October 20, 1998

You've probably never heard of a substance called IP6, but you may have heard of antioxidants. Their job is to scavenge rogue molecules in the body. IP6 is a powerful antioxidant that may help prevent kidney stones and fight viruses, cancer, and even aging. CBN News medical reporter Gailon Totheroh files this exclusive report. 

This natural molecule, IP6, has reduced cancer growth in two dozen different animal studies.

"We have no studies like this with drugs or with other anti-cancer agents that are as remarkable as this one molecule," says medical journalist Bill Sardi. 

As seen in this model, one key to IP6's power is six phosphate groups arrayed around a base of the B vitamin inositol. And remember that IP6 has other names: inositol hexaphosphoric acid and phytic acid. 

Cancer researcher Abul Kalam Shamsuddin says that IP6 fights many kinds of cancer. "On cancer of the colon, prostate, breast, leukemias, lymphomas, fibrosarcomas, muscle tumors, and Dr. Sakomoto from Japan has tested on brain tumors." 

Other animal research shows action against liver cancer and lung tumors. Shamsuddin's financial interest needs to be noted: he has a paperback out on IP6 and rights to the only IP6 food supplement available. 

But IP6 is not that easily dismissed; dozens of reputable scientists are looking into IP6, including many who spoke at the first world symposium on IP6 in June. One aspect that makes IP6 unique is that, unlike money, it actually grows on trees. 

"And IP6 is in almost every species that's been tested. It's in the plants." Shamsuddin says the research warrants human studies on cancer prevention and treatment. "It's long overdue," he says. "We have had numerous other drugs that we know of, with much less scientific data." 

CBN News asked the American Cancer Society about IP6. Officials there were not familiar with IP6, but were quite interested in learning more about this substance. 

The National Cancer Institute has shown interest in IP6 by publishing an article in a 1992 cancer prevention volume and a 1995 article in the journal Cancer Research. But the NCI recently rejected Shamsuddin's proposal for testing IP6 against human cancer. It was decided that the agent would not be brought forward to the Decision Network. That means IP6 didn't make the finals for consideration of funding. 

While funding for human research with IP6 is scarce, IP6, also called phytic acid, is plentiful in whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. The author of Phytic Acid: Chemistry and Applications, scientist Ernst Graf told CBN News that he personally eats lots of whole grains. 

Shamsuddin adds that the most benefit comes from the IP6 concentrate used both in the laboratory and in the supplement he designed. And Ivana Vucenik, Shamsuddin's colleague at the University of Maryland, finds IP6 quite safe, especially compared to most cancer-fighting agents. 

"The animals did not show any kind of negative side effects, any kind of toxicity, they looked normal, and their body weight was normal," says Vucenik. 

Vucenik is impressed with evidence of IP6's disease-fighting ability. "Anything that can boost our immune system is benefiting the patient's health," says Vucenik. "And so this is exactly what IP6 can do." 

And that has to do with boosting natural killer cells. These cells attack viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. Vucenik finds that IP6 is also active against heart and circulatory disease. 

"IP6 can inhibit aggregation of human platelets," says Vucenik. "That is why it has great potential in preventing cardiovascular disorders." 

This clumping of blood cells contributes to heart attacks and strokes. And because IP6 scavenges iron out of the body, tens of millions of older people could possibly benefit. Excess iron in their bodies speeds up aging and cell damage. 

"If you take a dish of cells, and you have a salt shaker of iron, and you pour it on those cells, then they'll die quite readily," says Sardi. "A lot of wise cancer patients are moving ahead and starting to take IP6 on their own." 

But the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute advise caution until further research ends the controversy. 

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