28. Stomach Drugs, Cancer and Lifestyle

Stomach Drugs, Cancer and Lifestyle

    

     An association between proton pump inhibitor drugs, (PPIs) and stomach cancer has finally been positively identified. A study by the University of Hong Kong and University College London published in Gut, a leading international journal in gastroenterology and herpetology, has shown that long term use of PPIs presents a 2.4 times higher risk of developing stomach cancer.

     A link between PPIs and a higher stomach cancer risk has previously been identified by academics – but never in a study that first eliminates Helicobacter pylori (HP), a bacterium suspected of fuelling the illness’s development.

    The PPI study found that after HP was removed, the risk of developing the disease still rose in line with the dose and duration of PPI treatment.  However patients on H2 blockers, another class of drugs that are prescribed to reduce stomach acid production, had no increase in cancer prevalence compared to those on PPIs.  

     More than 50m prescriptions for PPIs are handed out every year in UK for stomach ulcers and their causes. PPIs are also prescribed for acid reflux causing heartburn and inflammation of the gullet, (which can itself lead to oesophageal cancer).

    As always, prevention is better than cure. Acid reflux and consequent heartburn and inflammation of the gullet, can be caused by obesity, smoking or alcohol excess. Any of these can lead to a number of life-threatening cancers. Combined together, obesity, tobacco and alcohol excess are a lethal cocktail that will certainly ensure a shortened life, if not from one of a number of consequent cancers such as cancer of the colon, rectum, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidney, gullet or postmenopausal breast.

Ian MacWatt

Further Reading

Gut MBJ   PPIs and gastric cancer risk study

Patient Platform Proton Pump Inhibitors

Healthline  H2 Blockers

National Cancer Institute   Obesity and Cancer

New England Journal ofMedicine  Body Fatness and Cancer

NHS Choice  Indigestion

25. The Stop Cancer effects of Coconut Oil

                                          Photo credit: Bigstock

Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers, affecting both men and women.  There have been a good number of natural remedies and foods that have been linked to prevention of this cancer, but there have not been many studies, which show that these remedies kill cancer cells.

However a recent study published in the Journal Cancer Research has found an active anti-cancer component in coconut oil. Lauric acid, a major ingredient of this oil, has been shown in a University of Adelaide study to kill over 90% of the colon cancer cells after just two days of treatment.

This study was conducted in vitro, but the researchers believe that lauric acid could also induce cancer cell death in clinical studies as well.                

Why is it that many in vitro studies never get past this stage and move onto clinical trials? This is because clinical trials are very expensive, making it difficult for those who are not involved in mainstream pharmaceutical research, to find funding.

Pharmaceutical companies have little interest in funding these types of studies, as they cannot patent the oil, so there is no money in it for them.

Clinical studies by the American Society for Nutrition have shown that the fats in coconut oil can help to prevent and treat diabetes, herpes, hepatitis, gallbladder disease, cancer, and Crohn’s disease.

Coconut oil has also be shown to decrease the toxic and often devastating side effects of chemotherapy.

Further Reading

Naturelon Coconut Oil and Colon Cancer

Biomed Central  Cocont Oil and Breast Cancer