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Battling Cancer with D-Glucarate

by Dr. Stephen Sinatra

Published 03/05/09

D-glucarate is a little-known plant compound that I predict you'll be hearing about once the mainstream press catches on. It can be found in some foods-primarily apples, grapefruit, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, and bean sprouts-and taken as a supplement. This compound also occurs naturally in the body in very small amounts. 

Research seems to indicate that foods rich in glucarate-also known as D-glucarate and glucaric acid-as well as glucarate supplements reduce the risk of developing certain cancers: colon, lung, liver, skin, and prostate. Although no controlled trials have been done in humans, several laboratory and animal studies suggest that D-glucarate has some preventive and anti-cancer effects. 

Since D-glucarate is found in so many fruits and vegetables-including cherries, apricots, and alfalfa sprouts-it may be yet another reason why a diet abundant in fresh produce seems to be such a great cancer deterrent. D-glucarate's major mechanism of action is detoxification, one of the best things you can do for your body, whether you're trying to prevent cancer or actively fight it. Structurally, it resembles one of the body's own chemicals for this purpose, glucuronic acid.

D-Glucarate: Fighter of "Bad" Beta-Glucuronidase

A key way your body eliminates toxins and excess hormones, especially estrogen, is through compounds that attach themselves to toxic molecules and then escort them out of the body, usually via the urinary tract or the colon. In the liver, glucuronic acid attaches itself to a toxin and creates a water-soluble compound that's easily excreted. This process, known as glucuronidation, helps neutralize the toxic chemical onslaught from within as well as from without. You can think of it as similar to the way soap works-by attaching to dirt and helping to dislodge it from your skin. 

Unfortunately, that's not the end of the story. An enzyme produced in the gastrointestinal tract, beta-glucuronidase, can break the bond between glucuronic acid and a toxin, causing the toxin to be released back into the blood stream. Not surprisingly, high beta-glucuronidase activity is associated with increased risk for some cancers. 

This is where D-glucarate enters the picture. D-glucarate hinders the activity of beta-glucuronidase, allowing the bond between glucuronic acid and a toxin to be maintained and the body to rid itself of toxic waste. Numerous animal studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals suggest that dietary D-glucarate caused rats to develop fewer breast tumors, and even reduced existing tumors. Animal research also indicates that D-glucarate has inhibited the development of many tumors including those of the colon, lung, liver, skin, and prostate. 

The same research suggests that this substance exhibits similar cancer-inhibiting activity in humans as well, particularly for the prevention of breast, prostate, and colon cancers. So if you have a strong family history of any of these cancers, it's important to develop a strategic plan that includes D-glucarate, in both dietary and supplemental form. 

We have yet to see side effects or toxicity with any form of glucarate. There are no known drug interactions, although it is possible that D-glucarate could increase the elimination of certain drugs or hormones from the body, making them less effective. Some evidence suggests that glucuronidation actually increases the resistance of certain types of colon cancer to drug treatment. 

You may be wondering why, if our bodies already manufacture some glucuronic acid, we would need supplemental glucarate. Our bodies are designed to handle their own waste products, but the development of the petrochemical industry over the last 100 years has introduced more chemicals than they can handle naturally. The process still works great; we just need more of the raw material. This is yet another reason to provide your body with targeted nutritional support.

Assimilating D-Glucarate into Your Daily Regimen

If you have any of the cancers mentioned or a strong family history of these cancers, consider getting more glucaric acid through your diet by eating more apples, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, and lettuce. 

I think it's also worth your while to take D-glucarate supplements. Source Naturals makes a good D-glucarate in 500 mg tablets. The dose I recommend is 500-1,000 mg per day for either preventing cancer or combating it. This is important for anyone with cancer, especially colon, liver, lung, bladder, skin, and hormone-dependent cancers. By inhibiting the harmful actions of beta-glucuronidase and enhancing the process of glucuronidation, you can derail harmful organic compounds, toxins, and excess steroid hormones. They can then be safely excreted from your body. 

References:

Cummings, J., et al. "195 Glucuronidation as a De Novo Mechanism of Drug Resistance in Colon Cancer Cells." Clinical Cancer Rsch. 6 (2000): supplement. 

Heerdr A., et al. "Calcium Glucarate as a Chemo-protective Agent in Breast Cancer." Israel J Med Sci. 31(1995):101-05. 

Timmcke, J.Q. "Detoxify Carcinogens with D-glucarate." Total Health. 1(2001):26-28. 

Walaszek Z, et al. "Metabolism, Uptake and Excretion of D-glucarate Acid Salt ..." Cancer Detection Prevention. 21(1997):178-190.