This Heart Attack Stopper Also Stops Cancer in Its Tracks

You probably already know about nitroglycerin tablets. Doctors have been prescribing nitroglycerin for more than a century for coronary artery disease.

But did you know that the very same nitroglycerin might be a valuable addition to the battle against cancer?

The authors of a new review article on nitroglycerin and cancer have just recently presented information that might not only help in the fight against cancer, but also may pave a way to prevent it altogether.

What’s more, you don’t need a prescription for nitro to get the same effect.

There’s no doubt that nitroglycerin is one of the most effective drugs we have for cardiovascular disease. But how does it work? The main reason that nitroglycerin is so powerful is because it’s such a potent stimulator of nitric oxide production.

So the real story on nitroglycerin is nitric oxide (NO).

If you’ve been reading Second Opinion for very long, you probably recognize nitric oxide as being one of the most important cellular messenger molecules in the body. As I’ve reported to you in the past, nitric oxide is critical for adequate blood flow (vasodilation), not only to the heart but to every other cell in the body.

In addition, NO decreases the tendency for platelets to stick together (aggregation) and form dangerous blood clots. It also acts to increase the release of oxygen from the red blood cells so that our cells can be assured of getting plenty of oxygen. And if that’s not enough, it also improves the way our mitochondria use oxygen to produce energy. It’s for all these reasons that nitric oxide may play a major role in both preventing and treating cancer.

One way is by improving the action of anti-cancer drugs on cancer cells. Because nitric oxide improves the circulation to cancer cells, it has the potential to increase the delivery of anti-cancer drugs. And that’s not all. Nitric oxide also increases the ability of the drugs to enter into cancer cells (permeability), and then acts to cause them to retain the drugs. Several studies have shown that when cancer cells are exposed to chemotherapy drugs, they are killed more effectively when nitric oxide is present. And they are also much less likely to develop a resistance to the drugs. But making cancer cells more susceptible to chemo drugs is not all nitric oxide can do to fight cancer.

According to one review of nitroglycerin and cancer, “Nitric oxide has been suggested to modulate different cancer-related events including angiogenesis, apoptosis, cell cycle, invasion, and metastasis.” This is an amazing statement. Let’s look at the consequence of each one of these effects.

“Angiogenesis” is the process by which cancer cells can increase their blood supply. It’s because of angiogenesis that cancer cells are able to grow so fast. In the absence of adequate angiogenesis, cancer-cell growth stops or slows down. And I’ve told you before that the only reason that cancers are deadly is because they won’t stop growing. Stop their growth and, in most cases, they’re no longer a danger.

“Apoptosis” is the means by which healthy cells limit their growth. Cancer cells have found a way to avoid apoptosis. And this is another factor that allows them to grow without restraint. Nitric oxide acts to induce apoptosis in cancer cells.

The effect of nitric oxide on cancer “cell cycles” refers to the fact that cancer cells are only vulnerable to anti-cancer therapies when they are in particular stages of their cell cycle. Some studies have shown that nitric oxide can stimulate cancer cells to be in those stages of their cell cycles in which they are more susceptible to anti-cancer therapies. “Invasion and metastasis” refer to the ability of nitric oxide to limit the capability of cancer cells to metastasize and spread throughout the body. But these are not the only anti-cancer effects of nitric oxide.

One of the problems with cancer cells is that they can thrive even in the presence of an effective immune system. How do they do that? One way is that they’re often able to cloak themselves so the immune system cells can’t see them. But nitroglycerin, because it reduces something called HIF-1a, acts to disengage the cloaking system. This makes cancer cells more visible to the immune system. And the story gets better.

Different studies have shown that the effect of nitroglycerin on cancers is more than just a good theoretical possibility. In vitro and animal studies have shown nitric oxide to be directly effective against several different cancers, including breast cancer and melanoma. Other human studies have shown success with lung cancer, liver cancer, and prostate cancer. In fact, one study on the effect of low-dose nitroglycerin on men with prostate cancer showed that their cancer growth was decreased a full 70% compared to placebo. And nitroglycerin was the only therapy used in the study.

But if you know me at all, you know that for years I’ve been saying that the best treatment for any disease is not to get it. And that’s especially true for cancer. So what happens to us as we get older? Does cancer become less likely? Of course not. The incidence of cancer goes up astronomically as we age. And what happens to our nitric oxide levels? They go down with aging. So doesn’t it make sense to make sure your nitric oxide levels are at optimum even as you add more and more candles to your cake?

One of the most powerful ways there is to keep your nitric oxide at youthful levels is from regular, intense exercise. So be sure to read my book Bursting With Energy and get on the exercise wagon if you aren’t already. In addition to an exercise program, be sure you have enough nitric oxide to block the formation or growth of any cancers in your body. To do this, take a nitric oxide tablet twice a day.