsule, and I take 2 of these a day. I eat a handful of walnuts every day (more than I should). I have 2 tablespoons of freshly ground flax seed in 1/4 cup of unsweetened soy milk with added stevia. I use only olive oil for cooking and salads. I eat fresh salmon 1-2 times a week, fresh halibut once every otherweek, canned tuna, no beef or pork, occasional organic chicken, organic eggs, a little organic butter, and a little organic sour cream. I use about 1/8 teaspoon of turmeric a day just in various foods. I don't use sugar in anything but I do sneak in a small piece of dark chocolate here and there so that I have at least one imperfection! I don't know if I've done a good job of balancing my fats or not. I eat salad and fresh-steamed veggies with dinner. I haven't been able to figure out how to add any fresh fruit to the diet without steadily gaining weight.

Other supplements: a multivitamin, 1/4 of a 200-mg selenium, CoQ10 50 mg 2 x a day, vitamin D3 400 IU, 2 Viactive calcium/magnesium/vit K/vit D.

AlaskaAngel

[Margerie]

Supplements: 2,000 mg fish oil (360mg EPA, 240 mg DHA)
2,600 mg flaxseed oil (omega-3 1460 mg, omega-6 312mg, omega-9 286 mg), 1-2 tablespoons ground flax.

I don't know about balance either- it seems this may be too much? (I am a big lady!)

Diet: no pork or beef, fish 1-2 x week, chicken or vegetarian 3-4x week, olive oil for cooking except peanut oil when I make stir fry, Earth Balance Omega-3 enriched spread (non-gmo, non-hydrogenated organic oil blend-palm fruit, soybean, flax, canola and olive), dessert once a week (Laurie- you can do it too, it took me awhile to wrap around the concept, the less I eat it, the less I want it), dark chocolate 1oz., lots of fruit, veggies, no processed foods (except Wheat Thins- can't seem to find a substitute here), not many potato dishes, no fried foods, brown rice pasta (it's good!), whole wheat bread and tortillas.

I also hike 5 hours a week and lift weights. I am needing to drop a considerable amount of weight- and it is daunting. I have been VERY good for three weeks and managed to lose 5 pounds. This is going to be tough. Since I started behaving diet-wise three weeks ago- my fatigue has vanished. Coincidence?

[Odette]

Hi Brenda, Laurie, Becky, AlaskaAngel,

Thanks for your description of your diets!
I'm doing much of the same except I call it modified macrobiotic.
How did you decide what dose of CoQ 10 to take?
I'm about ready to start on that, but some sources say as much as 390 mg and most say a lot less.

Best wishes to all!

Odette