Alkaline water, bras & breast cancer, and more

Alkaline water saved my life, reader says

The article about alkaline water in our "Sunday remail" of issue #59 generated more controversy than anything else we've published. Below I'm sharing some of the comments from readers. I value your feedback — pro or con — so if you ever want to send a letter to the editor, the email address is newsletter@cancerdefeated.com (it's at the bottom of every issue).

Issue #65 a couple of weeks ago talked about the possible relationship between breast cancer and the overuse of bras. Seems like it struck a nerve, too, so a few letters follow.

I feel obliged to note these letters can't be considered scientific proof. But, as I've said many times, I respect anecdotal evidence. I think it's worth our attention.

John R. W. writes. . .

A water machine that gives us high pH around 10 — "alkaline water", that is oxygen enriched -- has saved my life.

Continued below...

I and my extended family have been drinking high pH water for years, and have found and are finding immense health benefits from it.

I was left for dead by the medical profession, and found by a total stranger, who told me that "the water I was drinking was killing me."

I said, "That is as silly a thing as I have ever heard, every one drinks tap water."

I took his advice, installed a water machine, and within five days I was off all my doctor-prescribed medication, and back to doing a normal day's work, and today I am fit and well, and some five years later, I am living a normal life.

Do not knock the good water machines (there are likely to be a lot of useless ones); they are definitely the first step (not the only step) to recovery, for almost every disease.

James C. writes:

I am a 59-year-old metastatic cancer patient. I was diagnosed three years ago. . .I have been through several types of chemo, hormone blockade, radiation, and, of course, various drugs. When I saw that conventional treatment could not reliably control the cancer, I began researching alternative treatments and keeping records to test for results.

In January of this year a friend arranged for me to attend a seminar on Kangen (alkaline) water and to receive refills, if desired, from someone nearby with a machine.

Anecdotally, I noticed several immediate benefits. The first thing I noticed was that I was drinking more water. The water was refreshing to me. I enjoyed drinking it and much preferred it to the tap water available in my apartment.

At the time I had a chronic sinus infection that soon cleared up. I had also been on pain medication for a tooth infection which also cleared up. I had been referred to and visited an endodontist in anticipation of needing treatment, but the tooth is completely normal at this point.

Some other benefits I noticed immediately after beginning the water were better sleep, more energy and more frequency/regularity of bowel movements.

When you first start on Kangen water. . .you are warned about possible 'detox' effects such as lightheadedness, headache, tiredness and diarrhea. I experienced all of these to some degree, but cutting back on the water, as directed, relieved these symptoms shortly.

I can also offer some evidence for alkaline water which is inconclusive, but in my mind does support using it. I started the Bill Henderson protocol on 12/18/10 including barley tablets. . .I found that I did not tolerate the barley tablets that well. [EDITOR'S NOTE: I know of other people who don't tolerate the barley tablets.]. . .On 12/27/10 my PSA was tested at 119, up from 30 the previous month. I was put on cialutamide as a result of the PSA and other tests.

On 12/31 I began testing my saliva pH. Through 1/8/11 my average score was 6.6 [acidic]. I should mention that I had switched to a vegetarian diet (Dr. Dean Ornish) several years ago, so I am probably more alkaline and have a much better diet than the average man my age.

The week after I began on Kangen water, the average pH was 6.73. The following weeks' averages were 6.8, 6.83, 7.03 and 7.2 [above 7 is alkaline, meaning the water evidently worked]. . .

On 1/24/22 my PSA tested out at 28.4! This was a truly remarkable decrease and far greater than anything I have experienced with conventional treatment alone. It would have been a moral victory to have slowed the increase of the PSA, or even to have reversed it slightly. To have reversed the score in such a dramatic fashion was mind-blowing!

Also, during this period I should mention that I was increasing the barley tablets as dictated by the Henderson protocol, but after starting on the alkaline water I was able to do so without the side effects.

. . .I believe that alkaline water will contribute to my ability to completely extinguish the prostate cancer and maintain a healthy condition from here on out. I will be PSA-tested again near the end of this month and, since I am now off medication entirely, it should be interesting to see if I can sustain or continue the decreased score with natural methods alone.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: If you'd like to know more about the Henderson protocol, you can find out in our Special Report How to Cure Almost Any Cancer at Home for $5.15 a Day, by Bill Henderson. Bill advocates alkalinizing the body, but does not, as far as I know, urge the purchase of alkaline water machines.]

From Stephan R.F., who describes himself as a Research Assistant Professor in Physics:

The debate about acidity vs. alkalinity and its role in cancer is ongoing, as you know. In her book Knockout, Suzanne Somers interviewed several well-known physicians that work in the field of alternative medicine. I read her book and was amazed to read that some cancers were related to a too-alkaline environment!! On bottom of page 104 in her book, quoting Dr. Nicholas Gonazlez: "Parasympathetic tumors exist only in an alkaline environment. These are leukemias, lymphomas and myelomas. We believe that myeloma and sarcomas are occurring in people who are too alkaline, and that's why getting everyone alkaline is not a good thing. I've had some patients decide, because they have cancer, that they want to become vegetarians, but if they are parasympathetic, it is the wrong fuel for the body."

There is another, more important factor that balances the pH and that is the body's buffer system. A buffer system keeps the solution at a given pH within a very narrow range. I had chemistry as part of my undergraduate training and during the summer semester, we had chemistry labs. We would determine the strength of a buffer system through titration. You add an indicator (litmus) into the fluid and then you add drops, e.g., of a dilute acid and watch the color shift that indicates the buffer system has been exhausted and the solution has become acidic.

I believe that our body reacts similarly. If we eat too much acid-producing food (sugar, red meats, etc.) then we slowly use up our body's buffer. Now the body will under any circumstances keep the blood at the same pH, otherwise we will die. So the body will borrow calcium from the bones to balance the pH, but maybe the tissues can more easily swing to an acid environment? So a cancer could produce its own acid environment more easily if the buffer system is weak.

Years ago I read that some chemistry teacher showed his kids how pH paper works and distributed small pieces in his classroom. Everyone in the class showed that his or her saliva showed up alkaline, except one kid who said, "I want mine to also show the same color!" His showed that his saliva was acidic and it turned out that he had cancer, sadly.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: I'm aware that Dr. Gonzalez believes some cancers actually thrive in an alkaline environment, but I'm not aware of any other doctors who take that position.]

Now, on to bras and breast cancer. Here's a note from Josie M.:

I was amazed to read your article about wearing a bra and cancer. Few years ago I had a mammogram and they found a cyst in my right breast. I went as far as going to the hospital lying there ready to be wheeled in for a biopsy. Doctor did breast exam before I went in, and couldn't find my cyst. He said it must have popped, and they let me get dressed and go home without having a biopsy. I stopped wearing bras when I am home and only wear them in summer when I go to people's houses. I haven't had a cyst since.

From Ruth G.:

15 to 18 years ago, I heard a man (forensic anthropologist Ph.D.) on a radio talk show in Los Angeles talking about a study that he did regarding bras and breast cancer. At that time I was being subject to having needles stuck in my breasts frequently to drain cysts. I had fibrosis cystic disease. I stopped wearing a bra. Cold turkey. I worked bra-less. I rode horses bra-less. I played golf bra-less I have not had a single lump since then. Okay, I droop. I now wear a bra to work or out in public, but I am careful to not overdo it, and on the weekends. . .I don't wear a bra. The sad part of this story is my sister-in-law who refused to give up her bras and no longer has breasts. It is good to see this article getting out to the women of the United States.

From Athena R.:

Has it occurred to you that some of us wear a bra out of necessity? If I did not wear a bra, my breasts would constantly be in the way of things I want to do and would hurt when I try to do things like dance, run up the stairs, any activity such as sawing or hoeing. I wear a g, h, or i cup, so you can see this is an issue. My OB strongly suggested that I wear a bra 24/7 when I was pregnant 30-plus years ago, because the breakdown of tissue was too easy with large breasts AND nursing. My point is, don't make it seem like women are wearing them simply out of vanity — believe me, I wouldn't, particularly when I'm home all the time, if I didn't have to.

Secondly, there is absolutely no indication whether the 'bra wearers' versus the 'non-wearers' or 'light users' were compared in any way by way of how constrictive their bras were, their ages, the sizes of their breasts, etc. It's easy for an a, or even b-cup cal to go without a bra, but not so much women of larger sizes. Does the size of the breast have to do with cancer likelihood? Typically, larger breasts are on older women (as we age and get fatter, mostly), so is that the cause of the difference?

There is also the question of why, when corsets and other tight garments were the 'proper' way to dress, wasn't the cancer rate way higher than it is today? From all I've read, the cancer rate has grown dramatically in the last 50 years, well after the loose look came into vogue.

Best regards,

Lee Euler,
Publisher