Dietary Supplements And Cancer: 5 Products To Avoid

During cancer treatments, patients sometimes believe they are doing the right thing by taking plants reputed to be good for the liver or effective against anxiety or joint pain. Unfortunately, dietary supplements do not always mix well with anticancer treatments. Here are 5 products to avoid due to their toxicity or potential interactions with certain chemotherapies or hormone therapy.

1- Desmodium

Desmodium is a plant known for cleansing the liver, and it is sometimes said that it is good to take it during or after chemotherapy to protect this organ from the excesses of medication.

While desmodium has a reputation for being hepatoprotective, scientific studies have revealed that this dietary supplement can worsen the effects of treatments on the liver.

There is a risk of liver damage regardless of the dose ingested, according to the report by the French Food Safety Agency (Afssa) dated December 14, 2007. It is therefore not recommended to take it throughout cancer treatments.

2- Turmeric

Traditionally used in Indian cuisine, turmeric has also become a trendy dietary supplement. Thanks to its antioxidant properties, it is credited with benefits for aiding digestion and relieving joint pain.

However, be cautious: when taken in high doses, as is the case in some capsules, turmeric can interact with medications.

This type of dietary supplement also presents liver toxicity beyond 153 mg of curcumin per day for a 60 kg adult, according to the report by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses) on June 27, 2022. This active substance dose can easily be reached or even exceeded during a course of treatment.

3- Ginseng

Ginseng is a plant whose roots are known for their stimulating properties on energy and memory. However, it is not recommended for chemotherapy patients to take this root in the form of dietary supplements to combat fatigue and memory loss related to their treatment.

Indeed, ginseng is suspected of interacting with anti-cancer treatments, either by decreasing their effectiveness or by increasing their toxicity. The potential interactions depend on the treatment you are taking, so before starting a cure, consult your oncologist and/or pharmacist.

4- St. John's Wort

St. John's Wort is a plant with soothing properties. It is generally recommended to combat anxiety and sleep disorders.

Even though cancer treatments are anxiety-inducing, it is better to avoid taking this type of dietary supplement during your treatment protocol. By interacting with liver enzymes, St. John's Wort can reduce the effectiveness of certain treatments, such as irinotecan-based chemotherapies, methotrexate, docetaxel, or imatinib, and certain hormone therapies.

5- Soy and Phytoestrogens

The last category of dietary supplements to avoid during cancer treatment concerns women undergoing hormone therapy. If you are being treated for hormone-dependent breast cancer, you must not take phytoestrogens. These molecules, naturally present in some plants like soy, have an effect comparable to female hormones, hence their name.

In your case, phytoestrogens are contraindicated because they counteract the effect of your treatment. Dietary supplements containing them include products made from:
• soy.
• red clover.
• black cohosh.
• sage.

To a lesser extent, licorice, hops, and ginseng also contain them. Remember that dietary supplements intended to alleviate hot flashes and other discomforts in menopausal women are forbidden to you, even if your hormone therapy causes such side effects. Indeed, the phytoestrogens they contain would compromise the effectiveness of your treatment against breast cancer recurrence.

In conclusion, patients being treated for cancer should not take dietary supplements without medical advice. They must be very cautious with these products, especially since 62% of medications bought online are counterfeit or of inferior quality.