GSE
Uterine fibroids and their treatment
Alternative methods to treat uterine fibroids
Or find: Mainstream treatments for uterine
fibroids
Anti-estrogen therapies
High levels of estrogen are
considered an element of uterine fibroids
There are various tactics to use to improve
estrogen balance in the body:
How to reduce estrogen in the body
Aromatase
inhibitors used to
reduce fibroids (Malartic, 2008)
- The effect is believed
to be partially due to:
(i) Lowering ovarian production and systemic
estrogen levels
and (ii) Inhibiting locally
overexpressed aromatase in fibroids.
-
Aromatase inhibitors have also been used
experimentally in treatment of
endometriosis - which indicated that aromatase inhibitors
might be particularly useful in combination with a progestogenic ovulation
inhibitor.
Examples of anti-estrogenic tactics include:
•
Phytoestrogens - compete for receptors with endogenous estrogens; isoflavones
daidzein and genistein are found in soy, but have been found to worsen fibroids
when consumed in too high amounts. Lignans found in flaxseed.
•
I3C in cruciferous vegetables - promotes formation of less potent estrogen
metabolites (Minich & Bland, 2007)
•
Reduce caffeine intake - to <500 mg / day
(e.g. 2 cups coffee / day)
•
Reduce alcohol consumption to 1 drink / day
•
Increase fiber - helps
remove excess estrogen from GI tract aiding
excretion; reduces enterohepatic estrogen recirculation and/or shields estrogen
absorption;
•
Consume anti-inflammatory
omega-3 fats and reduce inflammatory
omega-6 fats to reduce estrogen
production
- The primary aromatase
promoter in leiomyomata tissues in non-Asian U.S. women is the inflammatory
prostaglandin PGE2 (Imir et al, 2007)
- Omega-3
fat
also reduces release of growth hormone - which promotes formation /
growth of fibroids
•
Myoma is associated with beef and ham consumption,
whereas high intake of green vegetables seems to have a protective effect
(Chiaffarino et al, 1999)
•
Iodine
can reduce uterine fibroids -
Iodine
has a critical role in
maintaining the body's estrogen
balance. Based on a controlled
clinical trial with 1,365 women, 4mg daily of molecular iodine quickly
resolves fibrocystic breast disease(FBD) - it makes breast lumps and cysts disappear usually within only two months
for most women.
Iodine
can similarly reduce uterine fibroids - one of the first conventional medical
treatments for severe fibroids was to "paint"the uterus with iodine.
Iodine -"The Universal Medicine"
Vitamin D3 decreases fibroid
cell size and disrupts the formation of fibroid muscle cells
Vitamin D3 -
• D3 treatment
has been shown to inhibit leiomyocyte proliferation at physiological doses -
Leiomyomas widely express the
vitamin D
receptor.
• Vitamin D
decreases mitogenic activity of INSULIN and
IGF-1
• Active metabolites of
CALCITRIOL (Active form of Vitamin D) down-regulate epidermal growth
factor receptors (EGFRs) known to be active in mitogenic pathways in uterine
leiomyomas. Down-regulation of these receptors shown to decrease growth /
differentiation of tumor cells
• Risk of
developing uterine fibroids in American black women REDUCED with just increased daily servings of "vitamin
D -added" milk.
• Research shows that physiological doses of
vitamin D have significant growth-inhibiting
effect on leiomyomata cells (Blauer et al, 2009)
Vitamin D - "The
Sunshine Vitamin"
Bioflavonoids reduce risk of malignant tumors
There is an inverse association between bioflavonoid intake and
risk of malignant
reported biological
activities include:
•
Induce apoptosis
•
Cell cycle arrest
•
Antiproliferative
•
Anti-inflammatory
•
Antioxidant protection against
oxidative stress
•
Anti- estrogenic
Asian women consume a lot of bioflavonoids and
have lower incidence of hormonally dependent solid tumors - E.g. breast cancer in Asian women is 4-6
times lower than in American women, and several generations after migration to
America they line up with the American statistics, suggesting an environmental
rather than a genetic influence. Asian women consume a lot of soy-based foods,
containing bioflavonoids that show up in blood and urine samples at
significantly elevated levels.
"Bioflavonoids are . . . found
in legumes, nuts, onions, apple, broccoli, red wine, grreen tea, cocoa powder,
and dark chocolate. The best known anti-tumor flavonoids are epigallocatechin
gallate (EGCG)
from green tea, genistein (from soy and red clover),
curcumin (from
turmeric), silibin (from milk
thistle), quercetin (from many
yellow vegetables such as onions), and resveratrol (from grapes and red wine)."
- James H. Segars,
author of the book
Fibroids
Quercetin, EGCG, Curcumin, Silibrinin - (In berries, tea,
grapes, olive oil, dark chocolate, walnuts, citrus):
• Inhibits IGF-1 signaling
• Anti-estrogenic
-Estrogen receptor antagonist
• Alters cell cycle
Resveratrol (In red wine, grape, berries, dark
chocolate, also
peanuts (not recommended because of common fungal content); produced in plants in response to injury or fungal/
bacterial presence)
• Induces apoptosis
• Anti-estrogenic -
• Decreases collagen production
Resveratrol study-reported properties include:
• Anti-proliferative - mainly as a preventative; Decreases growth and increases death of
fibroid cells in vitro;
• Cardio-protective
• Anti-diabetic
• Neuroprotective -possibly by chelating copper
• Reduces opioid tolerance -by increasing NMDA receptors
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antiviral activity
Curcumin
(spice) -
decreases growth and increases death of fibroid cells in vitro.
Curcumin inhibited uterine leiomyoma cell proliferation by inducing
apoptosis, and inhibited production of the ECM component fibronectin.
(Malik et al, 2009; Kenji et al, 2011; )
Licorice (contains flavonoid isoliquiritigenin) - decreases growth and increases apoptosis of fibroid cells
in vitro.
Green Tea (epigallocatechin gallate) - decreases growth of fibroid cells
in vitro.
Retinoic acid
GI tract health
strongly linked to uterine fibroid growth
Gastrointestinal problems (e.g. leaky gut syndrome, candida
(yeast), intestinal bacterial overgrowth and gut inflammation)
can indirectly
lead to:
• Abnormal growth factor expression
• Excess estrogen
• Immune dysfunction.
Toxic heavy metals can lead to abnormal bacterial
growth in the gut and breakdown of the mucosal lining in the intestines.
(Nikolaus, 2011)
Female support herbs
There is supportive evidence that vitex, yarrow and capsella buras-pastoris
can reduce menstrual bleeding and PMS
symptoms.
Vitex agnus-castus
- Typical extract doses
significantly inhibit PROLACTIN
secretion - (basal and
TRH-stimulated) - presumed to be via dopaminergic effects. At low doses, such as
might have been used in previous centuries for suppression of sexual desire, it
inhibits activation of DOPAMINE 2 receptor by competitive binding, causing a
slight increase ▲
in release of PROLACTIN . In
higher concentrations, as in modern extracts, the binding activity is sufficient
to reduce ▼
the release of PROLACTIN . A study
found that treatment of 20 healthy men with higher doses of Vitex
agnus-castus was associated with a slight reduction of
PROLACTIN levels, whereas lower doses caused a
slight increase as compared to doses of placebo.
(Merz et al, 1996)
- A decrease of
PROLACTIN influences levels of
FOLLICLE-STIMULATING HORMONE (FSH) and
estrogen
in women, and
Testosterone
in men .
- Chemical analysis of vitex
agnus-castus has isolated the following compounds -
flavonoids, alkaloids, diterpenoids, Vitexin, Casticin and
steroidal hormone precursors, some of which are believed to affect the pituitary
gland explaining its effects on hormone levels.
References
Blauer M, Rovio PH, Ylikomi T, Heinonen PK. (May 2009) Vitamin D inhibits mypmetrial and
leimyoma cell proliferation in vitro. Fertility and Sterility.
91(5):1919-1925
Chiaffarino et al (Oct 1999) Diet and Uterine Myomas, Obstetrics and
Gynecology 94(3):395-8
PubMed
Imir AG, Lin Z, Yin P, et al, (May 2007) Aromatase expression in uterine leiomyomata is
regulated primarily by proximal promotors 1.3/II/. J. Clin Endocrinol Metab.; 92(5):1979-1982.
Malartic, C.; Morel, O.; Akerman, G.; Tulpin, L.; Desfeux, P.; Barranger, E.
(2008). "La mifépristone dans la prise en charge des fibromes utérins".
Gynécologie Obstétrique & Fertilité 36: 668.Link
Malik M ,
Mendoza M Payson M, Catherino W.H. (May 2009) Curcumin, a nutritional supplement with
antineoplastic activity, enhances leiomyoma cell apoptosis and decreases
fibronectin expression Fertility
and Sterility.
Volume 91, Issue 5, Supplement , Pages 2177-2184,
Abstract
Merz, PG; Gorkow C, Schrödter A, Rietbrock
S, Sieder C, Loew D, Dericks-Tan JS, Taubert HD (1996). "The effects of a
special Agnus castus extract (BP1095E1) on prolactin secretion in healthy male
subjects". Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 04 (6): 447-53.
Link
Minich DM, Bland JS (June 2007) A Review of the clinical efficacy and safety of cruciferous
vegeatable phytochemicals. Nutrition Revei ws.; 65(6):259-267.
Kenji Tsuiji et al (July 2011) Inhibitory
effect of curcumin on uterine leiomyoma cell proliferation.Gyn.
Endocrinolgy, Vol. 27, No. 7 , Pages 512-517
Abstract
Nikolas Hedberg (2011) Renew Your Health Naturally
Link
