The treatment of colon cancer often includes a combination of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. Although these therapies work to combat cancer cells, they can also interact with certain things you consume, including supplements.
Even supplements that seem harmless, such as plant -based and over -the -counter products, can increase the side effects of cancer therapies. Others can weaken treatment, which makes it less effective in fighting cancer.
Another cautious reason is that supplements in the United States are not as strictly regulated as prescription drugs.
The labels can be inaccurate, some ingredients may not be listed, or the amounts may be different from what is announced. In addition, if you heal surgery, certain supplements can interfere with recovery, explains Kyle Eldredge, DO, a general surgeon and colorectal fortified by the board of directors and colorectal based in Florida.
Due to these factors, it is important to speak with your care team against cancer before adding new supplements to your diet. In this spirit, consider avoiding the following supplements during the treatment of colon cancer.
1. St. John’s Wall
The must of Saint-Jean is an additional plant supplement used to help depression and symptoms of menopause.
Some people take it for its supposed potential anticancer properties.
But “the must of Saint-Jean can reduce the effectiveness of therapies against colon cancer such as the Irinotécan (Camptosar), which are based on the Enzymatic Cyp-450 system to metabolize (be decomposed and transformed)”, explains Lora Silver, RDN, a specialist in the dietit and certified in oncology at the Smilow cancer hospital. The CYP-450 system is a group of liver enzymes that treat many drugs. The must of Saint-Jean can make these enzymes more active than usual, which leads to chemotherapy drugs too quickly.
This faster degradation means that chemotherapy does not stay in the body for a long time to combat cancer effectively, explains Taylor Janulewicz, RDN, founder and dietitian of my cancer dietitian. In addition to irinotecan, other cancer treatments such as imatinib (gleevec) and docetaxel (taxoter) can also be affected by the Thousand Festival.
2. Ginkgo Biloba
Although you can turn to Ginkgo Biloba to keep your memory vivid or relieve anxiety, this supplement can change the way your body treats certain chemotherapy drugs.
These include platinum -based treatments such as cisplatin (Platinol) and carboplatin (paraplatin), explains Silver. Like the must of Saint-Jean, the Ginkgo affects the CYP-450 enzymatic system, which potentially makes these therapies against cancer less effective.
Many people receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy are prescribed from prochlorperazine (compazine) for nausea, a common side effect of cancer treatments. “Ginkgo Biloba can interact with the compazine, increasing the risk of crises when the two are combined,” said Janulewicz.
Bleeding can also be a problem when taking Ginkgo Biloba, explains Jeanna Rich, RDN, specialist certified in nutrition in oncology at OSF Healthcare Cancer Institute. Ginkgo can lighten blood, which is problematic for people with colon cancer, because the disease itself can cause bleeding in the digestive tract.
In addition, many therapies against cancer reduce the number of plates (cells that help your blood clot), so minor bleeding can become difficult to control.
And because surgery is often part of the care against colon cancer, the risk of additional bleeding can complicate both procedure and recovery.
3. Turmeric (curcumin)
Its anti-inflammatory advantages make turmeric a popular supplement.
But like Ginkgo and St. John’s Murt, turmeric – and its curcumin with active compound – can interfere with the way chemotherapy is metabolized and can also lighten blood, explains Rich.
But the impact of turmeric on cancer treatment is not entirely clear. In a small study of 60 patients with breast cancer taking paclitaxel (taxol), the addition of 2 grams (g) of daily turmeric caused minor changes in the way chemotherapy was treated, but these changes were not considered to be significant.
That said, this study examined only one medication, so that the effects could vary with other treatments against cancer or from one person to another. Additional research is necessary to better understand how turmeric can affect the way the body treats cancer drugs.
4. Folic acid
Folic acid is a synthetic form of vitamin B9 which helps your body make new cells and treats or prevents anemia.
If you take capecitabine (Xeloda), common chemotherapy for colon cancer, it is important to be careful with folic acid supplements, explains Janulewicz. “High doses of folic acid can worsen the side effects of capecitabine, and even regular multivitamins with folic acid have been linked to an increase in toxicities in treatment,” she said.
A study of people with colorectal cancer revealed that those who took folic acid supplements during capecitabine treatment had an increased risk of 81% of serious side effects.
But the same study has shown that natural folate from food sources, such as green leafy vegetables, beans and enriched cereals, has not increased the risk of toxicity with capecitabine.
5. Antioxidants like vitamins A, C and E
Antioxidant supplements, such as vitamins A, C and E, may seem a good way to support your health during cancer treatment. In normal circumstances, antioxidants help reduce oxidative stress, a process that can damage healthy cells.
But chemotherapy and radiation is actually based on the damage caused by oxidative stress to destroy cancer cells, explains Rich. Taking high doses of antioxidants during cancer treatment can counter this process, essentially protecting very cancer cancer cells that treatment is trying to eliminate, she says.
Dr. Eldredge recommends avoiding supplements listed as antioxidants during cancer treatment. In addition to vitamins A, C and E, additional current antioxidants include selenium, echinacea, coenzyme Q10, zinc and ginseng.
Too much of these vitamins can be harmful even for healthy individuals. Large doses of vitamin C – greater than 500 to 1,000 milligrams (MG) per day – can reduce oxidative stress but can also cause diarrhea and stomach ache.
Vitamin E can increase the risk of bleeding and high quantities of vitamin A or beta-carotene have been linked to an increase in the risk of cancer in smokers.
6. Affre
Although popular with heart health and immune support, garlic supplements can lighten blood, increase the risk of bleeding and cause digestive upheavals, Rich explains. This can create complications during cancer therapy if you are already dealing with low plates from treatment or if you are preparing or putting surgery.
Garlic also has antioxidant properties, which can interfere with the operation of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
And like several other supplements mentioned, garlic can reduce the effectiveness of colon cancer treatments that rely on the CYP-450 enzyme system to metabolize.
7. Green tea extract
Green tea extract (the shape of the green tea supplement) contains high levels of compounds called polyphenols.
Polyphenols are also found in other supplements such as curcumin and grape extract. Eldredge explains that supplements rich in polyphenols could create resistance to chemotherapy. Additional research is necessary to fully understand how polyphenols could create chemoresistance.
In addition, green tea extract has strong antioxidant properties which, like other antioxidants, can reduce the capacity of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to kill cancer cells, explains Rich.
The point to take away
- If you receive colon cancer treatment, avoid supplements such as Saint-Jean must, ginkgo biloba, turmeric and garlic, which can interfere with the effectiveness of chemotherapy medications.
- Be careful with antioxidant supplements such as vitamins A, C and E and green tea extract, as high doses can protect cancer cells and reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation.
- Folic acid supplements have been linked to serious side effects if you take capecitabine (Xeloda), although eating food rich in folate like leafy vegetables does not have the same risk.
- Always talk to your cancer care team before adding or stopping any supplement while receiving colon cancer treatment.
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