| Nutritional supplementation with the amino acid | | | | In other digestive cancers, the cancer cell uses |
| arginine is commonly recommended by natural | | | | arginine to make ornithine, which creates new |
| healers, but for some people arginine can be | | | | structures in the cell. Among those structures are |
| harmful, rather than helpful. | | | | the receptor sites on the surface of the cell that |
| Arginine is an "essential" amino acid in infants, in | | | | may make it more susceptible either to |
| the elderly, and in people undergoing stress. The | | | | chemotherapy or to the action of the immune |
| human body can convert arginine into nitric oxide, | | | | system. |
| which "opens up" circulation, or into L-ornithine, | | | | In pancreatic cancer, the cancer cell ordinarily |
| which is used in creating new tissues. In cancer | | | | repairs its structures very slowly, so it is more |
| treatment, arginine supplementation is part of a | | | | likely to use arginine to make nitric oxide. This |
| strategy of giving cancer cells the amino acids | | | | chemical opens the microscopic blood vessels |
| they "don't want" while depriving them of amino | | | | surrounding the cancer cell, then the cancerous |
| acids they need to proliferate. The important | | | | tumor, allowing it greater nourishment and an |
| consideration, however, is that different kinds of | | | | avenue to spread throughout the pancreas and |
| cancer cells have different metabolic requirements. | | | | out into other parts of the body. In at least one |
| Specialists in the surgical treatment of cancer | | | | strain of pancreatic cancer cells, arginine |
| have been studying the use of supplemental | | | | demonstrably increases growth, and application of |
| arginine in cancer treatment since the early 1990's. | | | | an enzyme to stop cells' use of arginine slows |
| In 1992, these scientists reported that the only | | | | cancer growth. |
| time they observed recovery of the immune | | | | While it is not a good idea for people with |
| system from surgery for cancer in the upper | | | | pancreatic cancer to take supplemental arginine, it |
| digestive tract was when patients received a | | | | is not necessary to avoid foods that are relatively |
| combination of arginine, RNA, and omega-3 fatty | | | | high in arginine (such as sesame seeds, spirulina, |
| acids. | | | | pumpkin seeds, soy, gelatin, fried pork skins, cod, |
| And in another study of cancers in the lower | | | | almonds, and, to a lesser extent, most meats), at |
| digestive tract, specifically colorectal cancer, | | | | least it is not necessary to avoid them because |
| researchers found that giving cancer patients 30 | | | | of their arginine content. That's because the |
| grams (that's 30,000 mg) of arginine for 3 days | | | | amount of supplements needed to make a |
| caused cancer cells to grow more receptor sites | | | | difference in cancer treatment provides 4 to 15 |
| where white blood cells could identify and destroy | | | | times the amount of arginine you can get from |
| them. So is taking supplemental arginine a good | | | | food. Only supplemental arginine needs to be |
| idea in pancreatic cancer? | | | | avoided in pancreatic cancer. |
| The answer is no. | | | | |