[Scotti]

Ok, so I received my bottles of Ainterol PM today. Read the label, and noted it states "Do not consume if you've had cancer". So I'm like, uh oh, I've had cancer twice, once in 1998 and just last year.

So I hopped on here and read a bunch of threads, none of which answered my questions. There was one in which Isabelle and a few others provided many links, which led me to Google for "Pueraria mirifica and cancer".

The results mostly talked about the anti-breast cancer possibilities of Pueraria mirifica, which of course many also pointed out Thailand had the lowest rates of breast cancer. There was only one article that I found http://www.bio-botanica.com/articles/pur...review.pdf which had this caution:

Cautions: Pueraria mirifica should not be used by children, women younger than 20 years old, anyone who is currently taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy, women with cysts of the breast, ovary or uterus, anyone who has had estrogen related cancers, pregnant women or nursing mothers.

So, being that this drug is originally intended for women (though man articles do mention elderly men), and neither of my cancers were estrogen related, my thoughts are I should be okay with this. Yet there's that nagging thought that thinks I should not.

I was super excited to get started but now I'm left confused. I guess this is why some things are best discussed with a medical professional. Anyone???

[Wuerstchen]

Ok, so I received my bottles of Ainterol PM today. Read the label, and noted it states "Do not consume if you've had cancer". So I'm like, uh oh, I've had cancer twice, once in 1998 and just last year.

So I hopped on here and read a bunch of threads, none of which answered my questions. There was one in which Isabelle and a few others provided many links, which led me to Google for "Pueraria mirifica and cancer".

The results mostly talked about the anti-breast cancer possibilities of Pueraria mirifica, which of course many also pointed out Thailand had the lowest rates of breast cancer. There was only one article that I found http://www.bio-botanica.com/articles/pur...review.pdf which had this caution:

Cautions: Pueraria mirifica should not be used by children, women younger than 20 years old, anyone who is currently taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy, women with cysts of the breast, ovary or uterus, anyone who has had estrogen related cancers, pregnant women or nursing mothers.

So, being that this drug is originally intended for women (though man articles do mention elderly men), and neither of my cancers were estrogen related, my thoughts are I should be okay with this. Yet there's that nagging thought that thinks I should not.

I was super excited to get started but now I'm left confused. I guess this is why some things are best discussed with a medical professional. Anyone???

You've had cancer twice? I wouldn't mess with it Scotti. The FDA hasn't tested most of this stuff. Have you checked the Mayo Clinic site?

[Scotti]

You've had cancer twice? I wouldn't mess with it Scotti. The FDA hasn't tested most of this stuff. Have you checked the Mayo Clinic site?

Yeah, first time was a germ cell tumor 15 years ago in the medialstinum and the second was last year in the thyroid.

Will check Mayo's site.

[Samantha Rogers]

I have read some science on this on these threads and elsewhere over the years, but cannot remember the exact gist. I will try to research it tonight, Scotti. Meantime, I would bet dear Lotus is already doing the research! Prepare for a long reading lisy, eh, Lotus?

[Lotus]

Scotti,
If you're unsure talk to your doctor, but here's some info regarding phytoestrogens and PM:,


If breast enlargement pills do have estrogen-like effects in the body, there are some safety concerns. Estrogen given on its own stimulates the growth of tissue in the uterus and is believed to promote uterine cancer, which is why birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy normally contain progesterone to counter estrogen's effects on the uterus. We don't know if natural breast enhancement pills stimulate the growth of uterine tissue.
http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/3/a/Herbal_Breast.htm

Estrogens are well known to increase breast cancer risk in some women
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcance...sk-factors

Phytoestrogens, which are widely distributed in plants, are structurally similar to mammalian estrogens and can thus bind weakly to estrogen receptors (1). The 3 major classes of phytoestrogens are isoflavones, which are concentrated in soybeans and soy products but are also found in other legumes; lignans, which are distributed in seeds, whole grains, berries, fruit, vegetables, and nuts; and coumestans, which are found in broccoli and sprouts.

Estrogen is increasingly recognized as a cause of breast cancer. Both elevated concentrations of endogenous estrogen and hormonal therapy with estrogen for menopause are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer (3). However, the role of phytoestrogens is ambiguous.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/79/2/183.full


PHYTOESTROGEN EFFECTS ON BREAST CANCER
Overall, phytoestrogens have a protective effect against breast cancer, though research has shown that in some cases they may induce tumor development. A study in the "Journal of Clinical Oncology" in February 2007 showed phytoestrogens to behave like estrogen when natural estrogen levels are low and unlike estrogen when levels are high. Premenopause, phytoestrogens protect against breast cancer when estrogen levels are high, but promote the growth of cancer cells post-menopause when estrogen levels are low. This study also showed that higher levels of the isoflavone genistein slows the development of tumor cells, protecting against breast cancer.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/517709...n-breasts/


Pm extract-It has been reported that Pueraria mirifica contains estrogenic substance miroestrol, which can be found in the dry rhizome of Pueraria mirifica about 0.002-0.003%. This substance has been proven 2 times more effective than human estrogen.

A series of studies involving breast cell lines and the activity of Pueraria mirifica in vitro have been performed by the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand. These studies have shown that Pueraria mirifica root extract (Smith Naturals Co Ltd., Bangkok) has potent anti-estrogenic properties against aggressive cell cancer lines in vitro, especially the proliferative estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer lines (T47-D, MCF-7, and ZR-75-1) obtained from the MD Anderson Cancer Institute (Texas) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Pueraria mirifica promotes fibroblasts in normal breast cells and inhibits estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells. Unpublished, 2001, Sawatsri, S., Juntayanee, B., Jitpatima, S., Boonnao, P., Kampoo, C., Ayuttaya, N., Wongyai, S. and Sidell, N.


LD50 test
On the LD50 test (which measures the dosage that would kill laboratory animals after 14 days, expressed in weight of material per kilogram of body weight), simple water scores a 16. Relative to this, dried PM root scores a more toxic 7-but when the root is administered in the form of a standardized extract, the score raises to 40, causing no animal deaths at all.

Yes, I heard ya!, sorry it took so long!

[Samantha Rogers]

Good on ya, Lotus!

[Scotti]

Okay, too add, everything I find points to estrogen related cancers, which primarily comprise ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancers. Some say breast cancer too, but then that would indicate everyone and there are others non-US studies that say PM reduces breast cancer chances.

Couldn't find any info on Mayo's site. However, I did also find another site that stated PM could effect thyroid concentrations when taking Levoxthyroxine (which I do take as a result of having no thyroid).

Even Ainterol's website states this:

Products are FREE of known carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals), mutagens (causing cell mutations - cancer), teratogens (causing birth defects), reproductive toxins (male & female infertility), developmental toxins (hazardous to an unborn child) and skin/sense organ toxicants.


Thought I researched this well enough. Guess I will may hold off on taking PM and add something else until I can gather more info.

[Samantha Rogers]

Just a hunch, Scotti, but I think it is the E, and that there may be similar difficulties with any form of it. I hope I am wrong.[/b]

[Lotus]

Scotti,

With the exception of Pumping, massage, hypnosis, the concept of NBE will have some kind of estrogen mimicking ingredients.

I don't know a lot about you or your history, I don't want to be presumptuous and give just speculation, but it would seem the first three choices only seem logical until you can check with Your PCP.

[Scotti]

Meantime, I would bet dear Lotus is already doing the research! Prepare for a long reading lisy, eh, Lotus?

Yep, you were right about that! Very informative post Lotus provided. And yes, a lot of it does appear to do with estrogen, and aside from breast cancer, I have none of the other girl parts that would be affected.

Scotti,

With the exception of Pumping, massage, hypnosis, the concept of NBE will have some kind of estrogen mimicking ingredients.

I don't know a lot about you or your history, I don't want to be presumptuous and give just speculation, but it would seem the first three choices only seem logical until you can check with Your PCP.

Thanks for the informative post above, and I greatly appreciate the honesty. I had a visit with the endo last week, but he had an assistant helping with the new electronic record keeping, so I did not ask any out of the ordinary questions. Not sure how much my PCP will know either. Definitely probably need to err on the side of caution though.

Damn...just when I was getting excited about the possibilities!