These guys are so smart, and their father/son discussions will bring a tear to your eye. Enjoy:
Tag: metabolic disease
Budwig
Came across this recipe, which promises cancer-fighting properties. It was developed by Johanna Budwig, a German biochemist and pharmacist who developed a lacto-vegetarian cancer prevention diet in the 1950s.
Not gonna lie, flaxseed oil tastes pretty yucky. It literally tastes like you are eating oil paint. BUT it contains a lot of omega 3 fatty acids, which most of us are not getting enough of.
Mixing with cottage cheese somehow helps aid in the digestion of the flaxseed oil. It has a symbiotic effect.
She passed away in 2003, a few years before the discovery of resolvins and protectins:
Only recently has it been established that inflammation resolution is an active process with a distinct set of chemical mediators. Several clinical and epidemiological studies have identified beneficial effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for a variety of inflammatory diseases, yet without mechanistic explanations for these beneficial effects. Resolvins and protectins are recently identified molecules that are generated from Omega-3 PUFA precursors and can orchestrate the timely resolution of inflammation in model systems.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2785519/
I do see this in relation to the seed oil info I posted earlier today. If modern man is living in an omega 3/ omega 6 imbalance, and we don’t know about it or understand the damage it is doing to us…. well, that’s a bad thing.
It’s interesting that Dr. Budwig’s daily regimen begins with sauerkraut juice… the kombucha of 1800s Germany.
Then she blends together flax seed oil (very high in omega 3s) with a dairy product to help it be absorbed easily.
I think the science will catch up to her and what she was able to do… reportedly nurse cancer patients back to health with nutritional strategies.
The Dangers of Seed Oils
I have wanted to write about this for a while but I’m a bit out of my depth, and so I’ve put it off… but it is critically important and the little that I know has really changed my eating habits.
I recently came across this Instagram post by Dr. Mark Hyman, which sums it up nicely.
Promising Developments
As more and more physicians begin to understand the correlation between mitochondrial dysfunction and diseases such as cancer (and diabetes and dementia, and possibly others), I’m positive that some good things will happen.
One exciting thing is that, with the use of continuous glucose monitors, more and more people are able to see how their food choices impact this process, and then make better food choices.
Another exciting thing is that people are becoming aware of the issue and switching to ketogenic diets, which could reverse diabetes or manage (slow) the progression of cancer.
A new theory of cancer origin was recently introduced. It’s called the mitochondrial-stem cell connection (MSCC) (Martinez, et al., 2024). It builds on two other theories: Dr. Seyfried’s metabolic theory and the cancer stem cell (CSC) theory. I’ll put a link at the bottom if you want to learn more about that. I should mention that Dominic D’Augustino is one of the “et al.”
The exciting thing about this paper recently published on MSCC is that it proposes FIXING the underlying issue rather than focusing on killing cancerous cells.
In the past, most cancer therapies were built on the notion that cancer was genetic… it happened to those who were genetically predisposed to it… and the assumption was that to fight it meant to kill the cells, cut them out, radiate them, etc.
You could say that current cancer treatments are like playing whack-a-mole in an arcade. This new paper suggests we stop wracking the moles and simply unplug the machine from the wall.
Here are some excerpts. I will link the full paper below.
● This connection between CSCs and mitochondria appears to be crucial at all stages of cancer (Martinez, et al., 2024).
● These (standard) therapies do not restore OxPhos and sometimes even alter it (Averbeck & Rodriguez-Lafrasse, 2021; Gorini, et al., 2018). Furthermore, standard therapies only target bulk cells but cannot target cancer stem cells (Lytle, et al., 2018), whereas it is cancer stem cells that have the strongest tumorigenic potential (Adams & Strasser, 2008) and are involved in metastasis.
● Thus, after reviewing the literature on various therapies capable of targeting the MSCC, we selected, based on in vitro and in vivo studies, several orthomolecules, drugs, and additional therapies that have demonstrated an ability to enhance OxPhos, reduce fermentable fuels, and target CSCs and metastasis. Furthermore, when supported by scientific literature, we included case studies of cures using monotherapy in humans. From this combination, we developed a hybrid orthomolecular protocol, which is proposed as a new therapeutic strategy for cancer.
• The degree of malignancy could be directly correlated with significantly lower mitochondria and lower total respiratory capacity in tumor cells (Elliott, et al., 2012; Pedersen, 1978; Seyfried, et al. 2020).
• In order to grow and survive, cancer cells require the primary fuels glucose and glutamine to compensate for OxPhos insufficiency. The respiratory impairment induces overexpression of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor-suppressor genes, which contribute to abnormal energy metabolism in cancer. To date, no evidence has demonstrated the growth of any tumor cells, including CSCs, occurs with the deprivation of fermentable fuels (glucose, pyruvate, or glutamine) (Lee, et al., 2024; Liao, et al., 2017; Holm, et al., 1995; Mathews, et al., 2014; Pastò, et al., 2014).
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Read the full paper on MSCC:
Read more about cancer stem cell theory:
What’s So Bad About Sugar, Anyway?
And what does it have to do with cancer, or the risk of cancer?
There have been many theories about how cancer originates in the body.
Dr. Thomas Seyfried of Boston College published the theory that cancer begins with chronic metabolic dysfunction — that is, mitochondria within a cell not being able to create good energy for a prolonged period of time — which causes them to begin creating energy through a fermentation process rather than through oxidative phosphorylation, often called OxPhos (Seyfried & Chinopoulos, 2021).
This is the key difference between healthy cells and cancerous cells: healthy cells use oxygen to create energy, while cancerous cells have reverted to an easier, ancient way to create energy (possibly from before Earth had a proper atmosphere) through fermentation of glucose (sugar) and an amino acid called glutamine.
This difference in mitochondrial function links all cancers together, regardless of which organ it appears within.
We have known this for a while. Did you know that PET scans, widely used to seek out and image cancerous activity in the body, are taken after a person ingests a sugary dye? The sugar (glucose) goes straight to the hungry cancer cells, carrying the dye that is visible to the scanner.
Why does mitochondrial dysfunction happen?
One reason why mitochondrial dysfunction happens is simply the presence of too much sugar and simple carbohydrates in a person’s diet.
These need very little digestive breakdown and go straight to the mitochondria as glucose molecules.
The mitochondria become overwhelmed with the amount of glucose they are being asked to process. They bog down and ask for help from the pancreas and insulin. They push the remaining glucose out into the blood as a sticky residue.
Have you ever felt tired, sluggish, and slow after a big meal or too many carbs? Food coma?? That is an indication that your cells are overwhelmed. You’re in a glucose storm, and your body is suffering.
This leftover glucose in the blood sticks to your hemoglobin, or red blood cells. This is the residue measured by a Hemoglobin A1C test.
No Words
I’m having lots of Eye of Sauron moments as I learn more about glucose, metabolic disease, and metabolic dysfunction. It’s not pretty, and at times, I’m in tears, thinking about signs of bad health I missed over the years.
Recently, I saw my general practitioner (Dr. Laura). I knew there would be some bloodwork involved.
For the first time in my life, I deliberately fasted, even skipping my regular black coffee that morning so that I could get a true fasting glucose level.
What’s considered normal? The normal range for fasting glucose is from 60 to 100 mg/dL.
For the last few years, I’ve tested on the higher side of normal (between 93 and 99), but as I said, its the “fasting glucose” they are measuring, and I’ve never done bloodwork when fasting.
It’s never been articulated to me that I really should fast before bloodwork. No one has ever said, “When was the last time you ate or drank anything other than water?” Neither a doctor nor the phlebotomist, as they get ready to take my blood sample.
It wasn’t until 2023 that ANY doctor looked at my glucose level and said, “That’s high. You should pay attention to your sugar intake.”
(And that’s when I quit Cheerios, months before getting diagnosed with CLL.)
But of course, our health is in our own hands. It was probably right there in 6 point light gray type on the back of the form.
So, back to the present. Last week, I was thrilled to see that my fasting glucose was 88! Wow!! I’m fixing my metabolism! I patted myself on the back.
Dr. Laura decided to also do a hemoglobin A1C test, which took a few days longer to show up in my chart. I’ve never had one before. The CDC currently recommends that everyone over 45 should have one, and that anyone who is overweight or showing signs of diabetes should have one, regardless of age.
Well, my results show that I’m just over the top range at 5.8%, which is pre-diabetic.
What’s considered normal? The normal range for hemoglobin A1C is between 4.2% and 5.6%. The diabetic range begins at 6.4%.
So, yeah. That took a few days to digest. I do struggle with this news because I have eliminated ALL processed foods and sugars from my diet for over a year now. Even before that, I rarely drank a soda or any type of alcohol. I would have described my diet as healthy.
I’ve been reading Good Energy by Dr. Casey Means, and I remembered a section on these sorts of metabolic biomarkers.
I found and re-read those pages. She calls for lower averages on almost all of the metabolic markers than the current standards.
Here’s how she starts: “… we have all nodded as doctors quickly glossed over test results, but very few of us have any idea what these numbers mean.”
Boy, howdy!
She defines “fasting” as 8 hours without eating or drinking any calories and sets a range of 70 to 85 mg/dL as the optimal range for fasting glucose.
She also lists 5.0% to 5.4% as the lowest risk range for hemoglobin A1C.
So, beyond sugars and processed foods, the next thing I need to look at is my carb intake. That’s the potatoes, pasta, rice, oats, and other grains that make up so much of our diet.
Good luck to me (and all of us) on Thanksgiving! Gobble gobble!
I also found this episode on one of my favorite podcasts, Diary of a CEO.
The Glucose Goddess, Jessie Inchauspé, has so much to teach us!
She told a quick story about a man who read her book. “There was this one guy, he had diabetes his whole life, he’s in his 50s, on lots of medications, and just thought he would lose a leg, or lose his vision… that’s what happens when you have type 2 for a very long time… and his doctors had never explained to him WHY he had diabetes, they had just told him ‘take this pill’ and ‘take this insulin’… and, he read my book, and he understood why he got diabetes in the first place, and he did the hacks. He was able to reverse his type 2 diabetes in one year. All his doctors were like, “How did you do it?” … you know, doctors don’t often have this information…”
Here are a few positive steps or “hacks” shared in the episode:
- Eat a savory breakfast. This means eating protein, fats, and NOTHING sweet. (She suggests eggs, meat, tofu, nuts, and dairy, or leftovers from dinner). When you have sweets for breakfast, she warns, you set yourself up for a day of sugar spikes and crashes.
- Vinegar once a day. 1 tablespoon in a glass of water 10 minutes before your biggest meal. It interacts with your digestive enzymes and keeps you from having a glucose spike. Dilute it with water so it doesn’t hurt tooth enamel.
- Veggie starters are vegetables eaten at the beginning of a meal. This puts fiber into your intestines before the rest of the meal, slowing the absorption of glucose into your system. Combine with hack 2 for a pre-meal salad.
- Exercise after eating. Just light activity is fine. Walk the dog. 10 minutes is all it takes. Calf muscles soak up glucose more than any other muscle in the body.
I’m off to get a copy of her book to add to my nightstand collection. 📖
TedX Tampa Bay
Back when I was doing my deep dive into fasting, I stumbled upon this video. It caught my eye because Tampa is my home, and USF is my alma mater. Go bulls! 🤙
He cites Dr. Otto Warburg, who won the Nobel Prize in 1931 when he discovered that cancer cells create energy differently than healthy cells. Because of their damaged metabolic process, cancer cells require a lot of glucose, don’t use oxygen, and can’t switch over to using ketones (stored fat) for energy like healthy cells can.
He also notes Dr. Thomas Seyfried of Boston College, who has continued Warburg’s work and is doing his best to shout from the rooftops, “Cancer is a metabolic disease!” … though the average oncologist probably hasn’t heard the news yet.
He goes on to discuss the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to damage cancer cells and hasten their demise while not damaging healthy cells.
He ends with a hopeful message and challenge to other researchers: “Can we manage cancer with non-toxic strategies?”
This video was recorded 10 years ago, and sadly, I have seen many people suffer and die from cancer in that time, but I haven’t seen any of them change to a keto diet or use hyperbaric oxygen.
Have you?
Just two months ago, a new paper was published by D’Augustino, along with others. The paper cites Seyfried’s research and proposes a very different approach to cancer therapy:
Targeting the Mitochondrial-Stem Cell Connection in Cancer Treatment: A Hybrid Orthomolecular Protocol
It involves vitamins C and D, zinc, hyperbaric oxygen, a keto diet, and a couple of anti-parasitic drugs.
I fear that this paper will not be taken seriously because it includes ivermectin, a drug that has the power to divide people along political lines.
Most folks don’t know that it is currently used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. And of course, we give it to our pets in the form of heartguard every month. ❤️ 🐩 🐕 🐈⬛ 🐈 ❤️
Are You Metabolically Healthy?
Dr. Casey Means uses these five key biomarkers to determine if a person is metabolically healthy. Do you make the cut?
- An HDL level above 50 for women or above 40 for men. HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein.
- A fasting glucose level of under 100 milligrams per deciliter.
- A triglyceride level of less than 150 milligrams per deciliter.
- Blood pressure under 120/85.
- A waist circumference of less than 35 inches for women and less than 40 inches for men.
Dr. Means cites research that indicates that approximately 93% of adults are not metabolically healthy, which lays the groundwork for a variety of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and cancer.
Strangely, according to these markers, I’m actually in a healthy range … cancer and all. 🤔
Eat for Good Energy
These are the notes I took while reading Good Energy and watching Dr. Casey Means discuss her new plan for optimally healthy meals.
She (and many other doctors and nutritionists) wants us to ditch the food pyramid, which pushed carbs as the staple food, and move to something like this 5-slice pie above.
If we could design each meal to include one element from each section, we would be healthier in terms of our mitochondrial function.
I put it on the fridge so I see it every day, at every meal.
Fasting
Years ago, we caught a pledge week show on PBS about fasting. It was really interesting and surprising — not eating is healthy? Quite a paradigm shift from our day-to-day habits and culture.
My husband bought the book related to that program, read up, and eventually did a 3-day fast. He really liked how it made him feel better, sharpening his mind and jump-starting weight loss.
Fasting came back to mind when I got diagnosed. My husband and my best friend were immediately suggesting it, too.
Between my first meeting with my cancer hematologist and my second meeting, I greatly changed my diet and also did 3 fasts: one after the holidays, one for a colonoscopy, and one when my husband had his colonoscopy.
Looking at my bloodwork from those 2 appointments, there WAS a decrease in my markers. Plus, I felt better and had more energy.
Here is a great introduction to the power of fasting with Dr. Pradip Jamnadas.
This book is amazing as well. Both are long but worth it.
Since then, I’ve learned a ton about fasting, intermittent fasting, meal timing, nutrition, and metabolic health. And it’s exciting to see fasting being talked about by some very cutting-edge researchers and physicians.
The Cancer Canary 