John Tanzi heals from colon cancer with Essiac Tea and Beta Glucan
John Tanzi was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in July of 2013, just days before he turned 70. Doctors told him that he had two to six months left to live if he didn’t have their prescribed chemotherapy treatments but John refused to have them anyways.
He says that this decision was based on witnessing first-hand the suffering of some close friends and family members who had undergone the harsh treatments only to become very ill and die despite the treatments. He decided that there had to be a better way, an “alternative way,” that would allow him to maintain his quality of life
John began to research for hours at a time, and the more he learned, the more convinced he became that he was on the right track. He says, “Who knew there were so many alternative ways to go.”
Making dietary and lifestyle changes
- He removed all meats, sugars, and dairy products from his diet and increased his consumption of whole fruits and vegetables.
- He monitored his saliva pH, keeping it around 7.2 – 7.4. You can read more about monitoring your pH at the bottom of the page.
- He began taking Essiac Tea, one serving in the morning and another in the late afternoon. Essiac should be taken on an empty stomach about one hour before any food intake. The tea is to be sipped slowly, not gulped down.
- He also took Transfer Point Beta-1 3-D Glucan. The dosage is one capsule for every 50 pounds of body weight taken all at once in the morning on an empty stomach. Although this particular brand of Beta Glucan is much more expensive compared to other brands, it has been subjected to rigorous studies at numerous universities and is the most potent brand that is available on the market today.
- He prayed often and says that he never once stopped believing that God was showing him the way forward.
Essiac Tea– A comprehensive laboratory investigation of Essiac that was published by Seely et al, in the International Journal of Cancer Research and Treatment (2007), found that Essiac contained a statistically significant antioxidant effect. The researchers who were involved in the study found that Essiac presented greater antioxidant activity than other more commonly known antioxidants such as red wine, green tea, black tea, and cacao. Essiac also detoxifies the body and builds up the immune system as well. Directions for taking: No food 1 hour before or after consuming Essiac and no beverages are to be taken 30 minutes before or after consuming Essiac. You can read more about Essiac Tea with this link.
Beta Glucan- According to a Life Extension Magazine article on Beta Glucans, “Lentinan, a type of beta glucan found in shiitake mushrooms, is believed to reduce tumor activity and lessen the side effects of cancer treatment. Researchers at Teikyo University’s Biotechnology Research Center in Kawasaki, Japan, showed that lentinan has anti-tumor properties, suppressing the formation and development of tumors. “Results of the clinical application of lentinan have proven prolongation of life span of the patients with advanced and recurrent stomach, colorectal, and breast cancer with only little toxic side effect,” wrote the study’s authors. It also appears that lentinan restores or boosts the responsiveness of cytokines, which interact with immune cells and regulate the response to the disease. In an earlier Japanese study, mice with tumors that received beta glucans, including lentinan, experienced a rapid decrease in the number of tumor cells as well as a notable increase in neutrophils in solid tumors. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that destroys invaders—in this case, cancerous cells—by ingesting them and using chemicals to break them down. In fact, beta glucans have been used as an immunoadjuvant therapy (an immune system stimulant) for cancer since 1980, mostly in Japan.
Acid and alkaline balance
Alkaline and Acid Ash – pH refers to “potential of hydrogen” and is a measurement of whether your body is in an acidic, balanced or alkaline state. The pH scale runs from 1-14, with 7 being in the middle (or neutral). Anything lower than 7 would be within the acidic range, anything above 7 is within the alkaline range. Acidic foods will add hydrogen molecules to the body, therefore making your body more acidic, alkaline foods will remove hydrogen molecules from the body, thus making you more alkaline.
When you ingest foods and liquids, the end product after digestion and assimilation of nutrients will result in an acid or alkaline-forming effect. These end products are often referred to as an acid-ash or alkaline-ash. All foods and beverages can then be considered either alkaline or acidic based on the ash that is created following digestion.
Using the Acid/ Alkaline Food Chart- Most of the foods that people are eating today fall into the acid-forming category. The quickest way to change your pH score would be to stop your consumption of the standard American diet and start eating a diet rich in fresh organic fruits and vegetables, and by juicing a variety of raw leafy greens such as kale, chard, spinach, watercress, and wheatgrass, along with other vegetables and fruits. In addition to juicing you can drink plenty of spring water with fresh squeezed lemon juice which leaves behind an alkaline ash following digestion.
To maintain a healthy pH your goal is to eat 70 -80% alkaline foods. The chart below gives you an idea of where foods would land on the alkaline/acidic ash scale and gives you a numerical ranking. It should be noted that many of the foods listed as acidic forming are not appropriate to eat when following an anticancer diet. It is for informational purposes only.
How to test your pH
You can test your pH level using pH Test Strips that are made for saliva or urine. These can be purchased from health food stores or online, and can be used to give you a measure of what is going on inside of your body. The proper strip to purchase is a narrow or short range strip, which will measure from 5.0 to 9.5 or so.
To test: The first test of the day is upon waking before eating or drinking anything, otherwise wait at least two hours after eating or drinking to ensure that the food that you have consumed does not alter your test results. Cleanse the mouth by filling it with saliva and then swallowing or spitting it out. Then fill the mouth a second time with saliva and spit it onto a spoon. Then place the test strip into the saliva for 10 seconds. The strip will change colors based on the results. Use the insert from the package to determine pH. Test 4 times per day to get a clear picture of what is going on inside of your body. You will find that your pH will fluctuate throughout the day. This is normal. Your goal is to register slightly more alkaline than acidic, around 7.2 to 7.4, it is at this level oxygen levels are plentiful. Read more about pH and how to test it
How to test urine and saliva with a litmus strip
Additional Resources
Read more about Essiac, including historical references
Read more about an anti-cancer diet
Cancer creates an acidic, low oxygen cellular environment
Read more about testing your pH and how change it
Read another article about John
Allan Taylor heals terminal colon cancer with diet and supplements
Find these products online
Essiac Tea Herbs Organic with Sheep Sorrel Content 25% Roots
Transfer Point Beta 1, 3D Glucan 500mg