Honey has long been used to soothe sore throats, heal wounds and treat stomach complaints but could it help cancer patients with treatment for chemotherapy? Barbara Lantin investigates.
When Robert Brunt began treatment for cancer of the oesophagus, he expected to experience some very unpleasant side effects from his chemotherapy.
The medical team told him that he would probably lose all his hair and might also suffer mouth ulcers, stomach problems and exhaustion. If the treatment caused his blood count to fall too low – a common problem – this could delay his next treatment cycle.
To the surprise and delight of Robert and his doctors, none of this has happened. “I have lost a little hair but that is growing back,” says Robert, 48, a maintenance engineer at Plymouth University, who has two teenage daughters. “I sometimes feel tired and a bit sick but apart from that I have had no side effects at all.
“My blood counts have always been high. Not only have I never had to delay any of my chemotherapy but I offered to have two extra cycles – eight in all – because I felt so well. The tumour has now shrunk to virtually nothing. Everyone is surprised at how well I have done.”
Robert believes that he has sailed through his treatment without side effects thanks to what is probably the world’s most expensive honey. Life Mel, which sells for around £40 for a jar, has been shown to boost the production of red and white blood cells, haemoglobin and blood platelets in people undergoing chemotherapy. The manufacturers emphasise the product is not a cancer cure.
In one small trial, 40 per cent of cancer patients known to be at risk of neutropenia – a very low blood count, which can make patients susceptible to serious infection – had no further episodes of the condition after taking two teaspoons of Life Mel a day during chemotherapy.
One third said their quality of life had improved while taking the honey, which is made in Israel and comes from bees fed on a combination of medicinal herbs, including ginseng, echinacea and lemon balm. It was developed by a microbiologist who noticed that beekeepers and their families stayed healthy during a cholera outbreak.
TV medic Dr Chris Steele was sufficiently impressed by the trial results to put two of his cancer patients on Life Mel.
“They have started responding to their chemotherapy very quickly,” he says. “If the honey stops the white cell count dropping it means people can have chemotherapy for longer or at higher doses.”
Honey has been used medicinally for more than 2,000 years and is known to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Stomach upsets, eye problems, skin infections and burns are among the conditions that have been treated. Its healing properties are thought to come from enzymes that release gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide.
Medi honey, made up of Manuka and jellybush honeys from Australia and New Zealand, is licensed in Europe, the US and Australia for treating wounds and is used in hospitals worldwide.
It has been shown in studies to eradicate hundreds of bacterial strains including antibiotic-resistant MRSA.
One clinical trial showed that Medihoney is as effective as an antiseptic gel at preventing infections caused by catheters: at least one German hospital uses medical honey on all entry sites of catheters that show any sign of inflammation. Another study concluded that patients should ask their doctors to apply honey to their wounds after surgery.
A recent report from the Children’s Hospital Medical Centre in Bonn described how honey had helped heal an infected surgical wound in a newborn baby. After three weeks’ treatment with honey dressings, the wound was clear of infection and the baby was discharged.
“As well as rapidly clearing infection, honey has been shown to have several other therapeutic actions that are of great benefit,” says Peter Molan, professor of biological sciences at the University of Waikato, New Zealand.
“It rapidly causes dead tissue to lift off messy wounds, soothes inflammation and decreases swelling and pain and actively stimulates the healing process, so that rapid healing occurs and skin grafting is not needed.”
US research published last month showed that a teaspoon of buckwheat honey was more effective at soothing children’s coughs than dextromethorphan, the active ingredient in many cough remedies.
“There is general acceptance that honey is a respectable therapeutic agent and there is a rapidly increasing uptake of its usage by clinicians as well as the public,” says Dr Molan.
Side effects from honey are few compared with pharmaceutical drugs although some people have complained that honey on wounds causes a stinging sensation. In others it can provoke an allergic reaction, so it is not advised for anybody with a known allergy to bee stings or pollen.
Only medical grade honey should be used for wound treatment: other varieties have not been sterilised or irradiated to kill clostridium botulinum spores, sometimes found in honey, which can be toxic if they enter a wound.
If you have any other questions, or would like to see what LifeMel could do for yourself or your loved ones please visit the website! http://lifemelusa.com/
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
A Successful Story Of A LifeMel Honey User
Heime Geffen
May 31, 2007
By Candice Krieger
Two months ago he was bed-ridden, his chemotherapy treatment had been abandoned and oncologists had written him off. But now leukaemia sufferer Heime Geffen claims that he is showing improvements thanks to an Israeli-made honey, Lifemel.
The 76-year-old retired doctor was diagnosed with leukaemia in October 2006. He tells People: “My white cell count at that time was 2.1 (the normal is close to 4). Following chemotherapy it dropped to 1.2 and remained in that until March 2007. Chemotherapy was abandoned in February and I was not receiving any treatment.”
In April, Dr Geffen started taking twice-daily teaspoons of Lifemel honey, after his daughter Terri Barnett and her husband Ian heard about it from an Israeli oncologist. Lifemel is reportedly made from bees fed on specific plants, and adherents claim that it can help fight neutropenia, an abnormal decrease in the blood’s white blood cells. Dr Geffen says: “Being a doctor, I was sceptical about alternative medicines, but within a week I began feeling stronger, and my blood count started improving.
“Today, my white-blood-cell count is virtually normal. I am out of bed, have abandoned my walker and plan to play bridge again. Of course, I can not be sure that it is definitely the honey which is making me better, but I will carry on taking it.”
If this sounds like a sales pitch, perhaps there is a reason for Dr Geffen’s enthusiasm for the product. His son-in-law, recently back from Israel, is looking to market Lifemel in the UK.
Published on www.jewishchronicle.com
May 31, 2007
By Candice Krieger
Two months ago he was bed-ridden, his chemotherapy treatment had been abandoned and oncologists had written him off. But now leukaemia sufferer Heime Geffen claims that he is showing improvements thanks to an Israeli-made honey, Lifemel.
The 76-year-old retired doctor was diagnosed with leukaemia in October 2006. He tells People: “My white cell count at that time was 2.1 (the normal is close to 4). Following chemotherapy it dropped to 1.2 and remained in that until March 2007. Chemotherapy was abandoned in February and I was not receiving any treatment.”
In April, Dr Geffen started taking twice-daily teaspoons of Lifemel honey, after his daughter Terri Barnett and her husband Ian heard about it from an Israeli oncologist. Lifemel is reportedly made from bees fed on specific plants, and adherents claim that it can help fight neutropenia, an abnormal decrease in the blood’s white blood cells. Dr Geffen says: “Being a doctor, I was sceptical about alternative medicines, but within a week I began feeling stronger, and my blood count started improving.
“Today, my white-blood-cell count is virtually normal. I am out of bed, have abandoned my walker and plan to play bridge again. Of course, I can not be sure that it is definitely the honey which is making me better, but I will carry on taking it.”
If this sounds like a sales pitch, perhaps there is a reason for Dr Geffen’s enthusiasm for the product. His son-in-law, recently back from Israel, is looking to market Lifemel in the UK.
Published on www.jewishchronicle.com
Monday, December 7, 2009
The Science Behind LifeMel Honey
LifeMel is a specially formulated honey which could help cancer patients who develop Neutropenia, a debilitating side effect associated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, according to a recent study.
The peer reviewed study published in the international journal, MEDICAL ONCOLOGY, highlights the beneficial role Life Mel Honey can have in patients experiencing ‘chemotherapy induced neutropenia’ Life Mel Honey, when administered to patients receiving chemotherapy with a known tendency to developing neutropenia, had a positive effect on the hematopoietic system and stimulated the production of red and white blood cells, hemoglobin and blood platelets.
Chemotherapy suppresses the hematopoietic system (blood production), thus impairing the body’s immunity mechanisms, potentially inducing anaemia and limiting the doses of chemotherapy which can be tolerated by patients. Febrile neutropenia, the most serious hematologic toxicity, is associated with the risk of life-threatening infections as well as chemotherapy dose reductions and delays which may compromise treatment outcomes for cancer patients.
The study assessed the use of Life Mel Honey (LMH) in patients with grade 4 neutropenia receiving chemotherapy for primary or metastatic disease. Traditionally, colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) are used for primary and secondary treatment in patients with grade 4 neutropenia, yet the use of these drugs are expensive and not without side-effects. In the current study, Life Mel Honey was administered to prevent neutropenia and reduce the need for CSFs in patients treated with chemotherapy. Blood counts were performed weekly.
There was no recurrence of neutropenia after LMH intake and no need for treatment with CSFs in 40% of patients. LMH was also effective at reducing the incidence of anaemia, which can often be a side effect of chemotherapy, in 64% of patients. No side effects were noted following LMH intake.
Further studies with larger numbers of patients are planned and researchers are currently preparing for Stage II clinical trials.
The peer reviewed study published in the international journal, MEDICAL ONCOLOGY, highlights the beneficial role Life Mel Honey can have in patients experiencing ‘chemotherapy induced neutropenia’ Life Mel Honey, when administered to patients receiving chemotherapy with a known tendency to developing neutropenia, had a positive effect on the hematopoietic system and stimulated the production of red and white blood cells, hemoglobin and blood platelets.
Chemotherapy suppresses the hematopoietic system (blood production), thus impairing the body’s immunity mechanisms, potentially inducing anaemia and limiting the doses of chemotherapy which can be tolerated by patients. Febrile neutropenia, the most serious hematologic toxicity, is associated with the risk of life-threatening infections as well as chemotherapy dose reductions and delays which may compromise treatment outcomes for cancer patients.
The study assessed the use of Life Mel Honey (LMH) in patients with grade 4 neutropenia receiving chemotherapy for primary or metastatic disease. Traditionally, colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) are used for primary and secondary treatment in patients with grade 4 neutropenia, yet the use of these drugs are expensive and not without side-effects. In the current study, Life Mel Honey was administered to prevent neutropenia and reduce the need for CSFs in patients treated with chemotherapy. Blood counts were performed weekly.
There was no recurrence of neutropenia after LMH intake and no need for treatment with CSFs in 40% of patients. LMH was also effective at reducing the incidence of anaemia, which can often be a side effect of chemotherapy, in 64% of patients. No side effects were noted following LMH intake.
Further studies with larger numbers of patients are planned and researchers are currently preparing for Stage II clinical trials.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Do Something Worthwhile on World AIDS Day: Strengthen Your Immune System
The immune system is the body’s first line of defense in maintaining health, preventing illness, and hastening recovery. Many people experience a weakened immune system due to poor sleep habits, unhealthy diets, post chemotherapy treatment, or other illnesses or medical conditions such as HIV. Also, with age our immune system weakens, leaving us vulnerable to chronic diseases.With a strong healthy immune response our bodies not only become more resistant to colds, flu, allergies and disease but our quality of life improves.
Research has shown that supplementing the immune system can help us resist some illnesses.
If you are currently feeling the effects of a weakened immune system, no matter what the cause, we have a natural solution. Zuf Globus laboratories in Israel, has gone beyond the call of duty in helping people improve the quality of their lives. Thirty years of research with an all natural approach of feeding special nectars to bees, thereby producing different types of honey, led to this development of clinically tested LifeMel Chemo Support.
Life Mel Immune Support was developed to work specifically on the immune system. For those who have completed chemotherapy treatments and no longer use Chemo Support, yet wish to continue with a an immune support regime, LifeMel Immune Support is your answer. Having less natural ingredients than Life Mel Chemo Support it is less potent and costs less. Yet it does what you are looking for—supports your immune system.
Long term usage of LifeMel Immune (one teaspoon in the morning and one teaspoon in the evening) can result in an improvement in the functionality of the immune system and in the body’s ability to resist infections and disease.
To see or read more for yourself, visit the website: http://www.lifemelusa.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
