9 replies to this topic

[alomani]

My sister had a breast cancer five years ago. The cancer was estrogen and progesterone positive. She underwent mastectomy of the left breast, radiotherapy and aromatase inhibitor treatment (anastrozole).

The anastrozole treatment is now ending. My sister is 60 years old.

To prevent a relapse of the cancer, it may be useful that she take natural aromatase inhibitor supplements. What anti-aromatase supplement could she use? Pomegranate? Quercetin? Grape seed extract?

There are lists of natural aromatase inhibitors on the Internet, for example

http://marnieclark.c...ase-inhibitors/

 

but unfortunately, most of these herbs are not easily available as food supplements.

Thanks in advance for any suggestion.

 

[goodman]

zinc, resveratrol

[blood]

Grape Seed Extract?

[rwac]

Zinc, Orange bioflavonoids(naringenin, apigenin etc OJ is a good source), aspirin. Also vitamins ADEK.

[Darryl]

The paper you want to review is:

 

Balunas, M. J., Su, B., Brueggemeier, R. W., & Kinghorn, A. D. (2008). Natural products as aromatase inhibitors. Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry,8(6), 646.

 

From that review, flavones crysin (chamomile), luteolin (oregano, celery seed, juniper berries, thyme, radicchio), and apigenin (parsley, celery seed, kumquats, celery hearts, oregano) have respectable half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀s). As a general rule, the body absorbs very little of the flavonoids and alkaloids in foods (serum levels are rarely above 1 microM), so one can ignore the vast majority of the aromatase inhibitors in that paper with IC₅₀s above 5 microM.

 

Unfortunately, the most potent natural aromatase inhibitor, 8-prenylnaringenin, also happens to also be the most estrogenic plant compound.

 

None of the natural compounds in that review can compete in bioavailability or potency with current synthetic aromatase inhibitors like letrozole and anastrozol.

Edited by Darryl, 17 May 2014 - 07:57 PM.

[rwac]

The catch with Chrysin is that it inhibits thyroid deiodinases. I heard this from various sources, including this one, but I can't find the full text. Also my personal experience with it was negative.

Edited by rwac, 17 May 2014 - 09:44 PM.

[YOLF]

I've used an indole-3-carbinol formulation with broccoli, cabbage?, and some other cruciferous vegetable extracts to help manage my weight. I've found that mixing it into a fiber drink is more effective for me than taking it as a pill. Otherwise it's effects seem to be short lived and it makes me sick to my stomach. The fiber drink allows it to absorb more slowly and allows me to meter the dose by drinking a little bit every hour or so from a 32oz (~500ml) shaker cup. The end result being a more regular reduction in aromatase, than the sudden dips I experienced which made me sick from taking the capsules. I guess the large doses are generally required to maintain high enough levels as they have short biological half-lives. I used psyllium husk fiber. Some fibers are just laxatives. Don't use those types for this.

 

I wasn't using this for cancer, but it certainly raised my testosterone without being too strong. I started with a quarter capsule and worked myself to one capsule a day. I'm a guy, so my tolerance for this stuff is going to be lower than a woman's. Adjust accordingly.

Edited by cryonicsculture, 17 May 2014 - 10:17 PM.

[YOLF]

Can you tell me more about how the cruciferous veggies affect thyroid? 

 

I haven't had any thyroid problems that I'm aware of. My blood work comes back good in that department. 

 

I've taken iodine dermally from time to time. How would iodine supplementation in combination with cruciferous veggies work out?

[MachineGhostX]

Can you tell me more about how the cruciferous veggies affect thyroid? 

 

I haven't had any thyroid problems that I'm aware of. My blood work comes back good in that department. 

 

I've taken iodine dermally from time to time. How would iodine supplementation in combination with cruciferous veggies work out?

 

If you adopt a largely plant-based diet as is de rigeur with Ancestral/Paleo, then you can expect to need about 1mg a day of iodiine at worst to offset the increased dietary goitrogens.  More modern and accurate measurements of iodine intake from the Japanese is 1-3mg a day, so that's what I consider the safe upper range -- its on PubMed.  I now take 3mg a day (one Iodoral / 8 ) after getting up to 12.5mg.  I noticed no effects except when crossing the 1mg "barrier". Make sure you always supplement with selenium or you're liable to irrepairably damage your thyroid with the increased iodine (running on fumes).  Titrate the iodine slowly, doubling the dose only every month to avoid inducing reactive hyperthyroidism (you may have minor symptoms for a day or two after increasing, so long as its not persistent, tolerance will rapidly develop).  But its important to never increase iodine intake without adequate selenium.

 

Edited by MachineGhostX, 21 August 2014 - 01:17 AM.