Over 200,000 Americans developed lung cancer in 2007, and the disease kills more people than any other type of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lung cancer begins when normal lung cells are damaged, making them abnormal and allowing them to grow out of control. Avemar is a commercial form of fermented wheat germ extract with anticancer properties that may help prevent or treat lung cancer. Discuss its use with your doctor to decide if it might be helpful for your situation.
Symptoms and Risk Factors
Lung cancer causes symptoms such as a worsening, persistent cough that may produce blood, shortness of breath, chest pain or hoarseness. You might also experience frequent respiratory infections, constant fatigue or unexplained weight loss. Your risk of developing lung cancer is increased if you are over 65, are or have been a smoker, have been exposed to radon gas, asbestos, heavy metals or other toxins or if you have a family history of lung cancer.
Avemar
Avemar is a commercially available form of fermented wheat germ extract, produced by fermenting the extract with yeast. Hungarian scientists first developed the supplement in the 1990s, and it has been studied extensively for its potential to prevent or treat several diseases, including cancer. Avemar has positive effects on the immune system, stimulating immune cells to produce chemicals that help stop normal cells from becoming cancerous or suppress growth of cancer cells that are already present. Researchers have examined possible benefits of Avemar for several types of cancer, including lung cancer.
Research
Laboratory studies document the ability of Avemar to protect cells from carcinogenic compounds, slow the growth of tumors and prevent spread of malignant cells to other parts of the body. In a paper published in "Carcinogenesis" in 2001, researchers found that experimental animals fed fermented wheat germ extract and exposed to chemicals that cause colon cancer had substantially fewer tumors that a placebo-fed group. In another laboratory study published in "Anticancer Research" in 1998, Avemar slowed growth and spread of several types of preexisting cancers in laboratory animals, including lung cancer. Avemar has been the subject of several clinical studies with human subjects, including one involving subjects with melanoma published in "Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmacology" in 2008, showing that consuming the supplement for one year improved survival times. However, clinical trials with Avemar and human subjects with or at risk for lung cancer are still needed.
Recommendations
Avemar is available from health food or specialty stores in granular form, to be consumed after dissolving in water. It is generally considered safe, although it may cause mild digestive symptoms in some people. Do not consume Avemar if you are gluten-intolerant, pregnant or breast-feeding, or if you have a hormone-sensitive cancer. Discuss Avemar with your doctor before adding it to your regimen.
References
- National Cancer Institute: What You Need to Know About Lung Cancer
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Wheat Germ Extract
- "Anticancer Research"; Effect of Avemar and Vitamin C on Tumor Growth and Metastasis in Experimental Animals"; M. Hivegi, et al.; July-August 1998
- "Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmacology"; Adjuvant Fermented Wheat Germ Extract (Avemar) Nutraceutical Improves Survival of High-Risk Melanoma Patients: A Randomized, Pilot, Phase II Clinical Study with 7-Year Follow-Up; L. Demidov, et al.; August 2008
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Lung Cancer Statistice
- "Carcinogenesis"; Wheat Germ Extract Inhibits Experimental Colon Carcinogenesis in F-344 Rats; A. Zalatnai, et al.; October 2001
