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Supplementation with MCP slows prostate cancer
When men with a difficult-to-treat type of prostate cancer take modified citrus pectin - usually abbreviated to MCP - their tumors grow less quickly. In 2003, American oncologists came to this conclusion in a small human study involving 10 men with prostate cancer.
MCP
MCP consists of pectins from the peel of citrus fruits. The pectins have been cut into pieces by chemical treatment, making them water soluble and making it possible for the intestines to absorb them from food. [Int J Biol Macromol. 2018 Apr 1;109:784-792.]
In animal studies, supplementation with MCP inhibits the rate at which prostate cancer tumors grow and spread throughout the body. [J Natl Cancer Inst 2002, 94:1854-62.] [J Natl Cancer Inst 1995, 87:348-53.]
The human equivalent of the optimal dose in these animal studies is about 10-15 grams per day. In some animal studies, however, doses lower by a factor of ten also seem to have an effect.
Study
Because the researchers wondered whether MCP has the same effect on humans, they decided to conduct a small human pilot study on ten male test subjects. The men had a local form of prostate cancer that did not respond well to treatment with drugs, surgery or radiation.
As prostate tumors grow, the level of the protein PSA in the blood increases. The researchers monitored that concentration.
The doctors gave the men a supplement containing MCP every day for a year. The researchers used PectaSol, a product from Econugenics. [econugenics.com] The men took 14.4 grams of MCP every day, divided over three intakes.
Results
The PSA Doubling Time - the time it takes for the concentration of PSA in the blood to double - increased significantly in 7 out of 10 men. This implies that MCP slows down the growth of prostate cancer cells in those men.
Conclusion
"The long-term impact that MCP will have on disease progression is unknown", write the researchers. "More research is still necessary to define the role of MCP fully in prostate cancer treatment."
Source:
Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2003;6(4):301-4.
More:
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Eating lots of walnuts helps fight prostate cancer 02.05.2017
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