Disclaimer:
The contents of this web site are not intended to be (nor should they be
construed as) medical advice. Any questions relating to (or arising from)
the information in this web site should be directed to a physician. The
information presented on this site is intended to foster discussions
between patients, caretakers and physicians. If you have any problems and
you need medical advice contact your physician for a personal consult. If
you have a serious medical problem, consult a physician in person for
proper care!
Re. Betain (Betaine)
A vitamin-like substance, betain, rich in beet tops and roots, can
pinch hit for cholin. ... When 22 persons with inoperable cancers
ate large amounts of beets daily for several months, 21 showed
improvement and their cancers decreased in size. [note 24]
Concentrated beet juice was equally valuable, but when discontinued
for financial reasons, cancer growth resumed in three to four months.
[note 24] {notes 1,2,5}
The following single line is the index listing for "betain" in Davis
{note 2}:
Betain, cancer and, 299
Betain (betaine) is trimethylglycine. {note 3}
Regarding cholin (choline):
According to Adelle Davis (in her book _Let's_Get_Well, 1965, page 299),
there is a related but more powerful chemical in its ability to enhance
the immune system, cholin (choline), which can be found in lecithin
(ibidem, p. 54). Incidentally, Davis recommends the granular form of
lecithin instead of the liquid form (ibidem, p. 328). [I occasionally
add granular lecithin to cereal (two heaping teaspons per day) - RKSJR].
One should also be aware that lecithin is high in calories. {note 6}
Cholin (choline) is similar to betaine in that both are based on the amino
acid glycine with methyl groups (CH3) attached, however, the more powerful
cholin has 4 methyl groups, tetramethylglycine, as compared to betaine,
trimethylglycine, which has only three.
The following website "Betaine (Trimethylglycine)" discusses the
comparison of betain and cholin:
Betaine (Trimethylglycine)
Regarding published research on choline and cancer by A. K. Ghoshal and
E. Farber:
Article title: Choline deficiency, lipotrope deficiency and the
development of liver disease including liver cancer: a new perspective.
Author(s): Ghoshal AK; Farber E
Author's Address: Department of Pathology, University of Toronto, Ontario,
Canada.
Source: Laboratory investigation; a journal of technical methods and
pathology. [Lab Invest] 1993 Mar; Vol. 68 (3), pp. 255-60.
The following is an excerpt from the abstract of the above article:
Thus, the pathologic consequences of feeding a CD diet are fatty
liver, liver cell death, liver cell proliferation, and liver cell
cancer.
[In the above excerpt, judging from the article title, "CD" is presumed
to be an abbreviation for "choline deficient". - RKSJR]
Entering the following search terms:
ghoshal 1993 choline
in the search field of the following (National Library of Medicine) link,
will enable one to access the entire abstract of the above medical
journal article by Ghoshal and Farber.
National Library of Medicine Gateway Search
Regarding the "immune surveillance" theory of cancer formation and cancer
control:
Think of cancer as a kind of infection. Like viruses and bacteria,
tumor cells can develop ways to avoid detection and destruction by a
person's immune system.
From Science News, June 29 2002 by J. Travis
Article title: Tumor protein offs patrolling immune cells. (Kill or Be
Killed). (Brief Article)
The article (by J. Travis) referred to above is accessible via the following
link:
findarticles.com: Science News: Tumor protein offs patrolling immune cells -
Kill or Be Killed - Brief Article
findarticles.com
Entering any one or more of the following terms: "betain", "betaine",
"cholin", "choline", "immune surveillance" in the search field of the
following link will enable one to access medical journal article abstracts
discussing those subjects.
National Library of Medicine Gateway Search
I don't know how much longer this (text only) site will continue to be
number one out of 3 thousand plus yields when one Googles:
choline "immune surveillance"
(including the quotation marks), probably not much longer (as of Monday
June 23, 2008).
Notes
1. Notes in square brackets "[]" are verbatim transcriptions from the
"Medical References" section of Davis, Adelle, _Let's_Get_Well, Signet,
New York, 1965. Notes in braces "{}" are placed by RKSJR.
2. The excerpts are from a chapter titled "Nutrition and Cancer" in
Davis, Adelle, _Let's_Get_Well, page 299, Signet, New York, 1965.
Cholin (choline), a substance obtainable from lecithin, is also
discussed on page 299. The index material is from page 443. {4}
3. Author(s): Schwab, U., et al., Article title: "Betaine supplementation
decreases plasma homocysteine concentrations but does not affect body
weight, body composition, or resting energy expenditure in human
subjects." Source: Am J Clin Nutr (The American journal of clinical
nutrition.) 2002 Nov; 76(5): 961-7.
4. Striving towards vegetarianism, I substitute protein from vegetable
sources in those instances where Adelle Davis advises consuming protein
from animal sources. - RKSJR
5. As of August, 2003, for general health reasons, I am currently consuming
two small (8.25 oz.) cans of beets per week (one approximately every
three and a half days), and 2 to 3 teaspoons of granular lecithin (as a
choline source) per day mixed into cereal. - RKSJR. Regarding the
caloric value of granular lecithin, see note 6.
As of April, 2007, the high caloric value of granular lecithin has
taken its toll, (i.e. if the problem had not been addressed, I would
need to purchase clothing in a larger size) and therefore I have switched
to a bottled capsule source of choline (instead of granular lecithin).
Each capsule contains 250 mg of choline and 250 mg of inositol. The
capsules are separable so that the powdered contents may be poured out. I
have been consuming approximately one quarter capsule with the first meal
of the day, and one quarter capsule with the last meal of the day.
6. Regarding the caloric value of granular lecithin, the following is
from page 434 of Davis {note 1}:
Lecithin, granular: Approximate measure: 2 T., Wgt. in grams: 15,
Calories: 105, Protein grams: 0, Carbohydrate grams: 0, Fiber: -,
Fat grams: 11, Saturated fatty acid grams: 9
The above data on granular lecithin was adapted from a chart with the
chart headings (for example "Protein grams") which otherwise were
positioned at the top of the page, inserted among the data
with colons and commas added for clarity. The chart line for
lecithin with the chart headings not inserted appears as follows:
Lecithin, granular 2 T. 15 105 0 0 - 11 9
The chart heading: "Saturated fatty acid grams" bears an asterisk to
the following note:
Includes oleic acid.
Values represented by a dash "-" are explained in a note as follows:
- No data available.
24. Ferenczi, A., Nut. Abst. Rev. 30, 247, 1960
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Last Modified: Monday, June 23, 2008 circa 18:45 U.T.C.
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