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Cancer Fighting Drug Found in Dirt
firesquirt writes "From an article in LiveScience, the bark of certain yew trees can yield a medicine that fights cancer. Now scientists find the dirt that yew trees grow in can supply the drug as well, suggesting a new way to commercially harvest the medicine."
We have as many compounds that fight cancer as we have compounds that cause cancer. If you want to really cure people, we're talking scientific medicine, not feel-good natural herbal supplements.
Except there is some historical basis to support the line of logic...which is not to say I believe its one giant conspiracy standing on dozens of cures. Back in the late 80s and early 90s, MD Anderson did a lot of research into alternate treatments. Some of those treatments included mega doses of vitamins and minerals. The results? They were able to obtain cure rates of some cancer, in humans, only several percent less than traditional treatments. At the same time, someone (guess who) wound up the FDA which started raiding shops at gun point, DETAINING CUSTOMERS, and lobbied to get new suppliment legislation passed. Shortly after, MD Anderson's funding for alternate treatments went away. Oddly enough, the number of artificial vitimans (basically, chemically-like, patented, and fully synthesized; which BTW, has a much higher death and illness rate, generally cost 4-8 times of the real thing, and requires a Rx). Oddly enough, this all happened at the same time Kessler was publically campaigning against suppliments of any kind. He made many such anti-suppliment statements such as, "American's have the most expensive urine in the world", and, "Mega-doses of any vitamin is bad or worthless". The second is a paraphase as I don't remember the exact quote. While at the same time, lots of studies directly contradicted him. Studies by crediable organizations. When pushed with these studies he remarked with something like, "Well, they are only effective in non-first world countries as every American receives proper nutrition", which we all know is well documented as factually incorrect.
Lastly, it was reported that mega-doses of vitamins, when used in conjunction with traditional radiation treatment resulted in yet higher cure rates (some single digit percent), faster recovery, and fewer side effects. The studies were halted before they could determine if continued suppliment treatment, post-cure, would result in a lower recurrence rate.
So on and so on...
Long story short, factually speaking, research into cheap cancer treatments using suppliments has been kneecapped by the pharmaceutical industry and razed by the FDA while it was still in a very promising infancy. Its no wonder there are many conspiracy theories bounding about of many hidden cures.