This blogs shouldn’t take away anything from the blog post within blog roll. In September, I’ll attempt to bring forth the information that I consider redeemable providing cause n’ effects and how it prevents cancer in the first place. However, it’s also important to realize that you will have to do your own research…. to fully understand the jest 0f each blog post which should take you a half hour to read, checkout and bookmark the links you find interesting.
What does a stubbed toe or splinter in a finger have to do with Alzheimer or succumbing to cancer. As scientist scurry and delve deeper, they’re starting to see a link to an age old “defense mechanism” called, chronic inflammation ~ the same process that turns the tissue around a splinter ‘RED’ and causes swelling in an injured toe. So with this really being the case can inflammation cause cancer?
While causing a injury to fend – off bacteria, viruses, parasites and infections. The moment a potentially deadly microbe slips into the body, inflammation marshalls, an attack that lays waste to both invader and any damage tissue it may have infected. Every once in a while, however, this feverish production doesn’t shut down and inflammation becomes chronic.
When this happens the body turns on itself and in recent years this chronic inflammation has become a ‘HOT’ topic amongst researchers. Research shows that chronic inflammation does harm in many ways; it can destabilize cholesterol deposits in the coronary arteries, potentially leading to strokes or heart attacks. Also it chews up – nerve cells in the brain of Alzheimer patients and fosters proliferation of abnormal cells turning them cancerous.
To better understand, it helps to know a little about what happens when the body is subjected to trauma or injury. As soon as that splinter slices it’s path into your finger, sentinel cells stationed throughout the body alerts the immune system; of the presence of bacteria that may have come along for the ride. Some of those cells, called mast cells, release a chemical called “histamine” make nearby capillaries leaky.
This allows small amounts of plasma to pour out, slowing down the invading bacteria and prepares other faraway immune defenders to rush to the scene of the injury. Mean while another group of sentinels, called macrophages, begin a counter attack and releases cytokines which signal for reinforcements. Soon, wave – after – wave of immune cells flood the site, destroying pathogens and damage tissue alike.
NOT long ago, doctors thought heart attacks were results of a molecule called LDL, the so called, ‘bad cholesterol’ providing the raw material for fatty deposits; that slowly build up inside major coronary arteries causing blockage. So clearly, anyone with high LDL cholesterol levels where prone and at a greater risk for developing heart disease. Although, nearly half of all heart attacks occur in people with normal levels.
In the early 1990’s, Dr. Paul Ridker, a Cardiologist Specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Boston, Massachusetts discovered an inflammatory reaction was responsible for these bursting plaques. To test his theory, Dr. Ridker needed a blood test that could serve as a marker for chronic inflammation. He settled on C- Reactive Protein CRP, a molecule produced by the liver in response to inflammation.
Inflammation harms the heart when levels of CRP reach 3mg/L or higher; these amounts triple the rate of heart disease. By contrast folks with extremely low levels of CRP, less than o.5mg/L rarely have heart attacks. Dr. Ridker also says, “cholesterol deposits, high blood pressure, smoking will all contribute to the development of under lying plaques.”
What inflammation seems to contribute is in the propensity of those plaques to rupture and cause heart attacks. At the very least, high CRP levels might tip the balance in favor of aspirins and statins known to lower inflammation. As well as metaformim that works to dampen inflammatory response in diabetics.
Thereby, what researchers found to hold true about diabetics are a complex inter-play amongst inflammation, insulin and fat. Either in the diet or – in large folds under the skin ( fat cells behave a lot like immune cells ~ spewing out inflammatory cytokines particularly as you gain weight when you age.)
Dr. Steven Shoelson, a researcher at the Joslin Diabetic Center in Boston has bred a strain of mice whose fat cells are super charged in inflammation factories. These mice than became less efficient at using insulin and go onto develop diabetes (thereby, inciting inflammation producing diabetes.) Also, back in the 1860’s, renowned pathologist Rudolph Virchow, speculated that cancerous tumors a rise at the site of chronic inflammation.
Now a days researchers are exploring the possibilities mutations and inflammation, are a mutually reinforcing process that is left unchecked can transform normal cells into tumor cells. Therefore, how might this happen? Some of the most potent weapons produced by macrophages and inflammatory cells are the so – called oxygen free radicals. These molecules devastate any thing that crosses their path…. particularly DNA.
It’s a glancing blow: damaging…. but doesn’t destroy a cell that could lead to a ‘genetic mutation’ that allows it to keep growing and dividing. To the immune system, this abnormal growth looks very much like a wound that needs to be fixed and when the immune cells get called in, they bring with it growth factor, that says heal, heal, heal. However, with damage DNA involved it might cause it to grow and divide abnormally while transforming into cancer.
Another interesting aspect of chronic inflammation is that other researchers have discovered, glial cells can produce inflammatory cytokines; that call additional immune cells into action. These glial cells, sole purpose is to nourish and communicate with the neurons of the brain. Thereby, when you get a chronic activation which is a process seemingly out of control…. it than does result in a chronic inflammatory state.
Therefore, the best approach to reducing chronic inflammation and dampen the damage that’s done. Is through losing weight with regular exercise ( 30 minutes a day most days of the week.) While fruits, vegetables and fish are great choices in a proper ratio of fats, protein and carbohydrates that disable ‘free radicals’ through intake of antioxidants in a macrobiotic diet (that lowers inflammation and maintains a proper pH Balance in your body.)
Also in 1996, the Journal of the American Medical Association published the results 0f a multi – centered, double blind, randomized placebo controlled cancer trial base on 20ug/day selenium or placebo to 1,312 patients over a mean period of 4.5 years. The study reported a 50% decrease in total cancer incidence, as well as, a 63% reduction in prostate cancer, 58% reduction in colorectal cancer and a 48% reduction in lung cancer.
Selenium has so many anti — cancer actions that it is difficult to establish which ones are predominant. Selenium also helps reinforce glutathione levels (considered the Master Antioxidant), oxidative stress, DNA methylation, DNA repair, also inflammation, apoptosis, and cell proliferation, carcinogen metabolism, hormone production, angiogenesis and immune function. Selenium deficiencies (like folic acid) can result in decreased DNA methylation, therefore, increased DNA damage and mutation.
Selenium also promotes the activity 0f P53 protein, which is 0ften called, “the guardian 0f the genome.” Well over half 0f all cancers have defective P53 protein. When DNA is damaged, P53 either stimulates DNA repair or causes cells to self destruct (apoptosis) if the DNA damage is irreparable. The thioredoxin reductase system promote P53 induction 0f DNA repair enzymes, therefore, cells exposed to selenomethionie have shown a 3 — fold increase in P53 activity.
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