Powerful Natural Compound Fights Liver Cancer

In All Health Watch, Cancer, Featured Article

Any cancer diagnosis is bad news. But if it’s liver cancer, it’s even worse. It feels like a death sentence.

With 600,000 fatalities a year, it is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. What’s worse, you can have liver cancer and not even know it. By the time the symptoms appear, it’s probably too late.

But now emerging research indicates there may be a cure. A non-toxic compound that can normalize the rate of cell growth… Enhance natural killer (NK) cells… Normalize cell physiology… Increase tumor suppressor gene activity… And inhibit inflammation.

What is this exciting compound? It’s IP-6 – inositol hexakisphosphate – also known as phytic acid. It’s a naturally occurring carbohydrate. It is found in whole grains, wheat germ, dried beans, rice, nuts, and seeds.

Dr. Abdulkalam Shamsuddin is a professor of pathology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He’s also a graduate of Dhaka Medical College in Bangladesh. He is founding Director and Chairman of the Board of IP-6 Foundation Inc.

Shamsuddin has been studying cancer formation and prevention since 1975. He theorized that IP-6 could stop the growth of liver cancer. So he conducted two studies. The results were published in Anticancer Research.

What Shamsuddin discovered could change liver cancer from a death sentence to a treatable disease.

The War Is On

You’ve probably never heard of IP-6. But it’s in much of the food you eat. It is basically a sugar molecule with six phosphates attached.

And now it’s a potential weapon against liver cancer.

In Shamsuddin’s first study, he treated human liver cancer cells with the compound. It inhibited cancer cell growth partially in some cells, completely in others. It depended on the dosage.

For the second study, Shamsuddin worked with mice. One group received human liver cancer cells that had been pretreated with the compound. The other group received untreated cells.

The result: 71% of the mice with untreated cells developed tumors. No tumors were found in the mice with the pretreated cells.

Shamsuddin’s conclusion: “These data show that [IP-6] inhibits the formation of liver cancer.”

Unlike chemotherapy and radiation, IP-6 doesn’t kill cancer cells. Or activate “apoptosis” (the process of programmed cell death). Instead, it makes them behave like normal cells.

Shamsuddin’s research could change the way liver cancer is treated in the future. Right now, the American Cancer Society believes surgery is the only answer. But what if this safe, natural compound could keep you from going under the knife?

Ivana Vucenik, Ph.D., is an associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She co-authored a book on IP-6 titled Too Good to Be True? And she did a review study, with Dr. Shamsuddin, on the safety and effectiveness of the compound.

The study, published in The Journal of Nutrition, concluded that, “in humans, IP-6 not only has almost no toxic effects, but it has many other beneficial health effects.”

The authors also confirmed that though IP-6 inhibits the ability of cancerous cells to colonize, it doesn’t affect normal cells.

The Best Way to Fortify Your System With IP-6

Remember, IP-6 is found in whole grains, wheat germ, dried beans, rice, nuts, and seeds. Corn, in particular, has a high concentration of it. So do sesame seeds. And you can get more IP-6 in your diet by eating more of these foods.

But food is not your best source. IP-6 is bound to protein in food. It has to be freed before it can be absorbed into the body. Phytase is the enzyme that helps the body absorb it. But during the process, phytase can damage the IP-6 and render it inactive.

So it’s best to take an IP-6 supplement, either in pill or powder form. Look for one that also has magnesium and calcium. IP-6 binds to those minerals. And your body readily absorbs them… along with the IP-6.

Shamsuddin recommends 1 to 2 grams daily. If you’re at high risk for cancer, take up to 4 grams. And if you’re already battling the disease, increase the dosage to 8 grams. (Check with your doctor first, of course.)

Scientists are still studying the benefits of this compound. NHD will keep you updated on new developments as they happen.

To your best health,

Michael Jelinek,
Managing Editor, NHD “Health Watch”