By Frank Tabino | Category: Antioxidants, Cancer supplements and remedies, Healthy Foods, Natural remedies for health, Natural supplements, NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
“A Chemical in broccoli shown to halt growth of breast cancer cells” was the headline of a press release following a study at The University of California at Berkeley. Researchers at Berkeley have shown that the chemical indole-3-carbinol (I-3-C), a component of broccoli and other members of the Brassica genus, halts the growth of breast cancer cells.
They suggested that I-3-C may make an excellent cancer treatment in combination with other drugs, or as an exciting stand-alone nutritional therapy. I-3-C derived from broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables helps rid the body of estrogens and environmental estrogens, thereby reducing the risk of breast cancer and cervical cancer for women, prostate cancer for men, and melanoma for both sexes.
Where Do Estrogens Come From
Aside from the estrogens produced by our body, we are constantly bombarded with environmental estrogens (synthetic chemicals that have estrogen-like effects in the body). Since the 1940’s, there have been more than 40,000 synthetic chemicals developed for use in pesticides, herbicides, food preservatives and plastics. Some of these chemicals are carcinogenic agents that eventually get into our water supply, through agricultural run-off, or our food supply in the synthetic growth hormones found in our dairy and beef products. Unless you are eating organically grown fruits and vegetables, organic meat and derived dairy products and drinking pure water, YOU ARE GETTING THESE ENVIRONMENTAL ESTROGENS IN YOUR DIET.
I-3-C Helps Reduce The Risk Of Cancer And Eliminate Body Fat
There is overwhelming scientific data indicating I-3-C enhances the clearance of excess estrogens (the bad estrogens) from the body. Scientists believe I-3-C can induce the activity of various enzymes in the liver thus assisting the body in the elimination of the bad estrogens. By doing so, I-3-C allows both men and women to use the proper amounts of estrogen (mostly estradiol) for required physiological processes, while at the same time eliminating the unnecessary and unwanted estrogens and estrogen by-products that have been linked to an increase in cancers.
By reducing the harmful estrogens in the body, I-3-C not only lowers the chance for disease to take hold but also strengthens the body by stabilizing the proper ratio of testosterone to estrogen in both men and women. Keeping this ratio stable reduces the percentage of body fat since estrogens hold onto body fat and testosterone reduces body fat by itself. According to research-scientist Dr. Robert Berger, “with I-3-C supplementation, “healthy metabolic cycle” is setup. I-3-C causes reduction of estrogens that cause a reduction of body fat while this reduction of body fat causes a further reduction of estrogens.” The regulation of proper testosterone to estrogen ratio is also responsible for increasing virility in men and enhancement of sex drive in both sexes.”
Why Men Should Take I-3-C
Let’s look at why I-3-C is important to men (especially aging men). The primary enemy of men as they age is the increasing levels of estrogen and the lower testosterone to estrogen ratio. There are seven main reasons for excessive estrogen levels in men. Age related hormonal changes (estrogen to testosterone ratio), altered liver function, zinc deficiencies, obesity (fat cells increase estrogen levels), alcohol abuse, pharmaceutical drugs, and the ingestion of environmental estrogens. Of these seven, four can be ameliorated by the use of I-3-C. I-3-C can work to correct liver function alterations and prevent alcohol damage. I-3-C helps to improve estrogen imbalance (by riding the body of excess estrogens) and helps the liver detoxify estrogen from environmental substances. For men, these properly functioning systems will help to increase the testosterone to estrogen ratio. When this ratio is in the proper range, there are enormous health benefits: Optimal cardiovascular health, sexual virility, and prevention of prostate cancer and melanoma (both are highly correlated with high estrogen levels or imbalances).
I-3-C Is a Must For Women
I-3-C is a must for women, especially those on Estrogen Replacement Therapy (ERT). I-3-C works on the female hepatic (liver) P-450 system just as it does for men ““ to rid the body of excess estrogens, and environmental estrogens. Women who have produced estrogens before menopause, if on ERT post-menopausal are now bombarded by those excess estrogens, and environmental estrogens to an even greater extent. The female body contains a full array of receptor sites for estrogenic compounds on breast tissue, uterine and cervical tissues. The scientific evidence of the unwanted effects that estrogen has on these types of tissue is overwhelming and very scary. Environmental estrogen receptors are especially prevalent in the breast tissue, and this may be because the high correlation between estrogens and breast cancer. Because of its powerful protective properties, supplemental I-3-C is so important for all women.
Excess estrogens significantly increase the risk for breast cancer, cervical cancer, as well as prostate cancer in men. There is scientific evidence that supplemental I-3-C decreases the risk of these deadly diseases. A significant study conducted by The National Cancer Society shows that supplementation with I-3-C “induces significant hepatic (liver) metabolic pathway (2-hydroxylation) to rid the body of harmful estrogens, while at the same time hindering the harmful uptake of environmental estrogens. As the complete chemistry and pharmacology of I-3-C has been thoroughly reviewed in the medical literature, we now see that I-3-C is showing success in clinical trials against estrogen sensitive cancers.”
Alternative Doctors Recommend I-3-C
According to alternative medical doctors, I-3-C should be taken by everyone. We are all exposed to the environmental estrogens in our food supply, the water we drink and even in the air we breathe. In this modern society of technological advances, we must take a pro-active role in protecting our health from known environmental enemies.
As a nutritionist, I recognize the importance of I-3-C as an adjunct/preventive therapy for environmental diseases. My wife Toni and I have been taking I-3-C for many years. My recommendation for supplemental is Vital Immunity. Just one capsule daily of Vital Immunity is all you need to help your body remove carcinogens before they do harm. In addition to I-3-C, Vital Immunity also contains Sulforaphane Glucosinolate another cancer-protective compound. Scientists at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine discovered Sulforaphane in 1992. They found that the sulforaphane induced protective enzymes in various tissues, especially in the liver, the body’s main detoxifying organ. Sulforaphane enhanced the liver’s Phase II detoxification and helped remove toxins that otherwise might create the mutations in individual cells that can lead to cancer. The research at Johns Hopkins culminated in a patented extract called SGS (sulforaphane glucosinolate) produced from proprietary species of broccoli seed with patented extraction methodology.
