The Colon Club

Hi All -

I'm hoping to learn about what supplements others are taking. What do you recommend taking and where do you source them from / what name brand is reliable? I'm new to all of this so just trying to order up so I can start taking at least a few!

Good morning, I would say get with a naturopath to find out what you really need. For starters there are two things that might help keep your immune system strong which is very important in this fight until you can get with an ND. They are: Turkey Tail Mushroom (I am currently taking RealMushroom brand), the hot water extracted and a high quality Beta Glucan (I take the immunodyne kind made by LCI company).

Hi,

I think that adequate folate level and adequate vitamin d level is important. I would echo what beach sunrise said about Turkey Tail mushroom. Also, I have read that reishi mushroom is good for immune system. In addition, I think it could be important to suppress inflammation in the body, a bioavailable turmeric supplement could help with inflammation.

As far as supplement brands, I've been told that Life Extension supplements are really good. However, they are expensive. Gaia Herbs were recommended as well.

Of course you would want to discuss with your doctor or other health professional before using supplements. I know some doctors are against supplements, so good luck with that.

Yes, inflammation is one driver of cancer. Tumeric is potent at least 800mg caps taking 4 caps 2hrs apart TID.

I agree with the above comments to try to see a naturopath for dosing, brands ect. I saw a naturopathic oncologist alongside my regular oncologist.
I take tumeric, broccoli sprouts, vit D, and a mushroom trio
Ksue

For supplements, I think it is important to specify the purpose for which you want to take supplements. There are supplements for all kinds of conditions, for example, for insomnia, for arthritis, for low energy level, for stress, for vitamin deficiency, for mental alertness, etc. You need to clearly specify why you would like to start taking supplements. A Naturopath Doctor (ND) would be able to help clarify things and put everything in perspective for you.

Every day I take about half a dozen supplements, but none of them are for cancer, per se. If I were to give my list of supplements, it wouldn't do much good unless I also mentioned why I am taking these supplements.

Also if you are starting to add supplements to your list of meds, either you or your doctor will need to check whether or not these are compatible with whatever else you are already taking. This includes both drugs/supplements and foods/beverages.

https://reference.medscape.com/drug-interactionchecker

Green Tea wrote:... if you are starting to add supplements to your list of meds, either you or your doctor will need to check whether or not these are compatible with whatever else you are already taking. This includes both drugs/supplements and foods/beverages.

Excellent point and, as other have also mentioned, seeing an ND or an Integrative Medicine doc is really important. You can't rely on what others are doing because everyone is different - their cancer is different, their medical history is different, their treatment, etc. You don't want to risk sabotaging your treatment. I'll give you an example that actually happened to me. Green tea (the tea, not the poster above ) is amazingly helpful for good health. There are lots of studies that back up that statement. However, if irinotecan is part of your treatment, green tea can result in increased toxicity. If you happen to be on iron supplements, green tea can reduce bioavailability. You really need to see someone who can look at the big picture and make recommendations. That said, MSK has an excellent site called About Herbs that is very helpful if you want information about specific herbs/supplements, and it often includes "Do Not Take If" and/or "Herb-Drug Interactions" sections.

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/green-tea?msk_autocomplete_search_query_suggestions%5Bquery%5D=magnesium

If you can't find a naturopathic doc, preferably one certified in oncology, or an Integrative Medicine doc in your area or if you just don't feel comfortable going in, for whatever reason, you may want to consider joining Life Extensions and scheduling a consultation with one of their Wellness Specialists. I think you need to be a member to use the consult program, but I might be wrong. The membership is $50/yr and you get $50 in credit to apply to purchases. Maybe call first to make sure the Wellness consult program can still give you the guidance you need. It used to be that their Wellness Specialists were naturopathic docs. I wanted to see what the program was all about a few years ago so I scheduled a consult even though I was under the care of a naturopathic oncologist. They recommended pretty much the same protocol as my N.D.

https://www.lifeextension.com/about/wellness-specialists

I hope this helps.