Fasting maybe the way to combat cancer.

[Kompromat]

Updated: 09/02/2012 18:45 |

Fasting 'may be way to beat cancer'


Going without food for short periods may combat cancer and boost the effectiveness of treatments, an early animal study has suggested.

Fasting on its own slowed the growth and spread of tumours in mice, scientists found. When it was combined with chemotherapy, some serious cancers were cured. Researchers are already looking at the effects of fasting on human patients.

Results from a Phase I safety study looking at breast, urinary tract and ovarian cancers will be presented at a meeting in the US this summer. But only a clinical trial lasting several years will show if human cancer patients really can benefit from fasting, say the scientists.

They also warn that fasting could be dangerous for patients who have already lost a lot of weight or are affected by other risk factors, such as diabetes.

The research showed that tumour cells do not respond to the stress of fasting the same way as normal cells. Instead of entering a dormant state similar to hibernation, they try to keep growing and dividing. In the end the cells destroy themselves.

"The cell is, in fact, committing cellular suicide," said lead scientist Professor Valter Longo, from the University of Southern California in the US. "What we're seeing is that the cancer cell tries to compensate for the lack of all these things missing in the blood after fasting. It may be trying to replace them, but it can't."

The study is reported in the latest edition of the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Mice with five out of eight different types of cancer responded to fasting alone, the researchers found. Fasting without chemotherapy slowed the growth of breast cancer, melanoma skin cancer, glioma brain cancer and neuroblastoma. In every case, combining fasting with chemotherapy made the cancer treatment more effective.

Multiple cycles of fasting combined with chemotherapy cured 20% of mice with a highly aggressive type of children's cancer that had spread around the body. Mice with a more limited spread of the same cancer were cured in 40% of cases.

None of these mice survived if they were treated with chemotherapy alone, said the scientists. Fasting also extended the survival of mice with a human ovarian cancer.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fasting

Other common name(s): juice fast, dry fast

Scientific/medical name(s): none

Description

Fasting generally means eating no food and drinking only water for a period of days, but there are different approaches. Sometimes a person doesn’t eat or drink anything at all (a dry fast) throughout the fast. A juice fast can mean drinking only water and juice for a day or several days. Tea, broth, or other special drinks may be part of fasting. Fasting is often promoted as part of a "detoxification" process in some types of metabolic therapies for cancer or other conditions.

Religious fasting has different requirements. One group fasts from food and drink, but only during daylight hours for a month out of the year. Another tradition includes a 24-hour dry fast on specific days. Yet another forbids certain foods (such as animal products and alcohol) for several weeks at a time, so that a person eats only certain types of foods and avoids others.

Here, unless otherwise specified, fasting will mean drinking adequate water but avoiding foods and caloric fluids for the duration of the fast.
Overview

Available scientific evidence does not support claims that fasting is effective for preventing or treating cancer in humans, although this is now being more fully investigated. Even a short-term fast can have negative health effects for some people, while fasting for a longer time could cause serious health problems and even death. Dry fasts can cause death from dehydration fairly quickly.
How is it promoted for use?

Practitioners of a type of alternative therapy called metabolic therapy (see Metabolic Therapy) believe the body has environmental toxins and other harmful substances that can be removed by fasting or detoxifying the body. They claim that fasting allows the body to focus energy on cleansing and healing itself. According to these practitioners, fasting helps the immune system work more efficiently, allows more oxygen and white blood cells to flow through the body, helps the body burn more fat, helps increase energy, and allows other healing functions to improve. Some supporters claim that fasting by a person who has cancer can "starve" a tumor, leading to cell death.

Other illnesses and conditions proponents claim can be treated by fasting include acne, allergies, arthritis, asthma, non-cancerous tumors, digestive disorders, fever, glaucoma, headaches, heart disease, high blood pressure, inflammatory diseases, pain, polyps, and ulcers. Fasting is also promoted to rejuvenate the body, lose weight or help maintain normal body weight, increase longevity and sex drive, and to improve mental clarity, self-awareness, and self-esteem. It is also said to be helpful in quitting or cutting back on tobacco use , alcohol, caffeine, or non-prescription drugs. Some practitioners claim it can heighten spiritual awareness.
What does it involve?

Short fasts, lasting from 1 to 5 days, are often done at home. Other than drinking only water or juice, fasting can also require a lot of rest. Sometimes other methods of detoxification, such as liver flushes or enemas, are recommended as part of the regimen (see also Juicing, Liver Flush, Colon Therapy). Longer fasts require professional supervision and often take place at a spa, resort, or similar facility. Medical fasts are sometimes done at clinics or hospitals.
What is the history behind it?

Ancient cultures believed fasting could purify the soul. The belief that fasting can also purify or cleanse the body is a fairly modern idea, gaining popularity in the second half of the 20th century.
What is the evidence?

Available scientific evidence does not support fasting as a cancer treatment in humans. Some studies in animals have suggested that long-term calorie restriction -- that is, consuming less than one's normal amount of calories each day -- may slow the growth of certain tumors, but this is not the same as fasting. In fact, some animal studies have found that actual fasting in which no food is eaten for several days could actually promote the growth of some tumors. But more recent animal studies have showed some tumor growth slowed down during fasting.

A study published in 2012 looked at rodents with cancer who were given chemotherapy after 48 to 60 hours of fasting (they were given only water). They had better effects from the chemotherapy than rodents who ate normally before treatment, and in fact some who didn’t get chemo had even improved. By itself, this does not mean the effect would be the same in humans. But studies are already under way to find out if fasting does help improve cancer treatment outcomes in humans.

In another report, 10 patients voluntarily fasted before (and some after) getting chemotherapy, and reported that their fatigue, weakness, and intestinal side effects were not as bothersome as when they got chemo while eating normally. Of note, they had different types of cancer and chemotherapy, and they fasted for different amounts of time, so it’s hard to say whether these results will hold up with further testing.

In 2011, one research group looked at the available studies of calorie restriction and health in animals and humans, including the practices of religious fasting and other types of fasting. Their summary discussed animal studies in which restricting calories over the life span resulted in longer life and less chronic disease, including cancer.

They also reviewed animal studies that compared calorie restriction to alternate-day fasting, which means no food or very little food one day, alternating with eating as much as they wanted the next day, over long periods of time. (Alternate-day fasting can result in lower calorie intake, but often did not, as both humans and animals tended to eat enough on their “feast days” to make up for the fast days.) Some positive effects were found in long-term animal studies, but human studies of alternate day fasting have been much shorter and show fewer benefits.

A brief fast (usually 8 to 12 hours) is often advised by medical professionals in preparation for certain diagnostic tests. In this case, the fast helps to produce more accurate test results. Fasting may also be advised for a period of time before and after surgery, especially if digestive system organs are involved. This is mainly to ensure the stomach and bowels are empty during surgery. This is important to avoid getting stomach contents into the lungs, since anesthesia disables the usual protections, such as swallowing and coughing, that keep a person from inhaling foreign matter into the lungs when he or she is awake. It also allows the intestines time to recover from anesthesia before reintroducing food.

As for reaching and maintaining proper weight, most experts recommend a combination of limiting portion sizes, choosing healthful foods, and being physically active instead of fasting.
Are there any possible problems or complications?

Fasting can have short-term side effects such as headaches, dizziness, feeling lightheaded, fatigue, abnormal heart rhythms, low blood pressure, and a fruity taste in the mouth. People who fast may have problems driving or operating dangerous machinery due to these effects. Fasting can also raise the risk of an attack in people with gout, and worsen symptoms of gallstones. Longer-term fasting can interfere with the immune system and vital bodily functions and can damage the liver, kidneys, and other organs. Fasting can be especially dangerous in people who are already malnourished, such as those with some forms of advanced cancer. Death results when fasts outlast the body’s supply of stored fuel or energy.

Dry fasting (no fluid intake) can quickly result in dehydration and death over a period of days, with the length of time varying by person and situation. Factors such as extreme heat, exertion, or illness can shorten it to a few hours.

Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should not fast. People taking certain medicines can have problems with absorption, as well as changes in drug action and side effects.

Relying on this type of treatment alone and avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health consequences.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fasting may be the best way to combat cancer

PTI Feb 10, 2012, 07.04AM IST

LONDON: Fasting for short periods could help combat cancer and boost effectiveness of its treatments, a new study has claimed.

Researchers at University of Southern California found that fasting slowed the growth and spread of tumours and cured some cancers when it was combined with chemotherapy . It's hoped that the findings will lead to the development of more effective treatment plans and further research is now under way, they said.

In experiments on mice, they found tumour cells responded differently to the stress of fasting compared to normal cells. Instead of entering a dormant state similar to hibernation, the cells kept growing and dividing, in the end destroying themselves, they said.

"The cell is, in fact, committing cellular suicide," lead study author Valter Longo was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. "What we are seeing is that the cancer cell tries to compensate for the lack of all these things missing in the blood after fasting. It may be trying to replace them, but it cannot."

For the study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, Longo and his team looked at the impact fasting had on breast, urinary tract and ovarian cancers in mice. Fasting without chemotherapy was shown to slow the growth of breast cancer, melanoma skin cancer, glioma brain cancer and neuroblastoma - a cancer that forms in the nerve tissue.

In every case, combining fasting with chemotherapy made the cancer treatment more effective. But none of the mice survived if they were treated with chemotherapy alone.

According to the researchers, they are already examining the effects of fasting on human patients , but only a clinical trial lasting several years will confirm if human cancer patients really can benefit from calorie restriction.

References:


Fasting may be the best way to combat cancer - Times Of India

Fasting

Fasting 'may be way to beat cancer' - Title1

Fasting 'could help combat cancer and boost effectiveness of treatments' | Mail Online


@VCheng @ANTIBODY @Elmo

Any opinions?

 

[gubbi]

This is a classic case of blowing things out of proportion. This in all its merits was a very minor observation that has been really blown out of proportions. Stupid illiterate media!!

To explain to a layman,
Cancer is NOT one single disease. It is NOT caused due to disruption of any ONE single checking mechanisms (which control growth cells and tissues). Its far more complex than an educated researcher could try and understand, let alone a layman. And another thing, when a normal cell is subjected to various insults, when it cannot cope up with those, it tries and commits suicide - in medical terms - Apoptosis- it means that there is a very methodical and precise manner in which a cell dismantles and destroys itself. Many Cancer cells OTOH become so wired that they can RESIST this methodical suicide when subjected to various stresses - which include radiation, chemotherapy etc.

Try to read this comic strip and you may get an idea of how complex this disease/disorder really is

Mere starving is NOT a major contributor to destroying cancer cells, because you end up killing more healthy tissue than cancer tissue. That approach had already been tried with a class of drugs called Angiogenesis inhibitors (which inhibit development of new blood vessels which carry nutrients to proliferating cancer cells). On their own, not much success.

 

[Developereo]

Mere starving is NOT a major contributor to destroying cancer cells, because you end up killing more healthy tissue than cancer tissue.

Perhaps the idea is that, since cancer cells are a tiny minority, some amount of collateral damage is acceptable, and this method presumably has fewer side effects than injecting dangerous drugs into the body.

Fasting is a normal biological phenomenon from which the body knows how to recover once the carnage is over.

 

[gubbi]

Perhaps the idea is that, since cancer cells are a tiny minority, some amount of collateral damage is acceptable, and this method presumably has fewer side effects than injecting dangerous drugs into the body.

Fasting is a normal biological phenomenon from which the body knows how to recover once the carnage is over.

Maybe. But one has to understand that cancer cells are more resilient than one gives them credit for. They can grow and proliferate even if the rest of the body is wasting away, literally!

 

[ajtr]

Fasting can sure reduce the food consumption and did provide food to those needy people. hence controlling the cancer of hunger in the society..

sunday--Fast for sun god
Monday-Fast for Shiva
Tuesday--Fast for Hanuman
Wednesday-- Fast for Planet Mercury(budh hdev)
Thursday---Fast for brahaspati(jupiter)
Friday--Fast for santoshi mata
Saturday-- fast for shani dev(Saturn)


so one can fast for 365 days a year....

 

[Leader]

Fasting has always been a way to achieve higher spiritual self... its a divine thing !!

if it can cure cancer, its a plus for those suffering from it....

 

[kṣamā]

Do any of the moron saying fasting helps cure cancer, have tried doing so ?? NO. I myself am a Cancer survivor (Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma , detected at third stage). And trust me the only other thing which keeps u alive except highly specialized drugs and hard working genius doctors, is ur own will power and mind set. Rest every thing falls in gray areas. I have suffered,treated and cured for an yr in one of the most advanced hospitals in Mumbai, India , take my word as your gospel, nothing keeps u more alive than docs and specialized medicine in cancer.

 

[Zarvan]

Updated: 09/02/2012 18:45 |

Fasting 'may be way to beat cancer'


Going without food for short periods may combat cancer and boost the effectiveness of treatments, an early animal study has suggested.

Fasting on its own slowed the growth and spread of tumours in mice, scientists found. When it was combined with chemotherapy, some serious cancers were cured. Researchers are already looking at the effects of fasting on human patients.

Results from a Phase I safety study looking at breast, urinary tract and ovarian cancers will be presented at a meeting in the US this summer. But only a clinical trial lasting several years will show if human cancer patients really can benefit from fasting, say the scientists.

They also warn that fasting could be dangerous for patients who have already lost a lot of weight or are affected by other risk factors, such as diabetes.

The research showed that tumour cells do not respond to the stress of fasting the same way as normal cells. Instead of entering a dormant state similar to hibernation, they try to keep growing and dividing. In the end the cells destroy themselves.

"The cell is, in fact, committing cellular suicide," said lead scientist Professor Valter Longo, from the University of Southern California in the US. "What we're seeing is that the cancer cell tries to compensate for the lack of all these things missing in the blood after fasting. It may be trying to replace them, but it can't."

The study is reported in the latest edition of the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Mice with five out of eight different types of cancer responded to fasting alone, the researchers found. Fasting without chemotherapy slowed the growth of breast cancer, melanoma skin cancer, glioma brain cancer and neuroblastoma. In every case, combining fasting with chemotherapy made the cancer treatment more effective.

Multiple cycles of fasting combined with chemotherapy cured 20% of mice with a highly aggressive type of children's cancer that had spread around the body. Mice with a more limited spread of the same cancer were cured in 40% of cases.

None of these mice survived if they were treated with chemotherapy alone, said the scientists. Fasting also extended the survival of mice with a human ovarian cancer.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fasting

Other common name(s): juice fast, dry fast

Scientific/medical name(s): none

Description

Fasting generally means eating no food and drinking only water for a period of days, but there are different approaches. Sometimes a person doesn’t eat or drink anything at all (a dry fast) throughout the fast. A juice fast can mean drinking only water and juice for a day or several days. Tea, broth, or other special drinks may be part of fasting. Fasting is often promoted as part of a "detoxification" process in some types of metabolic therapies for cancer or other conditions.

Religious fasting has different requirements. One group fasts from food and drink, but only during daylight hours for a month out of the year. Another tradition includes a 24-hour dry fast on specific days. Yet another forbids certain foods (such as animal products and alcohol) for several weeks at a time, so that a person eats only certain types of foods and avoids others.

Here, unless otherwise specified, fasting will mean drinking adequate water but avoiding foods and caloric fluids for the duration of the fast.
Overview

Available scientific evidence does not support claims that fasting is effective for preventing or treating cancer in humans, although this is now being more fully investigated. Even a short-term fast can have negative health effects for some people, while fasting for a longer time could cause serious health problems and even death. Dry fasts can cause death from dehydration fairly quickly.
How is it promoted for use?

Practitioners of a type of alternative therapy called metabolic therapy (see Metabolic Therapy) believe the body has environmental toxins and other harmful substances that can be removed by fasting or detoxifying the body. They claim that fasting allows the body to focus energy on cleansing and healing itself. According to these practitioners, fasting helps the immune system work more efficiently, allows more oxygen and white blood cells to flow through the body, helps the body burn more fat, helps increase energy, and allows other healing functions to improve. Some supporters claim that fasting by a person who has cancer can "starve" a tumor, leading to cell death.

Other illnesses and conditions proponents claim can be treated by fasting include acne, allergies, arthritis, asthma, non-cancerous tumors, digestive disorders, fever, glaucoma, headaches, heart disease, high blood pressure, inflammatory diseases, pain, polyps, and ulcers. Fasting is also promoted to rejuvenate the body, lose weight or help maintain normal body weight, increase longevity and sex drive, and to improve mental clarity, self-awareness, and self-esteem. It is also said to be helpful in quitting or cutting back on tobacco use , alcohol, caffeine, or non-prescription drugs. Some practitioners claim it can heighten spiritual awareness.
What does it involve?

Short fasts, lasting from 1 to 5 days, are often done at home. Other than drinking only water or juice, fasting can also require a lot of rest. Sometimes other methods of detoxification, such as liver flushes or enemas, are recommended as part of the regimen (see also Juicing, Liver Flush, Colon Therapy). Longer fasts require professional supervision and often take place at a spa, resort, or similar facility. Medical fasts are sometimes done at clinics or hospitals.
What is the history behind it?

Ancient cultures believed fasting could purify the soul. The belief that fasting can also purify or cleanse the body is a fairly modern idea, gaining popularity in the second half of the 20th century.
What is the evidence?

Available scientific evidence does not support fasting as a cancer treatment in humans. Some studies in animals have suggested that long-term calorie restriction -- that is, consuming less than one's normal amount of calories each day -- may slow the growth of certain tumors, but this is not the same as fasting. In fact, some animal studies have found that actual fasting in which no food is eaten for several days could actually promote the growth of some tumors. But more recent animal studies have showed some tumor growth slowed down during fasting.

A study published in 2012 looked at rodents with cancer who were given chemotherapy after 48 to 60 hours of fasting (they were given only water). They had better effects from the chemotherapy than rodents who ate normally before treatment, and in fact some who didn’t get chemo had even improved. By itself, this does not mean the effect would be the same in humans. But studies are already under way to find out if fasting does help improve cancer treatment outcomes in humans.

In another report, 10 patients voluntarily fasted before (and some after) getting chemotherapy, and reported that their fatigue, weakness, and intestinal side effects were not as bothersome as when they got chemo while eating normally. Of note, they had different types of cancer and chemotherapy, and they fasted for different amounts of time, so it’s hard to say whether these results will hold up with further testing.

In 2011, one research group looked at the available studies of calorie restriction and health in animals and humans, including the practices of religious fasting and other types of fasting. Their summary discussed animal studies in which restricting calories over the life span resulted in longer life and less chronic disease, including cancer.

They also reviewed animal studies that compared calorie restriction to alternate-day fasting, which means no food or very little food one day, alternating with eating as much as they wanted the next day, over long periods of time. (Alternate-day fasting can result in lower calorie intake, but often did not, as both humans and animals tended to eat enough on their “feast days” to make up for the fast days.) Some positive effects were found in long-term animal studies, but human studies of alternate day fasting have been much shorter and show fewer benefits.

A brief fast (usually 8 to 12 hours) is often advised by medical professionals in preparation for certain diagnostic tests. In this case, the fast helps to produce more accurate test results. Fasting may also be advised for a period of time before and after surgery, especially if digestive system organs are involved. This is mainly to ensure the stomach and bowels are empty during surgery. This is important to avoid getting stomach contents into the lungs, since anesthesia disables the usual protections, such as swallowing and coughing, that keep a person from inhaling foreign matter into the lungs when he or she is awake. It also allows the intestines time to recover from anesthesia before reintroducing food.

As for reaching and maintaining proper weight, most experts recommend a combination of limiting portion sizes, choosing healthful foods, and being physically active instead of fasting.
Are there any possible problems or complications?

Fasting can have short-term side effects such as headaches, dizziness, feeling lightheaded, fatigue, abnormal heart rhythms, low blood pressure, and a fruity taste in the mouth. People who fast may have problems driving or operating dangerous machinery due to these effects. Fasting can also raise the risk of an attack in people with gout, and worsen symptoms of gallstones. Longer-term fasting can interfere with the immune system and vital bodily functions and can damage the liver, kidneys, and other organs. Fasting can be especially dangerous in people who are already malnourished, such as those with some forms of advanced cancer. Death results when fasts outlast the body’s supply of stored fuel or energy.

Dry fasting (no fluid intake) can quickly result in dehydration and death over a period of days, with the length of time varying by person and situation. Factors such as extreme heat, exertion, or illness can shorten it to a few hours.

Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should not fast. People taking certain medicines can have problems with absorption, as well as changes in drug action and side effects.

Relying on this type of treatment alone and avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health consequences.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fasting may be the best way to combat cancer

PTI Feb 10, 2012, 07.04AM IST

LONDON: Fasting for short periods could help combat cancer and boost effectiveness of its treatments, a new study has claimed.

Researchers at University of Southern California found that fasting slowed the growth and spread of tumours and cured some cancers when it was combined with chemotherapy . It's hoped that the findings will lead to the development of more effective treatment plans and further research is now under way, they said.

In experiments on mice, they found tumour cells responded differently to the stress of fasting compared to normal cells. Instead of entering a dormant state similar to hibernation, the cells kept growing and dividing, in the end destroying themselves, they said.

"The cell is, in fact, committing cellular suicide," lead study author Valter Longo was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. "What we are seeing is that the cancer cell tries to compensate for the lack of all these things missing in the blood after fasting. It may be trying to replace them, but it cannot."

For the study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, Longo and his team looked at the impact fasting had on breast, urinary tract and ovarian cancers in mice. Fasting without chemotherapy was shown to slow the growth of breast cancer, melanoma skin cancer, glioma brain cancer and neuroblastoma - a cancer that forms in the nerve tissue.

In every case, combining fasting with chemotherapy made the cancer treatment more effective. But none of the mice survived if they were treated with chemotherapy alone.

According to the researchers, they are already examining the effects of fasting on human patients , but only a clinical trial lasting several years will confirm if human cancer patients really can benefit from calorie restriction.

References:


Fasting may be the best way to combat cancer - Times Of India

Fasting

Fasting 'may be way to beat cancer' - Title1

Fasting 'could help combat cancer and boost effectiveness of treatments' | Mail Online


@VCheng @ANTIBODY @Elmo

Any opinions?

Other Than Fasting in the month of Ramazan HAZRAT MUHAMMAD SAW used to fast on Mondays and Thursday and also on some other special days like 10th Muharram Mid of Shawal and on Miraj and some other occasions so we should also try to do it

 

[Mech]

Other Than Fasting in the month of Ramazan HAZRAT MUHAMMAD SAW used to fast on Mondays and Thursday and also on some other special days like 10th Muharram Mid of Shawal and on Miraj and some other occasions so we should also try to do it

@Zarvan
You should try fasting indefinitely. Might be, you could become the next prophet.

 

[Zarvan]

@Zarvan
You should try fasting indefinitely. Might be, you could become the next prophet.

Sir their will be no PROPHET after HAZRAT MUHAMMAD SAW and I am proud salve of HAZRAT MUHAMMAD SAW like vast majority of Muslims

 

[SQ8]

@Zarvan
You should try fasting indefinitely. Might be, you could become the next prophet.

That is fairly insulting to my religion.
There is no doubt, whatsoever in my mind.. as a Muslim.. and as a prerequisite to be accepted as a Muslim.
That there is NO god other than the one I worship.. and Muhammad (Peace and Blessings upon him) the prophet of God
And that he is the seal of the prophets and the final messenger.. and that his message is complete.

Any one who claims prophethood, messiah hood.. other than what has been written.. is a falsifier.. and liable to be waged war against.

That being said.. Fasting has a lot of benefits.. both physical and spiritual..and is not just confined to Islam or the Abrahamic religions.. its been a part of many religions.