Chapter 7B: Behind the Buzz Words: Physiological Factors

Basic Concepts: Physiological Factors:

Sleep, pH, dental health, water, inflammation,

exercise, anti-oxidants, sugar metabolism, microbiome

This chapter covers the pursuit of knowledge, discoveries, and claims about basic physiological concepts relevant to later discussions. Some are controversial. Hopefully you understand by now that I do not claim to possess absolute universal truths. Personally, people who pretend to know everything annoy the hell out of me. I am a humble medical nerd who can’t turn off my curiosity or powers of analysis. Since those qualities played a valuable role in my miraculous recoveries, people tend to want to hear them (if only to troll me LOL). I hope sharing my research and lines of thought about these concepts sparks your curiosity and analytic thought to help you determine your path to health. If nothing else, I wish to emphasize the body’s beautiful ability and insatiable desire to achieve homeostasis and heal itself. Important physiological factors that play a role in homeostasis are a follows:

The power of sleep

In Brain metastases, I shared how our brains detoxify during sleep. Sleep is important for rejuvenation and repairing cell damage in our hearts and other organs, blood vessels, muscles and tissues, balancing hormones and blood sugar, and maximizing immunity. Not enough sleep can result in weakened immunity, brain shrinkage or damage, lost or false memories, unstable emotions, brain fog, hallucinations, and diminished overall cognitive abilities.

Many naturopaths recommend sleeping on your left side. It makes a certain amount of sense and there is some science to back it up. Your heart is on the left and normalizing heart function and improving circulation by taking pressure off it are two benefits claimed. The liver is on the right and improved drainage is good for detoxification and immunity. Improved liver, spleen, and gut functioning improves digestion and reduces heartburn. Relieving pressure from the back relieves pain and increases blood flow to reproductive organs and kidneys. Luckily, I prefer to sleep on my left anyway.

Try these steps to maximize your sleep… keep your bedroom cool, avoid using electronic devices after retiring, and place anything generating an electromagnetic field such as clocks, radios, and phones far from your bed. Natural sleep aids include melatonin (tart cherry juice is naturally high in melatonin), some strains of cannabis, chamomile, valerian, and tryptophan.

Body pH and alkaline diets

pHmeasures hydrogen ion concentration in a solution. High concentration of hydrogen ions yields a low pH and is considered acidic. Low-hydrogen-ion solutions have a high pH and are considered alkaline. Human blood is maintained by the lungs and kidneys at around 7.4. Urine can vary from 4.5 to 8 but is ideal at around 6. Optimal salivary pH is slightly alkaline… 6.2 to 7.6.These factoids aren’t controversial, but there is a lot of buzz about alkaline diets as a cure-all that has attracted criticism from the western medical side. Like most things, there are kernels of applicable truth when you dig deeper.

Proponents of an alkaline diet say that the body functions better when alkaline than when acidic, that cancer can not survive in an alkaline state, and that by eating an alkaline diet, you can make your body more alkaline and kill cancer. Detractors say you can’t affect body pH with your diet and it’s all hogwash.

It is true that your body maintains blood pH in a very narrow range because if it didn’t, you would die. But at what cost? Metabolic acidosis is a real condition that can cause cancer and it can be caused by dietary factors.1 Acid diets release hydrogen ions and make intracellular pH more acidic. What detractors also ignore isthat in order to maintain blood pH, our bodies produce cortisol, a stress hormone linked to cancer and other degenerative disease conditions. Another way the body maintains blood pH is to leach calcium from your bones. Cancer can further leach calcium, causing hypercalcemia and weakening the bones. Studies have even suggested that calcium can cause cancer.2

An acidic diet can cause acidosis, increasing cortisol production and hypercalcemia, and has been shown to allow cancer to thrive. Whether correlational or causal, it is probably not a coincidence. By eating alkaline, your body has to produce less cortisol to maintain blood pH and less calcium will leach from bones than with an acid diet. Diabetes, iron overload, and stress ‘cause’ acidosis and all are linked to cancer and dietary habits. Is it because excessive sugar, iron, and stress increase cortisol production through acidosis? Perhaps cortisol is the ‘causal agent’ for cancer and diabetes? Both sugar and iron are accused of ‘feeding’ cancer.

Maybe that’s the wrong metaphor. Maybe, since sugar and iron increase cortisol and hypercalcemia, it is cortisol or calcium that is ‘feeding’ the cancer. My point is it doesn’t matter. Your body is ‘cancering’ because it is out of balance. Your bioterrain is providing the conditions under which cancer can thrive. You need to identify what is out of balance, figure out why, and address it. If you have diabetes or iron overload or too much cortisol or calcium, identify the imbalance and make lifestyles changes to address it.

Bottom line:an alkaline diet is good for you… lowering stress and eating an alkaline diet will immediately improve health by reducing cortisol and acidosis. Your body will not have to work as hard to achieve homeostasis (pH, e.g.). What is an alkaline diet? It is generally rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds and eschews acidifying foods such as meat, dairy, sugars, and processed foods.3 Eating 20% acid and 80% alkaline is generally the recommendation.

Another key concept detractors miss is that acidic states in urine and saliva are indicators of underlying issues such as chronic infections that must be addressed to optimize healing. If your urine pH is acidic, it’s an indication your kidneys are compensating by excreting excess acid in order to achieve optimal blood pH. Again, your body is achieving homeostasis by compensating. Acidic urine pH is associated with kidney infections and kidney stones. Acidic salivary pH is a sign of dental infections or periodontal conditions.

My experience:  While searching for factors creating my perfect storm, I found I had low salivary pH, indicating I was acidic. A naturopath said I must have a chronic infection… perhaps in a root canal? I did have a root canal but no symptoms of an infection. I followed an alkaline diet and was able to influence it temporarily, but it always returned to an acidic state. Hint: you can purchase pH test strips at the drug store to test your saliva. Eating a handful of almonds will alkalize your salivary pH almost immediately. After an infection was revealed and resolved, my salivary pH was normal for the first time in years.

I mix baking soda and lemon juice, alkalizing agents, into my drinking water but not within an hour of eating. This increases pH by dilating blood vessels, which helps transport oxygen and releases it into cellular tissue. It helps prevent crystallization of uric waste. I use lemon juice as a condiment on anything, have not experienced any ill effects, and find it helps my digestion and general well-being. I also use baking soda in my detox baths and make my own toothpaste and facial masks from it. My urinary and salivary pH are monitored regularly.

  1. Examining the relationship between diet-induced acidosis and cancer
  2. Calcium & Cancer Prevention Fact Sheet (from cancer.gov)
  3. Acid-alkaline food chart

Alkalizing, anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, electrolyte detox tonic:

½ teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
½ teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
½ teaspoon powdered or minced turmeric
½ teaspoon powdered or minced ginger
½ teaspoon powdered cinnamon
½ teaspoon powdered clove
6 cups coconut water
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup raw honey
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
add powdered cayenne and garlic, if you can dig it

Otto Warburg, who won the Nobel prize in 1931, claimed that every person who has cancer has a pH that is too acidic and that cancer cannot exist in an alkaline environment. His research is complex and also relates to oxygenation and sugar metabolism and so I will discuss it after we cover those subjects.

The link between dental health, general health, and chronic disease

The body of evidence studying the strong relationship between dental health and chronic disease is so vast that I’m just going to tell you to google the heading of this section if you’d like to peruse the literature. I’m going to focus on the things I have experience with… amalgams, root canal infections and cancer, and an Ayurvedic remedy that has yielded tremendous results for me. If you are going to undergo chemo, get your teeth cleaned before starting.

Mercury amalgams: Mercury is a heavy metal and toxic to humans. First used to fill dental cavities in 1818, the procedure was known to cause mercury poisoning. In 1843, the American Society of Dental Surgeons determined it malpractice. That was reversed in 1900. In 1986, the American Dental Association determined it was improper to remove them. In addition to exposure by procedure, mercury amalgams poison the body being inhaled as a vapor. Ingesting hot liquids can increase that danger.

I have found the average modern dentist is not aware of the body of research1 showing a relationship between the number of mercury fillings one has and the deposition of mercury in the brain, endocrine glands, and kidneys as well as excretion in urine. I’m not going to argue. I just switched to naturopathic, or ‘biologic’ dentists2,3 and had them removed. It is important to use a dentist who has been trained in safe removal so that you are not exposed to excessive mercury during its removal. There is a new technique that uses stem cells for fillings that allows your teeth to regenerate dentin right in your teeth. Haven’t tried it but am intrigued.

Before cancer diagnosis, I had been plagued by miscellaneous symptoms doctors had been unable to help with…. joint pain, chronic fatigue, hair loss, lack of muscle strength, digestive problems, and brain fog. I had been told I was arthritic, a hypochondriac, and was just getting old, so deal with it. Googling the symptoms together, I got the search result of ‘heavy metal poisoning.’ Naturopathic sources described in detail the exact array of symptoms that I had.

I removed my amalgams and used oral supplements and rectal suppositories to chelate heavy metals. The first time I used the suppository, all my symptoms disappeared and I felt like me again! I took a shower and felt so different. I looked around wondering what had changed… why it was now so bright in the bathroom. It suddenly dawned on me that I was washing my hair, standing straight with my elbows in the air. In other words… normally. My shoulder pain had previously been so bad that the only way I could wash my hair was hunched over with my elbows by my side. But after removal and chelation, the joint pain was gone and I could lift my arms above my shoulders. The world was brighter!

Root canals and cavitations: For 6 years I actively tried to maintain a normal pH. I could only temporarily influence the pH in my saliva. My urine consistently tested at 5 (acidic) and I suspected a chronic infection. As I discussed in Brain Metastases, I read of a link between root canals and cancer.

The theory is that when you leave part of a dead tooth and cap it, it is difficult to sterilize and decay continues. When the canal is filled, it eliminates blood flow to the tooth, prohibiting your immune system from killing off the bacteria that remain in the tooth canal. Root canals become a safe haven for microbes… a perfect environment for bacteria to thrive. Cavitations and infection in the tooth and bone can form. Most root canals harbor chronic low-grade infections that depress your immune system, create a chronically acidic state, and trigger a cascade of protein reactions that can result in cancer. They have examined root canals that were removed and found 47 different kinds of bacteria. Root canals are linked to a number of systemic health issues including: cardiovascular disease, inflammation, diseases of the brain and nervous system, lowered immunity, diabetes, and cancer.4,5,6,7,8,9,10

Diagnosed with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis in my brain, I read a claim of a study by Dr. Josef Issels that 97% of terminal cancer patients have had a root canal, usually on the same side as their cancer (Note that this is NOT the same as saying that 97% of people with root canals will get cancer). I also read a claim of a study by Dr. Robert Jones that 93 percent of women with breast cancer had root canals.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find the original studies published in a peer-reviewed journal, I did find this study by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden of over 3000 patients, showing those who had gum disease and loss of teeth were 11 times more likely to develop breast cancer.11,12 The studies don’t say that root canals cause cancer in everybody. The theory basically says that most, if not all root canals harbor infection, which can suppress your immune system and can play a role in allowing cancer to thrive. It is supported by my own experience.

I had a root canal, and it was a couple of inches from the largest tumor in my parietal lobe. I’d been given just weeks to live. I figured… what do I have to lose? Pull the sucker out! When I had the tooth removed, the biological dentist exclaimed, “…and there it is!” What? I asked. “The infection! I’ve never removed a root canal and not found an infection.” And I had had NO symptoms… but there it was. 3 weeks later, 4 mets including the largest tumor right next to the tooth were completely gone. Doctors had no explanation. Coincidence? Perhaps some sort of toxic load/barrier to healing was removed so my body could finally start fighting the cancer without one hand tied behind it’s back?

Will I make the statement that root canals cause cancer? No. Do I believe it can be a factor that can create a bioterrain where cancer can thrive? Absolutely! Do I think it played a role in my cancer? Yes. Do I think everyone should at least know about the possibility so they can make their own decisions? Yes. Do I think everyone should take care of their dental health and switch to non-toxic biological dentistry? Yes. Do I think I should act like a know-it-all and tell everyone else what to do? No. : )

They offered me an expensive implant to replace the tooth. Since I didn’t know if it was going to work and the dire diagnosis still stood, I declined. Who needs beautiful teeth when they’re dead, right? Now, I proudly rock the hillbilly look. It is a badge of honor… I believe it helped me kick the brain mets.

If you are on a bisphosphonate it may not be practical to remove a tooth because of the danger of osteonecrosis. I stopped Zometa for 6 months when I had mine done. But, I urge you to stay on top of your dental health as it may be affecting your ability to defeat cancer. If you do feel it necessary to have a root canal done (sometimes it is the only way to save a tooth), please consult a naturopathic, or biological, dentist as they are very familiar with the issues and dangers and have perfected techniques to increase the likelihood of successful sterilization (see references to find a biological dentist in your area).2,3

Regardless of the state of your dental health, I recommend Ayurvedic oil-pulling. As I said, periodontal disease is also linked to cancer. This ancient technique clears up dozens of maladies (including plaque, gingivitis, bacterial infections, bad breath) and improves overall immune strength and health by killing pathogens and removing toxins.13,14,15,16,17 I can report real results… I battled chronic, serious gum disease for decades and it has completely disappeared.

And I was out of the country recently, a tooth cracked, and I got a horrific and extremely painful infection in the tooth and bone. I tried several types of antibiotics, nothing worked. Oil-pulling cured the infection and stopped the pain! Basically, I put a spoonful of oil in my mouth and keep it there for at least 20 minutes, swish and spit, and rinse with warm water. I use coconut oil because of it’s anti-bacterial properties and because I prefer the taste.

I am now missing two teeth that were infected… #5 and #12. I find it very interesting that in traditional Chinese medicine every tooth is paired with an organ and these two are paired with the breast. Did having an infected root canal for years play any causal role in my developing breast cancer, or at least making my bioterrain hospitable to it? It is an area we call… The Twilight Zone.

    1. Urinary Mercury Levels in Children with Amalgam Fillings
    2. International Academy of Oral Medicine and Technology
    3. Holistic Dental Association
    4. The Root Canal Cover-up, Price Pottenger Nutrition; 9th Printing edition 2008, ISBN-10: 0916764095
    5. Are root canals safe?
    6. The dangers of root canals
    7. The root canal cover-up
    8. Root canals–Fact vs. Fictions
    9. Are root canals really a cause of cancer?
    10. Safer alternatives to root canals
    11. Periodontal disease linked to breast cancer
    12. Periodontal disease may associate with breast cancer, Karolinska Institute, Sweden, 8 Oct 2010
    13. Oil pulling for oral hygiene, a review
    14. NIH: Oil pulling and tissue regeneration
    15. NIH: Effect of oil-pulling on streptococcus…
    16. NIH: Effect of oil-pulling on gingivitis…
    17. Mechanism of oil-pulling therapy

The importance of water

We are roughly 70% water with the brain, heart, and lungs containing most. Drinking water maintains body fluids, helping digestion, nutrient transportation and absorption, circulation, salivation, and maintains body temperature.Water helps process everything entering our bodies and is extremely important for absorption of nutrients and detoxification. Drink much and often.

Inflammation in the body

Inflammation is a defense mechanism the body uses to maintain homeostasis in the face of a threat. Acute inflammation is a localized condition characterized by redness, swelling, heat, and pain and is a reaction to injury or infection. When we are injured, inflammation is a response to help the wounds heal. When pathogens invade, inflammation is a reaction of the immune system to release chemicals to defend itself. Acute inflammation is a good thing and helps us heal. However, it is a stage of high alert and problems arise when it doesn’t go away. An underlying cause of many diseases, chronic inflammation can cause DNA damage and lead to cancer.1

The result of an overactive auto-immune response, chronic inflammation can be exacerbated by diet. You won’t be surprised to learn that fresh fruits, vegetables, and fish are generally anti-inflammatory while meats, sugars, and processed foods are inflammatory (more in Part Two). Or that regular moderate exercise is a great way to combat chronic inflammation.

  1. Cancer.gov: Chronic Inflammation

The benefits of exercise, yoga, and massage

 If we had a pill that conferred all the confirmed health benefits of

exercise, would we not do everything humanly possible to see to it

that everyone had access to this wonder drug? Would it not

be the most prescribed pill in the history of mankind?
— Robert E. Sallis, M.D.

 “Exercise is medicine and doctors need to prescribe it!” Dr. Sallis also says. Research shows that exercise benefits the cancer patient in several ways… by boosting the immune system, reducing oxidative stress, regulating inflammation, regulating hormones, and inhibiting tumor growth.1,2,3,4 Most studies indicate that physically active women have a 20 to 80 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer than inactive women. Studies show reduced recurrence and mortality.5 Exercise also helps mitigate chemo-induced neuropathy,6 ease chemo brain,7 and reduce treatment-induced fatigue. Studies have shown that building muscle is important in cancer patients, no matter the stage.8

I would not be walking, possibly not even be alive, had I not defied the doctors and joined a fitness club. They had my best interests at heart… they worried my bones might continue to break. Tumors split my sacro-iliac joint and I had lost full use of my legs. A large tumor had crumbled a few vertebrae in my neck, causing me to lose the use of my right arm. And another had crumbled some thoracic vertebrae.

But, as I explained in Bone metastases, I knew bone marrow was a big problem… the tumors had replaced it and the lack of it weakened my bones. Since bone marrow is the very heart of our immune system, I needed it more than ever, and the chemo and radiation was decimating it. The doctors said I would likely never walk normally again. It wouldn’t much matter because I wouldn’t be alive in two months. For me to create a different reality, I knew I had to generate as much marrow as possible. Everything I read about naturopathic ways to increase marrow production centered around exercise.

So, I pulled up amongst the vainglorious in my little walker and shuffled from weight machine to weight machine. I did them without weights. I was all about low-impact exercise, including yoga and swimming. But after months of being bedridden, I had to moooove. It was hard but I knew it was the right path and I did a little exercise every day. Sometimes the chemo and radiation were too much but I determined to at least do leg lifts while in the infusion chair.

But, I am alive… against all odds. And I am walking and hiking and skiing. I believe that digging down deep to force myself to exercise when I didn’t feel like it was vital to this reality I am currently enjoying. Low-impact exercise, although never as much as I’d like, is still a part of my naturopathic regimen.

Yoga has tremendous healing benefits and helps to mitigate the side effects of western medicine. It is low-impact exercise with deep breathing that decreases stress, increases lymph circulation and oxygenation, boosts the immune system, massages the internal organs, aids detoxification, and can improve quality of life for those going through chemo and radiation.9 It switches you from sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight) control to the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) and balances your chi, or life force. Frankly, I don’t know what I would have done without exercise, yoga, and massage. I know I wouldn’t be walking again, let alone living the life I’m enjoying.

Massage is a bit controversial. For years, masseuses were taught to avoid massage in cancer patients for the fear that it would facilitate cancer’s spread. There is no research to support that notion and the increase in blood, oxygen, and lymph circulation reduces stress and boosts immunity, helping us heal.

Get up offa that thing, and dance ’till you feel better…

– James Brown

  1. Exercise in Regulation of Inflammation-Immune Axis Function in Cancer Initiation and Progression
  2. New Insights Into the Immunomodulatory Effects of Exercise and Potential Impact on Tumorigenesis
  3. The Antioxidant Effect of Exercise: Review and Meta-Analysis
  4. Just a little physical activity pays big dividends to high risk breast cancer patients
  5. Can Exercise Reduce the Risk of Cancer Recurrence?
  6. Complementary Therapies For Chemo-Neuropathy: An Integrative Oncologist’s Bag Of Tricks
  7. Exercise Boosts Cognition, Helps Ease Chemo Brain
  8. Building muscle is important in cancer, no matter the stage
  9. MD Anderson, How can yoga benefit women with breast cancer?

Free radicals and anti-oxidants

Oxidative stress is when an oxygen atom splits, forming ‘free radicals.’ It is another mechanism to maintain homeostasis in the presence of infection and disease and like inflammation, it is a normal healing process… until it isn’t and there’s too much. Free radicalsare unstable atoms that damage cells and contribute to diseases such as cancer and are the basis of illness and aging. They damage DNA, causing malignant cells and inhibiting the clearing of cancercells from your body. Lifestyle factors can greatly influence oxidation.

An anti-oxidant is a molecule stable enough to donate an electron and stabilize the free radical. Foods that are naturally anti-oxidants help prevent and heal from disease. There are lots of studies showing the healing benefits of consuming naturally occurring dietary anti-oxidants. So oxidation and free radicals bad, anti-oxidants good… right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

One camp argues that large doses of anti-oxidants may make cancer worse by protecting it from free radicals.1,2,3,4Chemo and radiation both work by creating free radicals that kill the cancer. Oncologists generally advise against taking antioxidant supplements while undergoing these therapies for that reason. Mine said I could eat anti-oxidants in my diet but not to supplement.

Yet, studies have shown that large-dose IV infusions of Vitamin C (a powerful anti-oxidant), target cancer stem cells5 and can make chemotherapy more effective.6 IV Vitamin C interacts with iron to create hydrogen peroxide which kills cancer.7 Further, IV Vitamin C has been shown to mitigate side effects of chemo.8 I know many patients who attribute their success to these infusions and I know many who had them and still passed on.

So, the role of oxidation and free radicals in cancer is complex, controversial, and not completely understood. Perhaps there are other factors that have yet to be identified that influence whether supplemental anti-oxidants help or harm in the fight against cancer. I’m sorry to be useless but I did not supplement with large doses and I have no recommendation about IV Vitamin C. Bottom line: Avoid toxins and eat right, particularly foods that are natural anti-oxidants (see the Substances grid at the end of this book).9

  1. Antioxidants Make Cancer Worse
  2. Glutathione and Thioredoxin Antioxidant Pathways Synergize to Drive Cancer Initiation and Progression
  3. Oxidative stress inhibits distant metastasis by human melanoma cells
  4. Antioxidants speed cancer in mice
  5. Vitamin C can target and kill cancer stem cells
  6. High-dose vit. C makes cancer treatment more effective
  7. Tumor cells have decreased ability to metabolize H2O2
  8. The Effect of Intravenous Vitamin C on Cancer- and Chemotherapy-Related Fatigue and Quality of Life
  9. NIH: Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods

Sugar metabolism: leptin, insulin, and cancer

Insulin is a pancreatic hormone released in response to blood sugar levels that facilitates the transport of glucose and signals the liver to store it. Leptin is a hormone that regulates fat storage and energy metabolism. Together they tell our brains when to eat or not. Two great examples of the body using feedback loops to create homeostasis, they can become imbalanced. Eating too much sugar raises the levels of both and can result in resistance to both. Insulin and leptin resistance are both related to cancer and diabetes, which are also related.

Oxygenation, sugar metabolism, and Otto Warburg’s research.

Otto Warburg studied tumor metabolism and cell respiration and won the Nobel Prize in 1931 for his “discovery of the nature and mode of action of the respiratory enzyme.” Many claim his research shows that sugar feeds cancer and oxygen starves it and that eliminating sugar, hyper-oxygenating, and eating an alkaline diet will cure cancer. It’s important to clarify what his research actually showed. Warberg observed cancer growth in anaerobic (low-oxygen) environments and hypothesized that cancer grows by generating energy from the breakdown of sugar when oxygen is low…“The prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar.”

He also said, “…all forms of cancer are characterized by two basic conditions: acidosis and hypoxia. Lack of oxygen and acidosis are two sides of the same coin: where you have one, you have the other.” And “All normal cells have an absolute requirement for oxygen, but cancer cells can live without oxygen— a rule without exception. Deprive a cell of 35% of its oxygen for 48 hours and it may become cancerous.” So sugar bad, oxygen good, acid bad, alkaline good, right? While I agree with that bottom line, it isn’t so simple.

This is a great example of causation vs. correlation. Most modern scientists now feel that those metabolic factors Warburg observed in the presence of cancer are caused by the same mutations that occur when cancer is forming. So, they think the link is correlative, rather than causal. Perhaps ingesting too much sugar causes metabolic changes, fatty acid production or changes to proteins for example, that in turn cause cancer and the metabolic changes that Warburg describes? Regardless, I avoid sugar, do deep breathing exercises, sleep with oxygen, and eat an alkaline diet. More on this in future sections.

The role of the microbiome

The ‘microbiome’ is in the news a lot lately so you’ve likely heard the term. Less than 8% of the DNA in our bodies is human. The rest is microbial. Isn’t that cool?! They are small and only make up 1-3% of our mass. Still, you’re walking around with about 4 pounds of microorganisms inside you. Hahahaa, if you could only see your face! Microbes get a bad rap. Yes, all the dangerous pathogens are microbes. But the ‘friendly bacteria’ play key roles in immunity and digestion. Basically, you want a lot of good guys to fight the bad guys.

You probably know how important your gut flora is to overall health. But it also plays an important role in carcinogenesis, cancer progression, and treatment response.1,2 Chemo and radiation can destroy gut flora. Recent research suggests that probiotic supplementation may be able to stop tumor growth.3 And recent studies have shown that the microbiome can effect the efficacy of immunotherapy treatments as well as side effects of chemo and radiation.4 The taking of antibiotics (which kill off your microbes) or pre- and pro-biotics (which re-populate your gut flora) can affect these relationships as well.

Our gut flora can obviously be influenced by our diet, which will be covered in Part Two, and by supplementing with pre- and pro-biotics. But you may not have known that exercise has been found to influence our microbiome by increasing the production of short-chain fatty acids which decrease inflammation, boost metabolism and immunity, and decrease insulin resistance.5

  1. Microbiota and Cancer
  2. The role of the microbiota in inflammation, carcinogenesis, and cancer therapy
  3. Study of immune cells involved in the antitumor effect of kefir in a murine breast cancer model
  4. Gut Microbes Can Shape Responses to Cancer Immunotherapy
  5. Exercise Alters Gut Microbiota

Summary

The name of this chapter could have been, “Grandma was right.” Get lots of sleep, drink water, breathe deeply, exercise, and eat right to help your body heal and stay healthy… all the things your gramma told you to do, right? Hopefully, I’ve made the scientific underpinnings accessible and you have a better understanding of why she was right. All these things work together to sculpt a bioterrain that helps your body in its quest to maintain homeostasis and heal. Whether you are interested in preventing or treating chronic disease or just plain staying healthy, the tried and true concepts of healthy lifestyle choices serve you well.

Our bodies’ job is to achieve homeostasis

no matter what life throws at it.

Stop throwing poison at it.

Help it by throwing love at it. — Me

 

 

 

 

 

This basic concepts post is from Book 2 of my Thrive Tribe Series, What I Did and Do and Why, a naturopathic protocol that helps me to survive and thrive, available from the bookstore, starting at $7. I am posting the entire book sequentially, in its entirety, on this blog once a week. Subscriptions are free.

Nothing contained on this website nor in my blogs or books should be construed as medical advice. I am not a doctor. I am a Stage IV metastatic breast cancer thriver who is currently NEAD and simply sharing my journey in the hopes it helps you to find your power and path. Please research anything I share to determine if it is a good choice for you. I believe in you! Bless you all on the path you choose.

All original content contained on this blog, What I did and do and why, is copyrighted 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Kaiulani Facciani, Snarling Wolf, Inc.