disscusion about some medicinal/visionary cacti

[teonanacatl]

http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic....ight=lophophora

[Guest Mexicali]

http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic....ight=lophophora

Thanks for that man,

WOW!

I'm getting as much of that plant as I can find!!!!

[zee_werp]

Damn it, I used to have a really nice specimen of one of those a few years ago. But then it just stopped growing entirely and eventually died. Looking back on it it probably had a bad case of mealy or some other disease. It was one of my first cacti I got back when I knew nothing about growing them! *kicks self*

[jasemateau]

nice find teo

[mescalito]

Have access to heaps of marginatus and I have a reasonable amount of powdered flesh if anyone's interested

Edited March 26, 2006 by mescalito

[apothecary]

Does that mean you've been using it mesc? Can you tell us more? :D

[Rev]

Ive a load of stenocereus species seed , and pachycereus ill be sowing in spring

ive heard both grow fast from seed can anyone confirm or deny?

[faslimy]

If you ever need a globular cactus ID'd then I recommend the forums at cactiguide.com

[mescalito]

Rev:Don't know about seed as the plant I harvested from had only dead flowers and no fruit but the pups grow pretty fast.

I take it they're not self-fertile?

How did those chunk cuttings go?

Apoth:Yeah I tried some quite a while ago and it was a very bitter tea indeed.I've lost the data as to how much I dosed but the subjective effects were like mixing blue lotus and "truffles"...quite nice with golden hues in the air...also my digestive system benefited greatly particularly the bowels as I had a bad case of diverticulitus at the time.

I'd actually forgotten I had some dried and always felt this one had potential.I've been meaning to get around to experimenting more sometime soon but you know how it gets?...too many projects...only two hands and half a brain

Edited March 28, 2006 by mescalito

[apothecary]

Sounds like this one has huge potential.

http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?request=ge...ue=03&page=0547

[Rev]

How did those chunk cuttings go?

Veeeeery slowly

all alive but only one of 3 has shot a pup

in retrospect i would say this species isnt recommeneded by that means

the pup has fared better but im keen to try seed and see the growth rate

[mescalito]

Those chunks came from a plant that's at least 30 y/o wedged between granite boulders.Each stem was...well 3 times my height and no pups.I guess that's why they made fences out of them

I'll go and check the mother plant I harvested and see if she's thrown any pups sometime in the next few days...and I might drill the meristem on one of my pups and see what happens.

Shulgin made reference to isoquinolines in this cacti of I remember right.

[SirLSD]

my uncle has been loosing his fight against inoperable prostate for close to a decade now i think and is/almost out of options. if someone has a sufficient quantity of this cacti that could be used as a worthwhile attempt to help him he may be interested. ?

[Rev]

Sorry to hear that SirLSD

so its beyond a benign hyperplasia?

i know of the conditions is that zinc deficiency exacerbates the development of the disease

all mens prostates enlarge with age - benign hyperplasia - but not all men get cancer

most just get urination issues as it enlarges from the size of a walnut at 30 it grows till it can block the urinary tract with very painful effects by 60+

There are also some herbs that affect it positivley

Prunus africana and serenoa repens

The latter saw palmetto is widely available and in most mens herb blends

Prunus africana (pygaeum) is also available but expensive. itd be a great thing to grow but the seed is recalcitrant and prunus seeds are a definite no no to import. I ordered 5 packets but all were siezed and i wont try again

its an evergreen cherry and the bark is used.

Prostate cancer prevention and treatment

There is much that can be done for prevention as well as treatment of prostate cancer through both diet and phytotherapy, Dr. Iggy Soosay, lecturer at the Graduate School of Integrative Medicine at Swinburne University in Melbourne and founding president of the Australasian College of Herbal Medicine, told the conference.

In a review of data on prostate cancer from 42 countries, prostate cancer mortality was found to be inversely related to consumption of cereals, nuts, oil seeds and fish. The strongest association found was between total fat intake and increased risk of prostate cancer. In some eastern countries, particularly Japan and China, there is a very low incidence of prostate cancer and also a low fat consumption. When these people come to live in Western countries, their prostate cancer rises to that of the local population.

In another study, polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acids were found to stimulate mammary and prostate cancer, tumor growth, and metastasis, while omega-3 fatty acids were found to have inhibitory effects.

An analysis of 72 studies of diet and cancer revealed that 57 of them showed an inverse relationship between tomato intake and cancer, the strongest relationship being for prostate, lung and stomach cancers.

Soy and green tea also produced interesting responses. A study of 350 ml of soy consumption daily for one month was found to have no effect on testosterone, although dihydrotestosterone (DHT) decreased by 13% at the end of the fourth week. Catechins in green tea were found to induce apoptosis in prostate cancer.

Another positive result was found with silymarin, which interfered with the major pathway of growth stimulation of androgen-independent prostate cancer. It blocks the message going from membrane to nucleus.

Cancer is restricted by angiogenic inhibitors, Dr. Soosay explained, and several plant-derived angiogenic inhibitors have proven effective. For example, the alkaloid from Castanospermum Australe or Moreton Bay chestnut, is effective. So too is colchicine, the alkaloid from Colchicum autumnale or autumn crocus, and taxol, which is diterpene from Taxus brevifolia or the yew tree. Other inhibitors are vinblastine and vincristine, which are alkaloids from Catharanthus roseus or rose periwinkle, magnosalin and magnoshinin, which are neolignans from Magnolia salicifolia, genistein, which is an isoflavonoid from soy bean and other legumes, ginsenosides, which are saponins from Panax ginseng, and isoliquiritin, which is a flavonoid from Glycyrrhiza glabra. He described this as "an exciting area for future research."

Dr. Soosay concluded that a diet low in animal fat, with soy consumption around 350 ml per day, increased consumption of whole grains and nuts, and rich in green tea and tomatoes was beneficial. He also concluded that Panax ginseng, Glycyrrhiza glabra, and Silybum marianum were helpful.

PROSTATE CANCER: ADJUVANT THERAPY

(VITAMINS, MINERALS, TRACE ELEMENTS, AND HERBAL PREPARATIONS)

Stephen B. Strum, M.D., F.A.C.P.

Jonathan E. McDermed, Pharm.D.

Continued from PROSTATE CANCER: ADJUVANT THERAPY

Lycopene

Recent studies have shown a statistically significant inverse relationship between the ingestion of tomatoes, tomato sauce, and pizza with the development of prostate cancer. In a 6-year study by Giovannucci et al. (J. Natl. Cancer. Inst., 1995) involving the intake of carotenoids and retinol in 47,894 men, lycopene-rich foods significantly lowered the risk of PC. Men who ingested 10 or more servings of tomatoes in several forms (sauce, juice, raw, or on pizza) had a 41% reduction in PC, while those who ate four to seven servings a week had a 22% reduction. Tomatoes and tomato sauce contain high amounts of lycopene, a carotenoid. Lycopene is the most predominant carotenoid in plasma and in various tissues, including the prostate gland. Lycopene is the most efficient scavenger of singlet oxygen among the common carotenoids. Lycopene is not converted to vitamin A. The major contributors to the specific carotenoids are shown below:

Carotenoid Class Vegetable or Fruit

ß-carotene Carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, spinach

image-carotene Carrots, mixed vegetables

Lutein Spinach, broccoli, kale, mustard, chard

Lycopene Tomatoes, tomato sauce, pizza, tomato juice

ß-cryptoxanthin Oranges

Another study evaluated the effect of lycopene on the development of mammary cancers in a mouse model. This showed a significant suppression of tumor growth in those mice receiving a diet supplemented with lycopene. Decreases in thymidylate synthetase within the breast tissue, lower levels of serum-free fatty acids, and decreased plasma prolactin levels by the pituitary were characteristic of the lycopene-supplemented group (Nagasawa et al., Anticancer Res., 1995). Interestingly, the source of lycopene was a beta-carotene-rich algae called Dunaliella bardawil.

Recently, Kucuk et al. reported on 30 men with localized PC scheduled for radical prostatectomy. They were randomly assigned to receive either 15 mg of lycopene (Lyc-o-Mato, LycoRed, Beer Sheva, or Israel) orally twice daily, or no intervention for 3 weeks prior to surgery. Prostate specimens were step-sectioned, entirely embedded, and evaluated for pathological stage, Gleason score, the volume of PC, as well as the extent of PIN (a pathological finding often associated with PC) in the gland. The specimens were also examined for biomarkers of cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Comparisons were made between intervention and control groups. Serum and tissue lycopene levels increased by 22% in the intervention group. At RP, within the treated group, 8 of 12 patients (67%) had organ-confined PC, and 84% had tumors

The dietary fat issue is significant. There are studies that show dietary fat to increase the growth rate of PC in animal models of human PC. However, the emphasis on dietary fat per se has taken attention away from caloric over-consumption. Fat excess, however, is linked to excessive calorie consumption, since fat contains twice as many calories, gram for gram, as protein or carbohydrate. In addition, the ratio of protein to carbohydrate in our meals is related to how our body reacts to the intake of food and how it handles calories that are ingested. The reader is advised to read Barry Sears's book The Zone, 1995, and Anti-Aging Zone, 1999, for an in-depth discussion of the dangers of over-consumption of carbohydrates and the ill effects of hyperinsulinemia that occur as a result. Our patients are advised to incorporate Sears's approach into their lives while consuming fewer calories a day and exercising moderately. The value of generating favorable eicosanoids is discussed in detail in both of these books. The free radical-generating fatty acid called arachidonic acid, an unfavorable eicosanoid, has been shown to stimulate PC cell growth. The molecular pathway of arachidonic stimulation involves the inflammatory enzyme 5-lipooxygenase. Recent papers show that inhibition of arachidonic acid leads to PC programmed cell death, or apoptosis (Ghosh and Myers, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1998). Lipooxygenase also is involved in the formation of abnormal blood clots. Nutrients that specifically inhibit 5-lipooxygenase include garlic. Fish oil supplements (EPA), an omega-3 fatty acid, have been shown to suppress arachidonic acid formation. Prostaglandins are synthesized from arachidonic acid by the enzyme cyclooxygenase. A particularly dangerous prostaglandin is PGE2, which is involved in many chronic inflammatory diseases. The administration of PGE2 to prostate, breast, and colon-cancer cells resulted in increased cellular proliferation. An ibuprofen derivative called Flurbiprofen inhibited PGE2-induced PC cell growth (Tjandrawinata et al., Br. J. Cancer, 1997). Aspirin, ibuprofen, and fish oil are other available agents that inhibit PGE2 synthesis. The eicosanoid pathways are shown in Figure 2.

* Use Free Radical Scavengers (Selenium and Vitamin E) to

Prevent Oxidative Damage

In conjunction with dietary restriction of calories and alteration in the nature of the calories consumed as well as moderating our exercise, there is evidence that aging, degenerative disease, and cancer are all expressions of varying degrees of cellular oxidative damage. In fact, fat itself induces the generation of fatty acid peroxides that generate damaging free radicals. The concept here is that living organisms are subject to oxidation just as metal is subject to rusting. As part of aging, we see the sequelae of such oxidation manifested in the graying of hair, short-term memory loss, cataract formation, gum and jaw recession, vascular disease, cardiac disease, degenerative joint disease, and sun-induced skin changes ranging from wrinkling to skin cancer. The majority of items in health food stores today are antioxidants.

In regards to PC, there are now studies that show that vitamin E and selenium use will decrease the incidence as well as the mortality from PC. The ATBC study by Heinonen et al. (J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 1998) demonstrated a 32% decrease in the incidence of PC and a 41% lower mortality rate from PC in men taking alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E). Another study by Fleshner et al. (J. Urol., 1998) showed a reduction in growth rates of transplanted LNCaP cells in athymic mice induced by a high-fat diet (40.5%) by dl-alpha tocopherol (synthetic vitamin E). The landmark study by Clark et al. (JAMA, 1996) provided evidence that 200 mcg of selenium could reduce the incidence of PC by 63%. This is consistent with the observation that selenium inhibited the growth of DU-145-an androgen-independent human cell line of PC-by 50% at a selenium dose of 1 × 10-6 M and by 98% at a dose of 10-4 M. For comparison, selenium serum levels in humans living in high selenium areas may be as high as 10-6 M (Webber et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 1985). Our recommended vitamin E dose for prevention is 400 to 1000 IU a day as mixed tocopherols. Mixed tocopherols contain synthetic vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol and dl-alpha-tocopherol) as well as natural vitamin E. A study by Moyad et al. (in press, 1999) indicates gamma tocopherol has more anti-PC activity then conventional d-alpha-tocopherol.

The selenium dose recommended for prevention is 400 mcg a day. This is best given as selenomethionine, usually derived from yeast. Selenium works best in conjunction with vitamin E, which enhances its activity. Vitamin E works best in association with beta-carotene and vitamin C. We recommend 1000 mg of vitamin C to be taken after each meal to prevent fatty acid peroxide generation. In a likewise manner, coenzyme Q10 has been shown to prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. In fact, the prevention of fatty acid oxidation may be just as important as decreasing fat consumption. We suggest coenzyme Q10 be taken at a dose of 200 mg a day. An added benefit of coQ10 is the improvement in heart function and diabetic control as well as the treatment of periodontal disease. CoQ10 works best when given with vitamins E and C.

* Use Genistein to Decrease Cell Adhesion, Slow Proliferation, and Decrease

Metastatic Potential

Incidences of PC are higher in the Western world than in Asia, where soy is consumed as part of the normal diet, producing higher levels of genistein in the blood, which in turn appear to prevent the expression of metastatic capacity in hormone-dependent cancers. Studies have shown that, in a cell-culture system, genistein appears to be cytotoxic and inhibitory of PC cell proliferation (Santibanez et al., Anticancer Res., 1997; Peterson and Barnes, Prostate, 1993). Genistein's protein-tyrosine kinase-inhibiting effects have been identified as a cancer-prevention mechanism. One study examined genistein's effect upon cell adhesion as one possible mechanism by which it could be acting as an antimetastatic agent. A morphogenic analysis revealed that genistein caused cell flattening in a way that prevented metastatic adhesion of PC cell lines. We advise patients to eat a diet rich in soy products such as tofu, soy beans (edamame), soy milk, and miso. We recommend a breakfast and dinner drink that contains soy milk, isolated soy powder, many of the vitamins mentioned above, and strawberries. We use a Vita-Mix blender to pulverize the vitamins and add them to this drink. The protein-to-carbohydrate ratio of this drink is also close to the desired 3:4 ratio that Sears considers "zone" favorable. Life Extension makes a 700 mg Ultra Soy product that contains 134 mg of genistein per capsule as well as the isoflavones daidzein, and glycitein. We would suggest that clinical trials be initiated that would determine the genistein oral intake associated with blood genistein levels similar to those found in Asian men. Currently, we recommend 100 to 200 mg of genistein a day in addition to a diet high in soy products. We also believe that the major source of protein in our diet should come from soy.

* Decrease Cell Proliferation with Pygeum and Silymarin

Pygeum extract also has been shown to specifically inhibit prostate-cell proliferation by inhibiting protein kinase C enzyme activity (Yablonsky et al., J. Urol., 1993). Silymarin has been shown to have an anti-PC effect by virtue of increasing the levels of p27 (Zi et al., Cancer Res., 1998; Gali et al., Proc. Annu. Meet. Am. Assoc. Cancer Res., 1994). Silymarin also has protective effects against liver cell injury and skin cancer (Kropacova et al., Radiat. Biol. Radioecol., 1998; Agarwal et al., Proc. Annu. Meet. Am. Assoc. Cancer Res., 1995; Katiyar et al., J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 1997).

Frankly id start at the cheap end

thatd mean diet

eat more veg. grow your own no matter how few

fresh greens are not just food but phytotherapy

some things are not too radical or unavailable. they may even be improvments to life in new flavours and ways of eating

switch to tea from coffee, green is good, black will do, white is best

eat lots of red tomatoes - its the lycopene

brazil nuts - the selenium

Shiitake mushrooms - cheap by the bag at chinese grocery stores

soymilk if you can- ive grown to prefer it to cow milk in just 6 months

Silymarin from milk thistle is also in artichokes. I like pickled artichoke in salads

Asparagus - even canned - is also anticancer food

sunflower and pumpkin seeds give good fatty acids, protein, Vit A, E and zinc - i lik eto toast with a little seame oil then dash with soy sauce which evaporates to coat them, farkin delicious wot!

getting the picture...it can be done by degrees each one beneficial with no side affects and all without needing too many extra pills. You can even grow some yourself

theres a tomato on the market called 'healthkick' that is bred for higher levels of lycopene

i planted some and im trying to get a crop off before the frost so i have seed for spring

Im not saying a cure will or can be had, but relief perhaps? cumulatively they may strengthen the body to fight the dysfunction

well i hope that course of action might enhance life expectancy and enjoymnet anywy. nothing will make us live forever so those two things are as much as we can ask for

as for myself - i eat high quality food - just too much of it!

rev

Edited March 30, 2006 by Rev

[SirLSD]

yeah it spread to several different spots over his body a few years ago. (mainly in bone i think). reading all that realy made me think about my diet. He rarely eats anything green and drinks like a fish (alcohol causes zinc deficiency??)

[Rev]

Not just green you know

any colour in fruits n veg is good

yellows,orange,red, purple - all attributable to secondary photosynthetic pigmnets with broad based biological activities

i the plant they inhibit disease, store energy and mop up free energy (UV) and free radicals generated in photosynthesis

once they get into you they behave similarly

eat it any way you can