This deep-sea scavenger offers surprising health benefits to cancer patients

Most cancer patients have to fight two battles: one against cancer, and the other against the harsh side effects of chemotherapy and/or radiation.

Fortunately, scientists have discovered a few natural adjunct therapies that not only boost the effectiveness of chemo and radiation, but also curb the adverse effects those therapies cause.

One of those adjuncts comes from a source you might initially consider to be dangerous, but is actually a potential life-saver for many cancer patients.

Healing powerhouse from a surprising source

The ancient healers of Scandinavia first began using shark liver oil to treat a wide range of ailments, including pneumonia and open wounds.

Shark liver oil might seem odd, but in many ways, it’s very similar to cod liver oil, salmon, sardines, and other fatty, cold water fish. All of them are rich in vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.

But there is one big difference.

Unlike those other fish, shark liver oil is uniquely rich in a group of compounds called alkylglycerols (AKGs). These lipid compounds allow sharks to maintain buoyancy in ocean depths where water pressure is far too intense for most sea creatures. The presence of AKGs allows them to dive 5,000 feet or more.

Meanwhile, back on dry land, AKGs offer some big benefits to humans, too.

Mammals produce only small amounts of AKGs, with one exception: human breast milk, which contains 10 times more AKGs than cow’s milk. These high levels provide newborns with potent antioxidants and a powerful immune system boost.

And that healthy one-two punch is also highly beneficial to cancer patients.

Back in the 1950s and 60s, Dr. Astrid Brohult, a Swedish oncologist, discovered an effective leukemia treatment that used the bone marrow of calves to normalize white blood cell production. Dr. Brohult’s husband, Sven, a research biochemist, later isolated the marrow’s active ingredient: AKGs.

The Brohults eventually determined that the liver oil of the Greenland shark — native to the waters of Sweden — is a rich source of AKGs.

Furthermore, their research revealed that these AKGs not only obstruct cancer growth, but also help prevent the effects of radiation poisoning.

Putting shark liver oil to the test

In his Essential Protocol to a Cancer-Free Future, Dr. Fred Pescatore explains that this exceptional oil has a biochemical profile unlike that of any other fish in the sea.

And a key element of that profile, of course, is AKGs.

As you can imagine, Dr. Pescatore is quite familiar with the work of the Brohults. He cites one study in particular, where Dr. Astrid Brohult gave cancer patients shark liver oil before, during, and after radiation treatments. Patients who received the oil had half the radiation injuries and side effects as those who didn’t use the oil.

And Dr. Pescatore adds: “The patients also saw their tumors start to shrink — even before radiation therapy began!”

In another study, Brohult tested shark liver oil on cervical cancer patients who all received radiation therapy.

“At one year,” Dr. Pescatore says, “survival was slightly higher in the shark liver group — an 88 percent survival rate, versus 82 percent. But at five years, only 51 percent of the radiation-only patients were still living, compared to 65 percent of the radiation and shark liver oil group.”

Other studies show that AKGs may help protect healthy cells from the damaging effects of chemotherapy. And Dr. Pescatore cites additional research showing that AKGs may also help shrink prostate, cervix, and lung tumors.

One more powerful benefit

AKGs are just one facet of the shark liver oil story. Dr. Pescatore goes into great detail about another potent antioxidant compound in the oil that’s also been shown to boost immune response and halt progression of several different cancers.

And Dr. Pescatore underlines this key point: “Your immune system is your first line of defense against cancer. And it’s doubly important to tend to it while undergoing conventional treatments that ravage immunity.”

To get started with shark liver oil, Dr. Pescatore generally recommends a dose of 1,000 mg, twice each day, to raise your white blood cell count. “A benefit,” he says, “that will strengthen your body’s defenses against everything — from cancer to the common cold.”

Some cancer patients may need to take much higher doses. For that, Dr. Pescatore recommends working with a practitioner who can help you tailor a regimen to fit your specific needs.

For more information about where to obtain shark liver oil, and how to locate a practitioner knowledgeable in this form of treatment, you can refer to the Resources Directory included in Dr. Pescatore’s Essential Protocol to a Cancer-Free Future. Click here to learn more or to enroll today.

SOURCES 

lifeextension.com/magazine/2005/8/report_shark/page-01
Anti-Cancer Benefits of Shark Liver Oil
Life Extension Magazine
August 2005