The Aromatherapy Council UK is a professional body for aromatherapists in the UK. Their guidance says that aromatherapists in the UK are not qualified to give essential oils internally, without further medical training. It also states that aromatherapists are not insured if the oils cause any harm.

It is important to tell the aromatherapist about any medicines you are taking and give them all your medical details. They use very low-strength oils for people with cancer. But some oils can have physical effects on the body.

For example, they may affect your blood pressure. If you are having cancer treatment, always check with your cancer doctor before you have aromatherapy. It is usually fine to have aromatherapy and massage during radiotherapy , as long as it is not used on the area being treated.

Flower remedy practitioners believe that the cause of an illness is emotional imbalance. Each flower remedy aims to cure a specific type of emotional problem.

Flower remedies are considered safe. Some people feel they help reduce anxiety and help them feel better.

But there is no medical evidence to show that this is true. There is no evidence that emotional imbalances can cause cancer, or that flower remedies are an effective treatment for cancer. Flower remedies are prepared by placing flower heads into spring water under direct sunlight.

They can also be made by heating the plant in spring water. The plant material is removed and the water is then diluted with more water, or with alcohol usually brandy.

You take the remedy as a liquid. Different types of flower remedies are available. You can buy them from health food shops and some chemists. Flower remedies are often diluted in alcohol, so if you do not drink alcohol you may choose not to use them. Herbal remedies use plants or plant extracts to treat illnesses and promote health.

Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine TCM also use herbs. Herbs can be boiled in water and drunk as a tea, mixed in an alcohol solution, or made into tablets, creams or ointments.

Although some people find them helpful, there is very little evidence to show the effectiveness of herbal medicines. We know about some interactions between herbs and cancer treatments. But we do not know all of the possible effects the remedy could have on other medicines or treatments.

A herbal remedy may contain many substances, and all its active ingredients may not be known. Many doctors advise that herbal remedies should be avoided for a few weeks before and after cancer treatment.

Some herbs can make cancer treatments less effective or increase their side effects. For example:. Although plants and herbs are natural, this does not mean they are always safe. Natural substances can have strong side effects. Many medicines, including some chemotherapy drugs, are made from plants.

It is important to understand that something that might be safe in lower doses can be harmful in higher doses. For example, drinking green tea is generally safe but green tea supplements can contain much higher doses.

Taking them can sometimes cause serious liver problems. It is best to only buy products that have the traditional herbal registration THR mark. This shows the products have been tested for quality and safety. Herbal products that you can buy in health food shops and pharmacies must meet quality standards.

But herbal products that are sold online or made for personal use do not have the THR mark. There are no checks on how these products are made or guarantees of what they contain.

For example, some unlicensed Traditional Chinese Medicines TCMs have been found to contain toxic substances. If you take herbal remedies or are interested in taking them, talk to your cancer doctor or pharmacist. They need to know all the medicines you are taking and whether they are prescribed.

This is so they can give you the best possible care. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre can give you safety information about individual herbs. It is a reliable website. If you are seeing a herbalist, check that they are registered with an accredited body.

Mistletoe comes from a group of therapies called anthroposophical medicine. These therapies aim to combine conventional medicine with complementary therapies. Mistletoe can be taken by mouth or as injections. It may be given by homeopaths and is sometimes described as a herbal or homeopathic remedy.

There is no reliable medical evidence that mistletoe is effective in treating cancer or that it can reduce the side effects of treatment. If mistletoe is taken in large doses, it may cause more serious side effects.

When given as an injection, mistletoe may cause mild swelling, redness, itching and pain around the injection site. Rarely, it can cause allergic reactions. These can be serious in some people. Because mistletoe may stimulate the immune system, it could reduce the effectiveness of some medicines.

This includes immunosuppressants, which people take after a donor stem cell or bone marrow transplant. Below is a sample of the sources used in our complementary therapies information. If you would like more information about the sources we use, please contact us at cancerinformationteam macmillan.

uk Cassilieth B. The Complete Guide to Complementary Therapies in Cancer Care: Essential Information for Patients Survivors and Health Professionals. Ernst E, et al. Oxford Handbook of Complementary Medicine.

It has been reviewed by expert medical and health professionals and people living with cancer. It has been approved by Dr Saul Berkovitz.

Our cancer information has been awarded the PIF TICK. Chat online anonymously to others who understand what you are going through.

Our cancer information meets the PIF TICK quality mark. This means it is easy to use, up-to-date and based on the latest evidence. Learn more about how we produce our information.

Dietary products. These are vitamin and mineral products. Some of their characteristics include:. Available in amounts dose that are lower than, equal to, or higher than the recommended daily levels for individual nutrients. Herbal, botanical, and other "natural" products. The characteristics of these products include:.

Other products in this category might contain extracts from animals, such as toad or snake venom. It is sometimes difficult for consumers to know if a specific supplement product is safe.

Prescription and over-the-counter medications go through many scientific tests to make sure they are safe and effective before it can be sold in stores. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration FDA then approves or rejects each medication.

However, unlike medications, the FDA does not test or approve dietary supplements or herbal products. Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell if a product is an FDA-approved drug or if it is a dietary supplement.

They can be sold next to each other on a store shelf. The easiest way to tell is that FDA-approved drugs are required to carry a label that says "Drug Facts. Many people take vitamins and supplements without a problem. But it is always important to talk to your health care team if you are taking or thinking about taking a supplement.

Supplements carry risks and some have strong effects. Unlike medication, the manufacturer and supplier of a dietary supplement are solely responsible for the ingredients, dose, and preparation of their product. These factors determine the safety and efficacy of the product.

Because there is no regulation or oversight, these products may contain harmful ingredients, excess amounts of some ingredients, or less of an ingredient than they state on the label.

Manufacturers can also make claims about what their products do on labels. The FDA does not require proof that these claims are truthful.

After a dietary or herbal product is on the market, the FDA can only claim it is unsafe after consumers report problems with it. The FDA offers a portal for reporting such problems on its website. The most reliable source for whether a specific product is safe or effective for you is your doctor.

Just because a product is labeled as "natural" does not mean it is harmless, safe, or okay to take during or after cancer treatment. Your doctor can help you determine whether a supplement is safe to take, particularly with your individual cancer treatment and during recovery.

There is a major difference between using supplements during cancer as a "complementary therapy" or an "alternative therapy. Complementary therapy. When people use a dietary or herbal supplement as a complementary therapy, it means they are using the product while receiving standard cancer treatment.

For example, taking ginger to reduce nausea during chemotherapy. Some products are safe when used as a complementary therapy for a specific purpose with a doctor's guidance. There are known interactions with different supplement products that can reduce the effectiveness of specific medications and other cancer treatments.

See more information below. Alternative therapy. When people use a dietary or herbal supplement as an alternative therapy, it means they are using the product to try to treat the cancer itself instead of receiving standard cancer treatment.

For example, taking ginger to cure cancer instead of receiving chemotherapy. This is very dangerous. No dietary or other supplemental product can cure or treat cancer. People receiving cancer treatment must be very careful about using dietary and herbal products.

Some of these products can interfere with different cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. For example, supplements like garlic, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, and Vitamin E can increase risk for bleeding. This could be dangerous for patients undergoing or recovering from surgery.

Supplements can also interfere with prescription and over-the-counter medications you are already taking. They may also be unsafe if you have specific health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, mental health conditions, heart disease, or blood clotting problems. It is possible to use some dietary and herbal supplements safely.

In some places, complementary therapies are common along with cancer treatment. For example, traditional Chinese medicine often incorporates herbal therapies as a regular part of cancer treatment. The most important thing is to do your research and talk to your doctor.

Learn more about how to evaluate health information online. Here are some suggestions for what to know before you take any supplements:. Buy only single-ingredient products approved by your doctor. Some products contain other unlabeled herbs, pesticides, prescription drugs, heavy metals, or other substances.

Look for a certification mark or seal from an independent, third-party organization. These include:. Pharmacopeial Convention. Check the label to see if researchers have tested the product.

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Antitumor effects of saffron-derived carotenoids in prostate cancer cell models. Biomed Res Int. Download references. The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Directors at the National Oncology Centre and the Oncology Clinic at the Sangre Grande Hospital for allowing access their facilities and patients.

The nurses-in-charge are also acknowledged for facilitating the interview process, and most importantly the patients who availed themselves for the interviews. This survey was part of a course in the MBBS program at the University of the West Indies, St.

Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago, and was not funded. SPSS dataset available as Additional file 2. All authors were involved in the initial design of the study.

All authors, except YC, were involved in the patient interview, data entry and preliminary data analysis. VM and YC were primarily involved in final data analysis. YC wrote the draft and final manuscript and all authors read and approved the final version. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago Approval letter available as Additional file  3.

Pharmacology Unit, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Yuri N. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar.

Correspondence to Yuri N. Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4. Reprints and permissions. Clement, Y. et al. Herbal remedies and functional foods used by cancer patients attending specialty oncology clinics in Trinidad.

BMC Complement Altern Med 16 , Download citation. Received : 10 March Accepted : 05 October Published : 21 October Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:.

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Download PDF. Research article Open access Published: 21 October Herbal remedies and functional foods used by cancer patients attending specialty oncology clinics in Trinidad Yuri N.

Abstract Background Cancer is a major disease worldwide, and many patients use complementary and alternative treatments. Methods A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted using an interviewer-administered pilot-tested de novo questionnaire during the period June to August at two speciality treatment centres on the island.

Conclusions This survey identified the most common herbal remedies and functional foods used among prostate, breast and colorectal cancer patients in Trinidad.

Background In Trinidad and Tobago the incidence of cancer and mortality rates are amongst the highest in the developing world [ 1 ]. Methods The survey was descriptive and cross-sectional in design using a de novo pilot-tested questionnaire Additional file 1 and adult patients were conveniently chosen at two specialized cancer treatment centres in Trinidad during the period June to August Table 1 Demographic details for patients with breast, prostate and colorectal cancer Full size table.

Table 2 Common herbal remedies and functional foods used by cancer patients Full size table. Discussion To our knowledge this is the first observational study in Trinidad to determine the complementary use of medicinal herbs and functional foods among patients diagnosed with breast, prostate and colorectal cancer.

Conclusions This study unearthed the herbal remedies and functional foods used by patients with the most prevalent cancers in Trinidad. References GLOBOCAN Estimated cancer incidence, mortality and prevalence worldwide in Accessed 9 Feb Warner WA, Morrison RL, Lee TY, Williams TM, Ramnarine S, Roach V, et al.

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Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar Cancer Registry Report — Article Google Scholar Clement YN, Baksh-Comeau YS, Seaforth CE.

Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar Chang FR, Wu YC. Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Liaw CC, Chang FR, Lin CY, Chou CJ, Chiu HF, Wu MJ, et al.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Sun S, Liu J, Kadouh H, Sun X, Zhou K. Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar George VC, Kumar DR, Rajkumar V, Suresh PK, Kumar RA. Article PubMed Google Scholar Yang C, Gundala SR, Mukkavilli R, Vangala S, Reid MD, Aneja R.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar Zorofchian Moghadamtousi S, Karimian H, Rouhollahi E, Paydar M, Fadaeinasab M, et al. Article PubMed Google Scholar Kapadia GJ, Azuine MA, Rao GS, Aria T, Iida A, Tokuda H.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Kapadia GJ, Rao GS, Ramachandran C, Iida A, Suzuki N, Tokuda H. CAS PubMed Google Scholar Xu X, Cheng Y, Li S, Zhu Y, Xu X, Zheng X, et al. Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Butalla B, Wertheim BC, Thompson P, Thomson CA. Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Shebaby WN, Bodman-Smith KB, Mansour A, Mroueh M, Taleb RI, El-Sibai M, et al.

Article PubMed Google Scholar Shebaby WN, Mroueh M, Bodman-Smith K, Mansour A, Taleb RI, Daher CF, et al. Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar Glei M, Hofmann T, Küster K, Hollmann J, Lindhauer MG, Pool-Zobel BL.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Borowicki A, Stein K, Scharlau D, Glei M. Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Hussain A, Gheewala TM, Vas AJ, Shah K, Goala P, Khan S, et al. CAS PubMed Google Scholar Otsuki N, Dang NH, Kumagai E, Kondo A, Iwata S, Morimoto C.

Article PubMed Google Scholar Aung HH, Wang CZ, Ni M, Fishbein A, Mehendale SR, Xie JT, et al. CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar Chryssanthi DG, Dedes PG, Karamanos NK, Cordopatis P, Lamari FN.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Samarghandian S, Shabestari MM. Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar Festuccia C, Mancini A, Gravina GL, Scarsella L, Llorens S, Alonso GL, et al.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar Download references. Acknowledgements The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Directors at the National Oncology Centre and the Oncology Clinic at the Sangre Grande Hospital for allowing access their facilities and patients.

Funding This survey was part of a course in the MBBS program at the University of the West Indies, St. Availability of data and materials SPSS dataset available as Additional file 2.

Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Consent for publication All authors consented and agreed for this manuscript to be published in this journal.

Ethics approval and consent to participate The study was approved by the Ethics Committee, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago Approval letter available as Additional file  3.

Author information Authors and Affiliations Pharmacology Unit, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago Yuri N. Clement View author publications. View author publications.

Additional files. Additional file 1: Survey questionnaire. DOC 45 kb. Additional file 2: SPSS data file. SAV 83 kb. Rosemary is a member of the family Lamiaceae, and it contains a number of potentially biologically active compounds, including antioxidants such as carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid.

Due to its high antioxidant activity, crude and refined extracts of rosemary are now widely available commercially Ho et al. While the data are difficult to interpret, when rosemary is added along with other herbs to a balsamic vinegar preparation used in soups and salads, it appears to provide protection again oxidative stress in humans Dragan et al.

Considerable evidence also suggests that rosemary extracts, or its isolated components, can retard chemically induced cancers. For example, topical application of a rosemary extract has been reported to block the initiation and promotion phases of B a P- and DMBA-mediated skin tumorigenesis Huang et al.

Likewise, topical application of pure carnosol and ursolic acid also inhibited tetradecanoylphorbol acetate TPA -induced skin tumor promotion in DMBA-initiated mice Huang et al. Adding rosemary or carnosol has also been shown to retard DMBA-induced mammary cancer in rats Singletary, MacDonald, and Wallig The depression in tumors may occur because of a change in the types and amounts of DMBA adducts bound to DNA Amagase et al.

Although not extensively studied, such evidence suggests the ability of rosemary to influence drug-metabolizing enzymes. Rosemary extracts and the active compounds carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid have been found to inhibit the proliferation of various human cancer cell lines, including NCI-H82 human, small cell lung carcinoma , DU human prostate carcinoma , Hep-3B human [black] liver carcinoma , K human chronic myeloid leukemia , MCF-7 human breast adenocarcinoma , PC-3 human prostate adenocarcinoma , and MDA-MB human breast adenocarcinoma; Yesil-Celiktas et al.

Part of the antitumorigenic properties associated with rosemary may relate to a decrease in TNF-α-induced ROS generation and NF-κB activation, and thus enhanced TNF-α-induced apoptosis Moon et al.

Carnosol was the most effective in reducing tumor proliferation. Carnosol is also known to induce apoptotic cell death in high-risk pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia ALL; Dorrie, Sapala, and Zunino At least part of this response may relate to a decrease in Bcl Although carnosol may be effective, it may also interfere with the actions of some other antitumor agents.

Zunino and Storms reported that carnosol decreased the percentage of cell death in the pre-B ALL lines SEM, RS4 ;11, and REH when combined with cytarabine, methotrexate, or vincristine compared to these chemotherapeutic agents alone. Overall, these data suggest that carnosol, and possibly other constituents in rosemary, may block the terminal apoptotic events induced by some chemotherapeutic drugs and therefore may decrease the effectiveness of some standard therapies for leukemia.

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of the saffron crocus Crocus sativus plant native to Southwest Asia. Saffron imparts a bitter taste and hay-like fragrance to food. Saffron likely contains more than volatile and aroma-yielding compounds.

Significant information points to the ability of saffron to inhibit cancer Abdullaev Aqueous saffron preparations have been reported to inhibit chemically induced skin carcinogenesis Das, Chakrabarty, and Das Both changes in carcinogen bioactivation and tumor proliferation appear to occur.

Saffron infusion given orally either before or after DMBA treatment increased GST, GPx, catalase, and superoxide dismutase in liver Das, Das, and Saha Saffron and crocus also have significant antitumorigenic properties.

Similar to other spices, they appear to suppress cell growth in neoplastic cells to a greater extent than in normal cells Aung et al. The ability of crocin to decrease cell viability occurs in a concentration- and time-dependent manner Bakshi et al.

The effects of tumor suppression also have an impact on the longevity of the host. The mechanism by which saffron suppresses tumor proliferation has not been adequately explored, but a shift in caspases and an increase in Bax protein are possible Mousavi et al.

Analysis of DNA fragmentation by flow cytometry revealed apoptotic cell death in these cells Mousavi et al. Saffron-induced apoptosis was inhibited by pan-caspase inhibitors, indicating the importance of this process in determining the response.

Thyme is another culinary and medicinal herb. Today, common usage refers to any or all members of the plant genus Thymus , also of the Lamiaceae family. Several active agents are reported, including thymol, carvacrol, apigenin, luteolin, tannins, γ-terpinene, and other oils Aydin, Basaran, and Basaran ; Kluth et al.

Feeding thyme leaves 0. Admittedly, the isolated components were more effective than feeding the leaf. They observed a thyme extract to activate CYP3A4 promoter via PXR and the GI-GPx promoter via the electrophile responsive element, thus providing potential clues about the mechanism by which thymol and carvacrol may influence phase I and II enzyme expression Kluth et al.

The number of studies on genotoxic effects of thymol and carvacrol are limited, but contradictory. typhimurium tests have provided some, but not compelling, evidence that thyme is weakly mutagenic Stammati et al. In vivo, 0. In comet assays with human lymphocytes, thymol and carvacrol did not induce DNA strand breakage at concentrations lower than μM, and were therefore considered safe for consumers Undeger et al.

Mounting evidence suggests that cancers are not an inevitable consequence of aging but are preventable diseases. Spices have been consumed for centuries for a variety of purposes, such as flavoring agents, colorants, and preservatives.

This chapter only scratches the surface of the overall impact of herbs and spices since there are approximately spices commonly being used for culinary purposes. Without question, evidence exists that multiple processes, including proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and immunocompetence, can be influenced by one or more spices.

While the currently available data are intriguing, considerably more information is needed to determine who will benefit most from exaggerated intake of one or more spices, the effective exposures needed to bring about the desired outcome s , and what interactions both positive and negative exist with other components of the diet or with medications that an individual may regularly consume.

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Show details Benzie IFF, Wachtel-Galor S, editors. Search term. Chapter 17 Herbs and Spices in Cancer Prevention and Treatment Christine M. FIGURE BASIL Basil Ocimum basilicum is a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian and Southeast Asian cuisines.

CARDAMOM Cardamom refers to herbs within the Elettaria green and Amomum black genera of the ginger family Zingiberaceae.

CINNAMON Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the bark of an evergreen tree belonging to the Lauraceae family. CLOVE Clove is derived from flower buds of the Eugenia caryophyllata tree.

CORIANDER Coriander Coriandrum sativum is an herb in the family Apiaceae and is native to southern Europe and northern Africa to southwestern Asia. CUMIN Cumin Cuminum cyminum is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae and is native to the eastern Mediterranean region and India.

DILL Dill Anethum graveolens is a relatively short-lived perennial spice. GARLIC Garlic Allium sativum is a member of the onion family Alliaceae. GINGER Ginger Zingiber officinale is a member of the Zingiberaceae family and is consumed widely not only as a spice but also as a medicinal agent see also Chapter 7 on ginger.

ROSEMARY Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis is a woody herb with fragrant needle-like leaves. SAFFRON Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of the saffron crocus Crocus sativus plant native to Southwest Asia.

THYME Thyme is another culinary and medicinal herb. Crocus sativus against cancer. Arch Med Res. Aggarwal B. Targeting inflammation-induced obesity and metabolic diseases by curcumin and other neutraceuticals. Annu Rev Nutr. Epub, Apr B, Kunnumakkara A. B, Harikumar K.

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Ahmed R. S, Suke S. G, Seth V, Chakraborti A, Tripathi A. K, Banerjee B. Protective effects of dietary ginger Zingiber officinales Rosc. on lindane-induced oxidative stress in rats. Phytother Res. Al-Rehaily A. J, Al-Said M. S, Al-Yahya M. A, Mossa J. A, Rafatullah S. Ethnopharmacological studies on Allspice Pimenta dioica in laboratory animals.

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Dietary rosemary suppresses 7,dimethylbenz a anthracene binding to rat mammary cell DNA. J Nutr. Anilakumar K.

R, Nagaraj N. S, Santhanam K. Effect of coriander seeds on hexachlorocyclo- hexane induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver. Nutr Res. Antosiewicz J, Ziolkowski W, Kar S, Powolny A.

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H, Wang C. Z, Ni M, editors. Crocin from Crocus sativus possesses significant anti-proliferation effects on human colorectal cancer cells. Exp Oncol. Aydin S, Basaran A. A, Basaran N. The effects of thyme volatiles on the induction of DNA damage by the heterocyclic amine IQ and mitomycin C.

Mutat Res. Bakshi H. A, Sam S, Feroz A, Ravesh Z, Shah G. A, Sharma M. Crocin from Kashmiri saffron Crocus sativus induces in vitro and in vivo xenograft growth inhibition of Dalton's lymphoma DLA in mice. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. Banerjee S, Sharma R, Kale R. K, Rao A. Influence of certain essential oils on carcinogen- metabolizing enzymes and acid-soluble sulfhydryls in mouse liver.

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