Calcium D-Glucarate Supplement Can Reduce Your Risk Of Cancer

The health-giving benefits to be had from following a diet rich in fruit and vegetables are endlessly reported on in the health pages of newspapers and magazines. Yet, what the media has failed to pick up on is an astonishing new discovery, that provides an even greater reason to take advantage of this readily available source of good health and longevity.

HSI Panellists are among the first to learn that scientists have identified an amazing new compound in fresh produce called glucaric acid, which has been shown to exert a powerful anti-cancer effect.

Together with the abundance of anti-oxidant vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals we know to be present in fresh fruit and vegetables, it makes a stunning health-giving combination.

Apples, apricots, cherries and grapefruit are the richest sources of glucaric acid. Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, alfalfa sprouts and lettuce, also contain significant levels. In addition, glucaric acid is produced in our bodies in small amounts. However, some researchers believe that taking extra in supplement form - as calcium D-glucarate - can be extremely beneficial.

These health-giving benefits were discovered by researchers at the world-renowned M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas in the US. They found that supplementation with calcium D-glucarate appears to enhance the detoxification process of harmful chemicals and excess steroid hormones, such as oestrogen - successfully increasing their elimination from your body.

Calcium D-glucarate helps rid your body of cancer-causing substances

Calcium D-glucarate is of particular importance to those who may have a genetic susceptibility to tumour development, or those who expose themselves to cancer-forming substances such as tobacco. (Besides hereditary factors, cancer risk has been associated with a number of lifestyle factors including smoking, excess exposure to sunlight, exposure to environmental chemicals such as pesticides and poor dietary habits.)

One of the key ways in which your body gets rid of toxic chemicals and excess hormones is by combining them with glucuronic acid in your liver, and then excreting in the bile.

However, this process can be compromised by an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase, which is produced by certain bacteria that reside in your gut. This enzyme breaks the bond between the toxic compound and glucuronic acid - this releasing action means that these toxic chemicals can then be easily reabsorbed into your body, instead of being excreted.

Elevated beta-glucuronidase activity is thought to increase the risk of various cancers - particularly hormone-dependent cancers, like those of the breast and prostate.1, 2

By inhibiting the activity of beta-glucuronidase, calcium D-glucarate helps your body to eliminate various toxic chemicals and hormones that might otherwise contribute to cancer development.

Calcium D-glucarate can lower the risk of certain cancers by up to 60%

Dr Thomas Slaga, President of the Center for Cancer Causation and Prevention at AMC Cancer Research Center in Denver, in the US, states: 'In individuals at risk for cancer, glucaric acid levels are low and it tends to be excreted quickly from the body. In such individuals, beta-glucuronidase activity is high and there is less excretion of carcinogens and toxins.

'If an individual were to have higher levels of glucaric acid, he or she may be able to slow down the work of the 'bad enzyme' beta-glucuronidase, and rid his or her body of dangerous toxins and carcinogens.'

Although more research is needed, laboratory tests carried out so far have shown that calcium D-glucarate can prevent the development of experimentally-induced cancers. 3,4,5,6

Calcium D-glucarate has been shown to decrease lung, skin, liver, breast and colon cancers by 60 per cent or more.

In addition, it has been found to have an inhibitory effect on cancers of the bladder and prostate. In one study, a 50 per cent reduction in beta-glucuronidase activity was associated with a 23 per cent decrease in circulating estradiol (the most potent form of oestrogen which has been associated with making breast cancer cells multiply).7

What to take for best results

The suggested dose for calcium D-glucarate is between 200mg and 500mg twice a day. However, higher levels are recommended for individuals with existing cancer. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, HSI Panellists strongly advise that you see a nutritional therapist before starting a supplement regime.

Contra-indications: No side-effects have been reported following the use of calcium D-glucarate. However, because it encourages the elimination of hormones and toxins it may also increase the elimination of some drugs, thereby reducing their effectiveness. Individuals who are on prescription drugs and wish to take calcium D-glucarate should therefore consult their GP or specialist before use.

1. Walaszek Z, Szemraj J, Narog M. Metabolism, uptake, and excretion of a D-glucaric acid salt and its potential use in cancer prevention. Cancer Detect Prev 1997;21:178-90 [review].
2. www.gnc.com
3. Walaszek Z, Hanausek-Walaszek M, Minton JP, Webb TE. Dietary glucarate as anti-promoter of 7,12-dimethylbenz [a]anthracene- induced mammary tumorigenesis. Carcinogenesis 1986;7:1463-6.
4. Walaszek Z, Hanausek M, Sherman U, Adams AK. Antiproliferative effect of dietary glucarate on the Sprague-Dawley rat mammary gland. Cancer Lett 1990;49:51-7.
5. Walaszek Z, Hanausek-Walaszek M, Webb TE. Dietary glucarate-mediated reduction of sensitivity of murine strains to chemical carcinogenesis. Cancer Lett 1986;33(1):25-32.
6. Walaszek Z, Hanausek-Walaszek M, Webb TE. Repression by sustained-release beta-glucuronidase inhibitors of chemical carcinogen-mediated induction of a marker oncofetal protein in rodents. J Toxicol Environ Health 1988;23:15-27.
7. Walaszek, Z, et al. Dietary glucarate an anti-promoter of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced mammary tumorigenesis. Carcinogenesis, 1996;7(9)1463-1466.