1. Avoid folic acid — (synthetic form of folate) as Tuft’s Vitamin Carcinogenesis lab showed in gastroenterologic research that it made colon cancer cells (and other cancer cells, too) grow faster. Don’t use supplements with folic acid on the label but folate, folacin, and tetrhydramethylfolate (lots of names and even a drug that delivers this: 5-MTHF, L-methylfolate, just ask for natural forms) are all good as they the “natural” forms of folate occurring in Mother Nature’s plants. (PS FOLATE gets its name from foliage “eat your greens”).
2. Milk Thistle — “Oral milk thistle extract stops colorectal cancer stem cells from growing tumors” new research from the University of Colorado. This study shows that orally taking silibinin, purified extract from milk thistle, slows the ability of colorectal cancer stem cells to grow the disease. When stem cells from tumors grown in silibinin-fed conditions were re-injected into new models, the cells failed to develop equally aggressive tumors even in the absence of silibinin. Wow! We have long known how liver protective milk thistle was but this new research is exciting! Thank you Colorado scientists!
3. Exercise regularly — with bouts of high intensity shown to decrease initial cancer diagnosis and recurrence rate if you are a survivor.
4. Chew ½ tsp. of xylitol at night that disrupts biofilm that is swallowed and covers colon cancer cells not allowing the immune system to “see” and cause cellular death in them.