Do Laxatives Cause Cancer?

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

Can several popular laxatives cause cancer? This is a question many anxious readers have recently asked me. It was triggered by an announcement from Health Canada. It ordered several companies to stop selling certain laxatives by August 8 unless they can prove they are safe.

This prohibition follows recent studies by the National Toxicology Program in the U.S. It discovered that phenolphthalein has carcinogenic potential in rodents.

Phenolphthalein is what's called a "stimulant laxative". The compound is used in many products such as Carter's Little Liver Pills, Agarol, Herbalax, Philips Gelcaps and Feen-a-Mint.

So far the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. has not followed Canada and removed these products from the market.

The FDA states it has never received any data linking these laxatives to human cancers. But it admits that the compound phenolphthalein is under review.

How great is the cancer risk? At this point one would need the wisdom of Solomon to answer that question. We know that phenolphthalein has been used for decades in laxatives. One would think there would be an epidemic of intestinal cancer if this compound triggered malignancy.

Researchers also admit that large doses of phenolphthalein were used in rodents. What happens in small animals may not occur in humans.

But that reasoning isn't good enough for Dr. Thea Mueller, a drug evaluator at the Bureau of Pharmaceutical Assessment, in Ottawa's Health Protection Branch.

Dr. Mueller says, "The product has been around for 90 years, but human evidence proving its safety isn't there." If that's the case, one wonders why it's been allowed on the market for 90 years!

So how should people who suffer from constipation react to this cancer scare? This news should prompt them to make a massive attempt to rid themselves of the laxative habit.

Sidney Howard, a playwright, wrote that, "Half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it". If you're on the way to chronic constipation this means there's only one cure. You must get rid of faulty bowel habits.

It won't be easy if you've been doing all the wrong things for years. For instance, taking a laxative just because you haven't had a bowel movement for 24 hours. Or failing to heed the call for a bowel movement for a variety of reasons.

The best solution for constipation is to increase the amount dietary fiber. But it's imperative to take the right kind of fiber. For instance, oat bran is "soluble fiber". This means it's absorbed into the blood stream and does not remain in the bowel. It's the wrong type of fiber to fight constipation.

Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, such as Allbran and Fiber 1 remains in the bowel. They are also high in fiber, containing 13™15 grams of fiber per serving.

Most North Americans are only getting about 15 grams of fiber a day. What they need is 35 grams. But if you suffer from severe constipation you may require up to 60 grams a day. And for good results it's vital to drink several glasses of water a day.

Some people have good reasons for constipation. Antacids, calcium supplements, diuretics and antidepressants can result in a lazy bowel.

Cancer patients requiring large doses of painkillers usually suffer from constipation. Others suffering from chronic illness and aging may need them. And some have become so dependent on laxatives they have to continue the habit.

But regardless of why they're needed one thing is apparent from my mail. Readers are worried about this announcement. After all it's one thing to suffer the annoyance of constipation. It's another thing to worry about developing cancer even if the risk is small.

I'm sure the companies involved will move earth and high heaven to prove their products are safe. But this will take time.

In the meantime the best approach is to use a mild laxative. A new one called "Pro-Lax" is a fruit-flavoured drink and easy to take. It draws water into the intestine and softens the bowel's contents.

Pro-Lax also helps to prevent irregularity and promotes normal bowel function. It does not cause irritation to the intestines or stimulate nerve centers. And it does not contain phenolphthalein.

One caution. Do not take a laxative if you have abdominal pain. Or if you have fever, nausea or vomiting. These symptoms could be due to intestinal obstruction. In these instances be sure to see your doctor.

W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com

My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:

Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1

Pre-2008 articles by Gifford Jones

Canada Free Press, CFP Editor Judi McLeod