Somewhat Saner Science

In my last horrifying installment on dealing with cancer, I wrote that I was going on the early version of the Hulda Clark anti cancer protocol, not because I believed her theory, but because I knew someone who had completely recovered from cancer far worse than mine using the earliest published version of Clark's protocol. I put it out online on the off chance the protocol worked for me it might work for others, despite the silliness of the theory that inspired the protocol.

Remember kids, many of our medicines were first discovered by witches and witch doctors. When people pay enough attention to the data, they can discover important things even when their theoretical framework is questionable.

But then yesterday I decided to do a web search to see if scientists had already looked at the the ingredients in the Clark protocol. And wow! There were plenty for two of the ingredients and the third was a near miss. (I used Brave Search as Google has become largely useless for health related searches -- unless you want 50 rehashes of what in on WebMD.)

Black Walnut Hull

Yes, the juglone in green black walnuts does kill some types of cancer cells:

• Juglone, from Juglans mandshruica Maxim, inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in human leukemia cell HL-60 through a reactive oxygen species-dependent mechanism
• Cytotoxic effects of walnut hull extracts against human osteosarcoma cell line (U2OS)
• Cytotoxicity of juglone and thymoquinone against pancreatic cancer cells

Brave's AI says:

Black walnut hull contains compounds, particularly juglone, that have demonstrated cytotoxic effects against various cancer cell lines in test-tube studies. Juglone has been shown to inhibit tumor growth and induce cell death in cancerous cells, including those of the liver, stomach, breast, lung, prostate, colon, and pancreatic cancers. It exerts its effects by inhibiting key molecular pathways involved in cancer development, such as the PIK3/Akt cascade, and by down-regulating signaling pathways related to angiogenesis, like Akt–HIF–1α and VEGF. Extracts from black walnut hulls have also shown cytotoxic activity against human osteosarcoma cells (U2OS). These findings suggest potential anticancer properties, although the research is primarily preclinical and based on in vitro models. The hull also contains tannins and iodine, which are believed to contribute to its antimicrobial and immune-supportive effects. However, the use of black walnut hull is associated with safety concerns, including potential skin irritation and a possible increased risk of tongue or lip cancer with prolonged topical application due to juglone. Its use during pregnancy is not recommended, and it may interact with oral medications by reducing their absorption

Not bad. But not definitive. The studies mentioned were mainly test tube studies. Whether one can get medically useful effects using Clark's recommended dose is unclear.

Cloves

Cloves look even more promising:

• Clove Extract Inhibits Tumor Growth and Promotes Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis
• Anticancer potential of Syzygium aromaticum L. in MCF-7 human breast cancer cell lines
• Clove ( Syzygium aromaticum L.), a potential chemopreventive agent for lung cancer
• Clove: A valuable spice effective for cancer prevention
• Chapter 18 - Anticancer effects of the active fraction from clove in vitro and in vivo
• Anticancer and antibacterial effects of a clove bud essential oil-based nanoscale emulsion system
• I could go on.

Brave's AI says:

Research indicates that cloves possess various bioactive compounds, particularly eugenol and other phytochemicals, which demonstrate potential anticancer properties in laboratory and animal studies. These compounds have shown the ability to inhibit cancer cell growth, induce apoptosis (programmed cell death), and suppress tumor progression across multiple cancer types, including breast, colorectal, lung, and leukemia cells. For instance, studies have found that clove extracts can induce apoptosis in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and inhibit the growth of colorectal cancer cells in vitro and in mouse models. In a study on lung cancer, clove infusion reduced abnormal cell growth and pre-malignant cell progression by over 85% in mice exposed to benzopyrene, a known carcinogen. The mechanisms include the upregulation of tumor-suppressing proteins like p53 and Bax, inhibition of pro-cancer proteins like Bcl-2, and suppression of inflammatory enzymes such as cyclooxygenase-2. Additionally, clove extracts have been shown to interfere with key cancer pathways, including the PI3K/Akt/mTOR and AMPK/ULK signaling pathways, which regulate cell survival and autophagy.

Despite these promising findings, it is crucial to note that all current evidence comes from preclinical studies using cell cultures and animal models. There are no credible human clinical trials that have proven cloves or clove oil can prevent or treat cancer in people. While clove oil has been tested on cancer cells in laboratories, its efficacy and safety in humans remain unproven. Therefore, while cloves may hold future potential as a complementary or preventive agent due to their chemopreventive properties, they should not be considered a cure for cancer. The current scientific consensus emphasizes the need for further rigorous clinical and preclinical trials to validate these effects before any therapeutic recommendations can be made.

I'm beginning to think that the cloves were the ingredient that worked for those who took the Clark protocol and got good results.

Wormwood, a Near Miss

The third component of Hulda Clark's protocol was wormwood, artemesia absinthum

When I did a web search for wormwood+cancer I got little to nothing positive for artemesia absinthum and quite a few warnings about the toxic thujone in this plant.

But I did get a bunch of extremely positive hits for a different species of wormwood, artemesia annua also known as sweet wormwood.

Even WebMD said nice things about it.

• Wormwood Extract Kills Cancer Cells
• Artemisinin Blocks Prostate Cancer Growth and Cell Cycle Progression by Disrupting Sp1 Interactions with the Cyclin-dependent Kinase-4 (CDK4) Promoter and Inhibiting CDK4 Gene Expression*
• Abstract 1979: Sweet wormwood-derived artesunate causes cell cycle arrest in ovarian cancer cell lines

Brave's AI writes:

Research indicates that wormwood, particularly its active compound artemisinin derived from Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood), exhibits potential anticancer properties. Studies have shown that artemisinin is cytotoxic to various cancer types, including leukemia, breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer, primarily by inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells. This effect is attributed to its unique peroxide bridge, which generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) when it interacts with iron; cancer cells typically have higher iron levels, making them more vulnerable to this oxidative stress while sparing healthy cells.

Further research has demonstrated that artemisinin can disrupt the cell cycle, inhibit key proteins like Cyclin B1 and CDK1 crucial for cell division, and block the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, which is involved in cancer development. In prostate cancer cells, artemisinin was found to down-regulate CDK4 expression by disrupting Sp1 transcription factor interactions with the CDK4 promoter, leading to a G1 cell cycle arrest.

These mechanisms suggest a broad potential for artemisinin as an anticancer agent.

Recent studies on Artemisia herba-alba (common wormwood, white wormwood), a related species found in North Africa and the Middle East, have also shown promising results. Extracts from this plant inhibited the viability of multiple colon cancer cell lines, induced apoptosis, arrested the cell cycle, and demonstrated selective cytotoxicity against colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. The study concluded that Artemisia herba-alba has significant potential as a natural source for developing new CRC therapies.

While these findings are primarily based on in vitro (lab) and animal model studies, the results suggest that wormwood and its derivatives could serve as complementary treatments to conventional therapies, potentially overcoming drug resistance and reducing side effects. Some clinics offer wormwood IV infusion therapy, aiming to target cancer cells with minimal damage to healthy tissues, although clinical efficacy in humans requires further investigation. The potential of these natural compounds is significant, but more research is needed to fully understand their molecular mechanisms and clinical effectiveness.

Sounds kind of promising and general.

Modifying my Protocol

Given this bit of web research, I'm going to modify my protocol.

1. Given the positive articles on cloves, I'm skipping Hulda Clark's ramp up and going straight to her maximum dose of three pill three times a day. I'm impatient.
2. I'm dropping the European wormwood for now. Given what I have been through I should probably avoid the risks that come from thujone. On the other hand sweet wormwood looks promising. I am adding it. Not sure what the dose should be. Will play around. (Ironically, sweet wormwood extract gives me more more side effects than the toxic kind.)

In none of the articles I skimmed did I see basal cell skin cancer mentioned. Liver cancer was mentioned for the black walnut extract, and I started this study based on someone who recovered from liver cancer. However, some of the mechanisms, especially for the sweet wormwood, seemed pretty general for any fast growing cancer. That business of triggering cell death in cells that are playing fast and loose with the iron seems promising.

To be continued.

Tags: cancer