Artemisia herb for Cancer

Dr. Robert J.Rowen, MD reported in his newsletter Second Opinion for May 2002 on the remarkable success he and others have had using the herb Artemisia to treat cancer patients. Artemesia is a plant grown in Southeast Asia. The World Health Organization has recommended it for treatment of Malaria, since it is safe and inexpensive. The mechanism of action makes it a close relation to enhanced Oxygen therapy similar to hydrogen peroxide therapy. A year ago an article appeared in the International Journal of Oncology, 18;767-773,2001 by Efferth, et al. documenting that it had significant anticancer activity in a wide variety of laboratory cultured cancer cells, but cancers that were resistant to chemotherapy drugs were not resistant to artemesinin. Dr. Hoang of Hanoi, whose family of physicians has used artemisinin for 10 years reported that he has had a 50-60% long term remission rate with 400 cancer patients when artemisinin is used with a comprehensive integrative cancer strategy. There are 3 common artemeia derivatives, with distinct properties. Artesunate is water soluble and may be the most active and least toxic, but it has the shortest life within the body. Artemether is is oil or lipid soluble and has the longest half-life and the highest toxicity, but that is related to the high dosages, which are not necessary. Its advantage is its ability to cross the blood brain barrier to reach cancers of the brain and nervous system. Artemisinin is the active parent compound of the plant. It has an intermediate half-life, is very safe and also crosses the blood brain barrier.

The first 2 are slightly altered synthetic derivatives of artemesinin. Dr. Narenda Singh, Professor pf Bioengineering at the University of Washington reports the best treatment may be a combination based on a lab experiment. He suggests equal parts of artemisinin and artemether to provide .5 to 2 mg/Kg of weight for each form, taken once daily before bed(away from any residual iron left in the stomach from the evening meal).
Dr. Hoang reports that he has been using 500mg of oral artemesinin taken twice a day by itself with marked success.

The product is best taken on an empty stomach with some natural fat to aid absorption. Any Iron present from other foods may neutralise the peroxides. Milk is a food with minimal iron content. Whole milk, cottage cheese or yogurt have ample fat to aid absorption. Dr. Rowen feels that cod liver oil and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) will assist absorption and provide additional therapeutic benefit from omega-3 fats and vitamin D. Dr. Singh has tested some artemesinin products and found only 10-20% of the anticancer activity against cultured cancer cells. Allergy Research Group (800-545-9960) has a high grade artemisinin confirmed by independent lab analysis. It should be used in conjunction with a comprehensive cancer strategy to build the immune system with the help of an integrative medicine physician or an open minded oncologist.

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Mail: Second Opinion, PO Box 467939, Atlanta, GA 31146-7939
Arnold Gore
Consumers Health Freedom Coalition