Tag Archives: cancer

Super Synbiotic Breakfast, Improved!

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A while back I wrote about a synbiotic (prebiotic fiber + probiotic bacteria) fermented breakfast, and I’ve improved significantly on it since then so here is an update!

The concept of a synbiotic ferment is to give the beneficial bacteria a headstart before they get introduced into the body by eating them-and then include enough fuel for the journey and any upcoming microbial challenges. With this in mind, a new study was published that verified that prebiotic fibers can selectively benefit specific bacteria down to the species level. That is very useful to know! (Chung) As a note, the best way to read this blog post and many of my others is to right-click on each of the references below and open them in new tabs, take a look at each one, then read the rest of the blog post. Then, you can skip back to the research article when you see something connecting it. The research articles about these ingredients show benefits such as increased testosterone in men, reduced body fat, increased insulin sensitivity/reduced weight gain, prevention of cancer, reduced LDL cholesterol…in other words, fairly profound benefits of letting our microbial friends have their way with the breakfast food before we consume it!

This isn’t a chemical formula, so the proportions can vary a bit and not ruin things. I tend to be someone who cooks by feel and adds a bit of this and a bit of that, so take that into account LOL. I’ll approximate what I usually use and you can adjust accordingly if need be. Note that the picture of adding the grated apple isn’t included, as the day I took these pics I didn’t have an apple! I’ll add it later though. For now, follow the text more than the pictures please 😉

Ingredients:

  • One cup gluten free oats, uncooked
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 3/4 cup Kefir (I make my own with coconut milk; use what you have!)
  • 3 tbsp ground Flaxseed
  • 3 tbsp Inulin powder
  • One organic apple, peeled and grated
  • Enough extra coconut milk to make it totally wet with enough fluid to cover but not make soup (or your fave milk/substitute, but not vanilla or chocolate flavored stuff as the bacteria don’t seem to like that)

Mix all the ingredients in a glass bowl, and place on top of your fridge or other convenient place that isn’t too cold or too warm. Put a saucer under and over the bowl, as it can get frothy and try to escape! Now leave it alone for at least 24 hours, 36 or even 48 if you’re bold. When it’s a bit foamy feeling if stirred, and smells fermented, it’s ready to eat. I take 1/4 to 1/3 of the batch in another bowl, then add a handful of walnuts and some more coconut milk, and sometimes some maple syrup or molasses-just a spoonful-and even a sprinkle of cinnamon. If you heat it, you kill the bacteria so it’s probably much healthier cold. Enjoy!

References:

Curcumin kills melanoma cancer cells and inhibits their spread!

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Melanoma is a one of the more dangerous cancers, a skin cancer that can rapidly spread through the body with fatal consequences. Yesterday I read a new study that was published last month (January 2015) examining the effect of Curcumin on melanoma. Curcumin is an extract of the spice Turmeric-that spice that gives curry powder its yellow color. It is also one of the most researched natural ingredients, showing impressive health potential. The study I read reported that curcumin caused apoptosis (cell death) in melanoma, and inhibited its spread. The authors of the study were impressed enough to state that it should be considered as a novel and effective treatment for melanoma. Curcumin is also a powerful anti-inflammatory, and is readily available for purchase from many sources (we sell it in our clinic).

Reference:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25262359

Prebiotic Aztec Warrior Coffee!

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Ok, so I still drink coffee, and from the statistics I’ve read, most of you readers probably drink coffee too! I decided to try to make the coffee as healthy as possible, stacking some other health benefits along with reduction of Parkinson’s probability/severity and making the world seem like a happier place. Coffee has also been found to inhibit some types of cancer. Cocoa also has cancer-preventive properties. Cayenne pepper reduces the effects of high cholesterol, helping prevent oxidative stress to heart cells. I’ve read that the Aztecs used coffee, and cocoa and of course cayenne pepper-so why not combine the three? I know I’m not the first to do this, but it certainly does have a particular taste and kick to it! Especially (espressoly?) when made with espresso.

Recently I have been reading quite a bit about Yacon syrup and its health benefits. It turns out that yacon, which is a South American root vegetable, is processed into a molasses-like syrup that is a natural sweetener. If that wasn’t good enough, most of the carbohydrates in the syrup are not digestible, so it is a low-calorie sweetener that isn’t poisonous like Splenda. Yacon is also a prebiotic, with fiber that some of our gut bacteria just love. The species that thrive on it include Bifido and Akkermansia. Why, you ask, is that significant? Bifido is a “colonizer” species that helps to heal gut wall damage, and Akkermansia makes us burn up fat faster-increasing lean mass and lowering BMI. Akkermansia is also helpful in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes and immune system regulation.

Since Yacon is also from the same continent (and possibly region) as the Aztecs were, I reasoned that it should be good in coffee! Now, to a double shot of espresso or a mug of normal coffee, I add a teaspoon of cocoa powder and a tablespoon of yacon syrup, and a couple of sprinkles of cayenne pepper. On occasion, I’ve also added half a teaspoon of powdered inulin (another beneficial prebiotic; this one is from Jerusalem Artichoke). The inulin seems to disappear and not add any particular flavor, but the yacon gives the coffee a slight sweetness and the molasses-like flavor complements the cocoa/coffee/cayenne trinity quite nicely! Some who have tried it say that it’s too strong a taste, while many have adopted it as a coffee drink. Our local coffee shop, the Jitterbug, will make an Aztec espresso if asked, though I have yet to introduce them to yacon as a sweetener.

So there you have it-a new coffee drink has been invented and it has some powerful health benefits!

References:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24525422

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25535729

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25500898

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25027235

http://pamw.pl/sites/default/files/PAMW%202014_12_Albini.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25575980

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25545102

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25372730

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25118238

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24966608

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24857830

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24833634

The Problem with RoundUp and its health effects

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The Problem with RoundUp and its health effects
Sometimes during a debate it becomes obvious that one side is simply not telling the truth. Such seems to be the case when considering RoundUp, currently still promoted as the safest herbicide ever produced. It is also the most commonly used, with a recorded 187 million pounds used by US farmers in 2007. More current usage is not known, but estimated at over 200 million pounds in the US. The maker of RoundUp, Monsanto, continues to maintain that it is nontoxic and completely safe. This belief permeates to those who use it, with readers offering comments at the end of the article defending its safety. Most homeowners use RoundUp to control weeds, and most farmers use it liberally on crops. This is possible because of genetic modification of crops to permit resistance to glyphosate, permitting the killing of weeds without killing the crop. Recently articles have been published online suggesting that the problem with wheat causing celiac disease or gluten sensitivity has more to do with residual levels of glyphosate than with gluten content. The suggestion that pre-harvest spraying of crops with glyphosate to reduce weed content, promote dessication and improve yield is typically met with a hailstorm of accusations of “pseudoscience” and “fearmongering.” There are usually some vehement denials that pre-harvest spraying is ever carried out. An example of one such article can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/n9rtzpn

With this in mind let us consider two questions: Is glyphosate toxic, and are crops really sprayed prior to harvest?

The reason that glyphosate is “considered safe” is that it inhibits a metabolic pathway in plants known as the Shikimate pathway. This inhibition interrupts the plant’s metabolism and kills it. Humans and other eukaryotic species do not have a Shikimate pathway, and so the claim of safety appears to be scientifically sound…or is it? All eukaryotic organisms including humans have cellular power-producing structures known as mitochondria. These structures are where energy is produced so that the cell and the organism have fuel. Mitochondria, however, are really not of human origin. Thought to be the end result of ancient indwelling symbionts (endosymbiont theory if you’d like to look that up) mitochondria are more similar to bacteria than human cells. Their DNA is circular, just as bacterial DNA is circular. This isn’t some new discovery as geneticists have been using this mitochondrial DNA to track the human family tree for years. You see, mitochondrial DNA is matrilineal-it is only inherited from the mother, not from the father. This provides a unique opportunity to track one side of the family tree more accurately than is possible with human DNA. It’s also the first clue to glyphosate’s toxicity, as bacteria have a Shikimate pathway! Predictably mitochondria also have a Shikimate pathway. There is already a research paper stating this (Mesnage, Seneff). There is also an effect in the microbiome, as glyphosate is more toxic to some microorganisms than to others, causing an imbalance in this critical ecosystem. Kruger found that glyphosate reduced the inhibition of Clostridium (a pathogen) by Enterococcus species, causing imbalance and disease. A differential toxic effect was found in chickens by Shehata, who showed the glyphosate inibited beneficial microbial species yet did not inhibit pathogenic ones. Changes in gut bacteria in humans can alter serotonin levels, affecting behavior, mood and susceptibility to brain trauma (Morley). The microbiome living in our intestines are critical to our health and are vulnerable to changes in intestinal function (Matthews). It has been found that at very dilute concentrations, far less than commercial farming uses, glyphosate reduces intestinal motility (Chlopecka). This would result in more constipation, dramatic shifts in population dynamics and an increased risk of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) due to reduced motility allowing contents of the colon to move into the small intestine. Glyphosate has been found to trigger pathways producing cellular apoptosis (think cell sepuku) and increased reactive oxygen species producing damaging oxidation (Chaufan).
There is always someone who, in the comments following an article critical of Roundup, offers to drink a glass of it to prove its safety. This is ill advised, as glyphosate is far from nontoxic. Instead, it has been found to produce respiratory depression, bradycardia (so, you can’t breathe and your heart slows), acidosis, hyperkalemia, cardiac block or arrythmia and death. Hemodialysis and intubation are required to help the patient survive, as there is no antidote to glyphosate poisoning (Garlich, Gress).

Okay, so Roundup is definitely toxic in many ways even at small doses. What about all of the people who argue that it is not recommended for use before harvest? Doing a basic search on the internet looking for pre-harvest advice as a farmer provides some insight into this! Monsanto itself provides a “Pre-Harvest Staging Guide” for using RoundUp: http://tinyurl.com/q2o8f96. North Dakota State University published “Glyphosate as a Pre-Harvest Aid in Small Grains” July 2014: http://tinyurl.com/ll98tfj. Michigan State University published something similar for soybeans: http://tinyurl.com/o6f5dqy. University of Arizona Extension also got in on the game, publishing a guide to pre-harvest spraying of wheat to kill broad-leaf weeds: http://tinyurl.com/ljs6547. Similar publishing can be found at http://tinyurl.com/l69bdzc, http://tinyurl.com/kbem9ht, http://tinyurl.com/k6o4lwf, and http://tinyurl.com/m7nxm6a.

You might notice that many of these organizations providing pre-harvest spraying guidelines are university agricultural programs. If you’re not familiar with ag programs, you might even wonder why they would recommend such a practice in light of the research information on glyphosate’s biologic effects (and there are many more articles showing its effects; I didn’t even scratch the surface really!). The old adage of “follow the money” could never be more accurate: http://tinyurl.com/mhyvwzy, http://tinyurl.com/ctw2aq7 as the codependent relationship that has evolved between Monsanto and institutes of higher education is both diabolically brilliant and nauseatingly common.

If you needed more reasons to shop for organically grown fruits and vegetables or use grains other than wheat, you now have them. If you think just avoiding wheat will solve the problem, consider that the same recommendations exist for barley, oats, flax, canola, peas, lentils, soybeans and dried beans (page 31 of http://tinyurl.com/q2o8f96 lists all of these as recommendations for pre-harvest spraying in Canada, and others list ‘small grains’ in the guidelines: http://tinyurl.com/o994mk2).

We have arrived at a time in history when the business interests of corporate entities often take precedence over the health needs of society’s human members. When we allow large corporations to control what is taught in schools and what guidelines are imposed by government, we can count on one thing-being counted out of the deal.

References quoted:
1: Shaw CA, Seneff S, Kette SD, Tomljenovic L, Oller JW Jr, Davidson RM.
Aluminum-induced entropy in biological systems: implications for neurological
disease. J Toxicol. 2014;2014:491316. doi: 10.1155/2014/491316. Epub 2014 Oct 2.
Review. PubMed PMID: 25349607; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4202242.
2: Gress S, Lemoine S, Séralini GE, Puddu PE. Glyphosate-Based Herbicides
Potently Affect Cardiovascular System in Mammals: Review of the Literature.
Cardiovasc Toxicol. 2014 Sep 23. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 25245870.
3: Chłopecka M, Mendel M, Dziekan N, Karlik W. Glyphosate affects the spontaneous
motoric activity of intestine at very low doses – in vitro study. Pestic Biochem
Physiol. 2014 Jul;113:25-30. doi: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2014.06.005. Epub 2014 Jun 24.
PubMed PMID: 25052523.
4: Morley WA, Seneff S. Diminished brain resilience syndrome: A modern day
neurological pathology of increased susceptibility to mild brain trauma,
concussion, and downstream neurodegeneration. Surg Neurol Int. 2014 Jun 18;5:97.
doi: 10.4103/2152-7806.134731. eCollection 2014. Review. PubMed PMID: 25024897;
PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4093745.
5: Mahendrakar K, Venkategowda PM, Rao SM, Mutkule DP. Glyphosate surfactant
herbicide poisoning and management. Indian J Crit Care Med. 2014
May;18(5):328-30. doi: 10.4103/0972-5229.132508. PubMed PMID: 24914265; PubMed
Central PMCID: PMC4047698.
6: Schinasi L, Leon ME. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and occupational exposure to
agricultural pesticide chemical groups and active ingredients: a systematic
review and meta-analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014 Apr
23;11(4):4449-527. doi: 10.3390/ijerph110404449. Review. PubMed PMID: 24762670;
PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4025008.
7: Mesnage R, Defarge N, Spiroux de Vendômois J, Séralini GE. Major pesticides
are more toxic to human cells than their declared active principles. Biomed Res
Int. 2014;2014:179691. doi: 10.1155/2014/179691. Epub 2014 Feb 26. PubMed PMID:
24719846; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3955666.
8: Samsel A, Seneff S. Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue
and gluten intolerance. Interdiscip Toxicol. 2013 Dec;6(4):159-84. doi:
10.2478/intox-2013-0026. Review. PubMed PMID: 24678255; PubMed Central PMCID:
PMC3945755.
9: Chaufan G, Coalova I, Ríos de Molina Mdel C. Glyphosate commercial formulation
causes cytotoxicity, oxidative effects, and apoptosis on human cells: differences
with its active ingredient. Int J Toxicol. 2014 Jan-Feb;33(1):29-38. doi:
10.1177/1091581813517906. Epub 2014 Jan 16. PubMed PMID: 24434723.
10: Garlich FM, Goldman M, Pepe J, Nelson LS, Allan MJ, Goldstein DA, Goldfarb
DS, Hoffman RS. Hemodialysis clearance of glyphosate following a life-threatening
ingestion of glyphosate-surfactant herbicide. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2014
Jan;52(1):66-71. doi: 10.3109/15563650.2013.870344. PubMed PMID: 24400933.
11: Krüger M, Shehata AA, Schrödl W, Rodloff A. Glyphosate suppresses the
antagonistic effect of Enterococcus spp. on Clostridium botulinum. Anaerobe. 2013
Apr;20:74-8. doi: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2013.01.005. Epub 2013 Feb 6. PubMed PMID:
23396248.
12: Shehata AA, Schrödl W, Aldin AA, Hafez HM, Krüger M. The effect of glyphosate
on potential pathogens and beneficial members of poultry microbiota in vitro.
Curr Microbiol. 2013 Apr;66(4):350-8. doi: 10.1007/s00284-012-0277-2. Epub 2012
Dec 9. PubMed PMID: 23224412.

The Symbiont Factor is now a paperback, available on Amazon!

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After a year and a half of having a second job as a new author, my first book is finally available in print! A comprehensive, thoroughly referenced guide to how our gut bacteria influence physical and mental health: The Symbiont Factor is now available on Amazon as a paperback! If you ever wondered if and why probiotics are healthy you should read this book. Please share with your contacts 🙂     http://tinyurl.com/pe2g4xt

Why Antibacterial Soaps May Promote Infections and Disease

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Many soaps, shampoos, toothpastes and cleaners have an ingredient called Triclosan. This ingredient is supposed to help kill bacteria, but bacteria are highly adaptable and develop resistance. It has been found that using products with triclosan may result in increased colonization of the nasal cavities with Staphylococcus aureus. Having a Staph infection in your nose is not only very uncomfortable but also dangerous, as Staph infections can spread through the body. Sinus infections that are severe can also result in encephalitis if the bacteria succeed in compromising the membranes protecting the brain!

Triclosan has also been found in streams and water systems, where it is fueling the development of resistant strains of bacteria. Once bacteria form DNA sequences for resistance, they share this DNA on short fragments called plasmids. In this way, resistance to antimicrobial substances spreads quickly through bacterial colonies and even across different species.

Triclosan and a related product, octylphenol, have also been found to disrupt the endocrine system, causing hormonal imbalance and breast cancer. These products are in a category known ad EDC’s or endocrine disrupting chemicals and have been found in the urine of 75% of Americans.

Because these chemicals are antimicrobial, they have the effect of damaging the microbiome in the human body. Without a balanced microbiome, the immune system does not develop normally and the result can be dysfunctions ranging from allergies to autoimmune conditions.

Triclosan has also been found to reduce heart and skeletal muscle function in animals-resulting in heart problems and muscle weakness.

Sometimes, it is possible to be too clean and too sanitary! Using products with triclosan is one example. It is likely, based on triclosan as an example, that other antimicrobial ingredients may promote similar problems. So, read the ingredients and steer clear!

 

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140408074944.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130919154433.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140423102756.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120813155515.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101129101920.htm

Snack Time at Symbiont Central

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This evening I thought I would share what I had for dessert/evening snack while working on my computer. I made a smoothie, using a Nutri-Bullet. It contained a big handful of organic raw spinach, about a half cup of home made goat milk kefir, half a cup of home made black tea kombucha, half a cup of frozen blueberries, some powdered probiotic supplement (a big sprinkle, really!) a teaspoon of creatine as I had a swim workout tonight, and topped off with organic almond milk and a big sprinkle of cinnamon. Blended up till smooth, this was really tasty and provides a big dose of probiotic bacteria, superfood (blueberry) plus very finely cut fiber, which is like a superfood to gut bacteria. It only took about 5 minutes to put together, without rushing. I sometimes have this for breakfast, only then I add two tablespoons of organic sesame tahini. This provides additional protein and healthy fats, making for a breakfast with enough nutrition to last the morning. Sesame is a rich source of plant lignans, which are converted to mammalian lignans by the gut bacteria. Once converted, lignans possess anti-cancer and anti-hypertensive properties. This provides resistance against breast and prostate cancer as well as high blood pressure. Blueberry plus probiotics has been found to prevent colon cancer and heal liver injuries. Pretty potent health benefit for a tasty breakfast!
Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16549449
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22457771