Fighting
Cancer With Whey
By Will Brink, author of:
Muscle
Building Nutrition
http://musclebuildingnutrition.com
Muscle Gaining Diet, Training Routines by Charles Poliquin
& Bodybuilding Supplement Review
Diet
Supplements Revealed
http://aboutsupplements.com
Real World Fat Loss Diet & Weight Loss Supplement Review
"Fighting
Cancer With Whey"
Studies on
whey demonstrate it's an even better protein supplement than previously
thought. Although whey protein's health benefits have only recently
been elucidated, the use of whey protein for medicinal purposes
has been prescribed since the time of Hippocrates. In fact, there
are two ancient proverbs from the Italian city of Florence that
say, "If you want to live a healthy and active life, drink
whey," and, "If everyone were raised on whey, doctors
would be bankrupt."
In previous
issues, we've chronicled the extensive research showing the many
potential health benefits of whey protein concentrate. The majority
of that research was done in the 1980s and early 1990s, and was
extremely persuasive. Scientists have continued their research
on whey proteins with even more impressive results. What follows
is some of the more current, interesting and useful research on
whey proteins.
Whey
and Cancer
Additional
studies have been done on animals regarding cancer-causing chemicals
to see what effects whey protein concentrate would have on cancer
prevention or treatment. Scientists fed rats various proteins
and then subjected them to the powerful carcinogen dimethylhydrazine.
As with the
previous research, the rats fed whey protein concentrate showed
fewer tumors and a reduced pooled area of tumors (tumor mass index).
The researchers found whey protein offered "considerable
protection to the host" over that of other proteins, including
soy. 1
Even more
exciting, in vivo research on cancer and whey showed whey protein
concentrate inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells at low
concentrations (Baruchel S. and Vaiu G., Anti Cancer Research,
1996). Finally, and most importantly, a fairly recent clinical
study with cancer patients showed a regression in some patient's
tumors when fed whey protein concentrate at 30 grams per day.
2
Whey
and Glutathione
This new research
using whey protein concentrate led researchers to an amazing discovery
regarding the relationship between cancerous cells, glutathione
(GSH) and whey protein concentrate. It was found that whey protein
concentrate selectively depletes cancer cells of their glutathione,
thus making them more susceptible to cancer treatments such as
radiation and chemotherapy.
It has been
found that cancer cells and normal cells will respond differently
to nutrients and drugs that affect glutathione status. What is
most interesting to note is the fact that the concentration of
glutathione in tumor cells is higher than that of the normal cells
that surround it. This difference in glutathione status between
normal cells and cancer cells is believed to be an important factor
in cancer cells' resistance to chemotherapy.
As the researchers
put it, "Tumor cell GSH concentration may be among the determinants
of the cytotoxicity [poisonous to cells] of many chemotherapeutic
agents and of radiation, and an increase in GSH concentration
appears to be at least one of the mechanisms of acquired drug
resistance to chemotherapy."
They further
state, "It is well-known that rapid GSH synthesis in tumor
cells is associated with high rates of cellular proliferation.
Depletion of tumor GSH in vivo decreases the rate of cellular
proliferation and inhibits cancer growth."
The problem
is, it's difficult to reduce glutathione sufficiently in tumor
cells without placing healthy tissue at risk and putting the cancer
patient in a worse condition. What is needed is a compound that
can selectively deplete the cancer cells of their glutathione,
while increasing, or at least maintaining, the levels of glutathione
in healthy cells.
This is exactly
what whey protein appears to do. In this new research it was found
that cancer cells subjected to whey proteins were depleted of
their glutathione, and their growth was inhibited, while normal
cells had an increase in GSH and increased cellular growth.
These effects
were not seen with other proteins. Not surprisingly, the researchers
concluded, "Selective depletion of tumor GSH may in fact
render cancer cells more vulnerable to the action of chemotherapy
and eventually protect normal tissue against the deleterious effects
of chemotherapy." The exact mechanism by which whey protein
achieves this is not fully understood, but it appears that it
interferes with the normal feedback mechanism and regulation of
glutathione in cancer cells.
It is known
that glutathione production is negatively inhibited by its own
synthesis. Being that baseline glutathione levels in cancer cells
are higher than that of normal cells, it is probably easier to
reach the level of negative-feedback inhibition in the cancer
cells' glutathione levels than in the normal cells' glutathione
levels.
Whey
and LDL Cholesterol
The positive
health benefits of whey protein concentrate does not end with
its effects on immunity and cancer prevention and treatment. Whey
protein concentrate also was found to be a potent inhibitor of
oxidized low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Current research
suggests that the conversion of LDL to oxidized LDL is the trigger
that leads to atherogenesis... the formation of the plaque and
lesions associated with atherosclerosis.
Therefore,
any substance that prevents the oxidation of LDL is thought to
be anti-atherogenic. Though animal-based proteins have traditionally
been implicated as being pro-atherogenic, whey proteins appear
to be an exception to the rule. whey protein is made up of several
minor and major fractions, such as beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin,
albumin, lactoferrin and immunoglobulin. It was discovered that
the minor constituent responsible for the ability of whey protein
concentrate to prevent the oxidation of LDL appears to be the
lactoferrin fraction of the protein. 3
Lactoferrin
In Whey
When the lactoferrin
was removed from the protein, the ability of the whey-protein
concentrate to prevent LDL oxidation was greatly reduced, leading
the researchers to speculate, "Our results suggest that LF
(lactoferrin) is the main factor responsible for the inhibitory
effect of whey protein (on LDL) and it may function synergistically
together with other factors in the whey protein, for example,
alpha-lactalbumin."
Another study
using rats examined the effects of whey protein concentrate and
casein on cholesterol and the risk factors of heart disease. Though
casein (another milk-based protein commonly used in research)
is known to raise cholesterol in humans and animals, whey protein
has the opposite effect, leading the researchers to note, "At
the high dietary protein level [300 gram per kilogram of feed]
, whey protein significantly lowered plasma and liver cholesterol
and also plasma triacylglycerols." 4
The cholesterol-lowering
effects of whey protein concentrate in this study also was associated
with a reduction in LDL cholesterol. Most interesting was the
fact that this effect on cholesterol was not seen when the animals
were fed amino acid mixtures that simulated whey protein, so it
is clear that there are properties within the whey that have these
effects beyond that of its amino acid profile.
Whey
and Bone Growth
Finally, whey
protein appears to play a direct role in bone growth. Researchers
found that rats fed whey protein concentrate showed increased
bone strength and bone protein such as collagen. This discovery
led researches to test whether or not whey protein directly stimulated
osteoblast (bone cell) growth in vitro.
Whey protein
was found to stimulate, dose dependently, total protein synthesis,
DNA content, and increased hydroxyproline contents of bone cells.
5
It should
be noted that not all whey protein concentrates are created equal.
Processing whey protein to remove the lactose and fats without
losing its biological activity takes special care by the manufacturer.
The protein must be processed under low temperature and low acid
conditions so as not to "denature" the protein. Maintaining
the natural state of the protein is essential to its biological
activity.
These research
findings, combined with the previous decade of study on whey protein,
should convince anyone that whey protein concentrate is truly
the life-extension protein.
Higher
Glutathione Levels and Whey
A decade-and-a-half
of findings on the benefits of whey protein are far-reaching.
Previous Studies
Include The Following:
Whey protein
concentrate dramatically raises glutathione levels. Glutathione
is an essential water-soluble antioxidant in the body that protects
cells and serves as a primary detoxifier of harmful compounds
such as peroxides, heavy metals, carcinogens and other toxins.
Glutathione also is intimately tied to immunity, and reduced glutathione
levels have been associated with disease such as AIDS, atherosclerosis,
Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, to name only a few.
In fact, glutathione levels appear to be one way of modulating
immunity. 6
Whey protein concentrate was found to consistently raise this
extremely important immune stimulating antioxidant beyond that
of any protein studied (including soy) to higher than normal levels
in multiple animal studies. 7
A small pilot study with HIV-positive men who were fed whey protein
concentrate found dramatic increases in glutathione levels of
all the study participants, with two out of three men reaching
their ideal body weight. 8
In fact, there
have been several U.S. and international patents granted for the
treatment of AIDS and improving immunity with whey protein concentrates.
Whey protein
improves immune function and fights infections. Animals fed whey
protein concentrate consistently showed dramatic enhancement of
both the humoral and cellular immune response to a variety of
immune challenges, such as salmonella, streptococcus pneumonia
9 and extreme cancer-causing chemicals. This effect on immunity
was not seen with other proteins.
Whey protein concentrate fights cancer. Animals fed whey protein.
References
1. (McIntosh
G.H,. et al., Journal of Nutrition, 1995)
2. (Kennedy R.S., Konok G.P., Bounous G., Baruchel S., Lee T.D.,
Anti Cancer Research, 1995)
3. (M. Kajikawa et al. Biochemica et Biophysica Acta, 1994)
4. (Zhang X. and Beynen A.C. Brit. J. of Nutri., 1993)
5. (Takada Y., Aoe S., Kumegawa M., Biochemical Research Communications,
1996)
6. (Rosanne K., Fidelus and Min Fu Tsan. Cellular Immunology,
1986)
7. (Bounous G. and Gold P., Clin. Invest. Med. 1991)
8. (Bounous G., Baruchel S., Faiutz J., Gold P., Clin. Invest.
Med. 1992)
9. (Bounous G., Konshavn P., Gold P., Clin. Invest. Med. 1988)
About the
Author - William D. Brink
Will Brink is a columnist, contributing consultant, and writer
for various health/fitness, medical, and bodybuilding publications.
His articles relating to nutrition, supplements, weight loss,
exercise and medicine can be found in such publications as Lets
Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension
Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only,
Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World
and The Townsend Letter For Doctors.
He is the
author of Priming The Anabolic Environment and Weight Loss Nutrients
Revealed. He is the Consulting Sports Nutrition Editor and a monthly
columnist for Physical magazine and an Editor at Large for Power
magazine. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration
in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement,
dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.
He has been
co author of several studies relating to sports nutrition and
health found in peer reviewed academic journals, as well as having
commentary published in JAMA. He runs the highly popular web site
BrinkZone.com which is strategically positioned to fulfill the
needs and interests of people with diverse backgrounds and knowledge.
The BrinkZone site has a following with many sports nutrition
enthusiasts, athletes, fitness professionals, scientists, medical
doctors, nutritionists, and interested lay people. William has
been invited to lecture on the benefits of weight training and
nutrition at conventions and symposiums around the U.S. and Canada,
and has appeared on numerous radio and television programs.
William has
worked with athletes ranging from professional bodybuilders, golfers,
fitness contestants, to police and military personnel.
See Will's
ebooks online here:
Muscle Building
Nutrition
http://musclebuildingnutrition.com
A complete guide bodybuilding supplements and eating to gain lean
muscle
Diet Supplements
Revealed
http://aboutsupplements.com
A review of diet supplements and guide to eating for maximum fat
loss
He can be contacted at: PO Box 812430
Wellesley MA. 02482.
BrinkZone.com
Email: will@brinkzone.com
