This translates into higher toxic burdens in our bodies and thereby stressed organ systems. Specifically, our gut (gastrointestinal) system takes one of the biggest hits in terms of its predisposition to damage by toxins. When the foundation of our health, the gut, is compromised it impairs proper absorption of nutrients. It also impairs absorption of various supplements that we take to help our boost our bodies ability to detoxify and fight cancer.

For instance, when you swallow a capsule it travels through the gastrointestinal system where immune cells, called dendritic cells “police” the contents to decide if it is “acceptable or not.” Often, living in a pernicious environment leads to hyperactivation of our immune gut cells and what would normally not cause an immune response, now does.

Dr. Kelly Halderman has a Naturopathic medical degree from Kingdom College of Natural Health. She currently is working on completing her Ph.D. in clinical nutrition and has certification in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University.

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Even in the form of what seems like a harmless capsule containing “beneficial” ingredients, the immune system can block its absorption and/or produce an immune response (inflammation) against it. Also, the cells lining the GI tract called endothelial cells can become “leaky” and dysfunctional from toxic-insult; this can mechanically lead to poor absorption.

Fortunately, we have cells in the lower gut that can absorb nutrients and bypass the issues stated above. A novel approach to the delivery of nutrients and other supplements is via the rectal veins, where there is a unique connection between the portal and systemic circulation. Seemly unharmed by the environment, rectal absorption via the portalcaval anastomosis has promise as a new method for better absorption of many traditionally orally-dosed nutraceuticals.

Delivery of various nutraceuticals via the rectal route bypasses nearly two-thirds of the first-pass metabolism as the rectum’s venous drainage is two thirds systemic (middle and inferior rectal vein to the body) and one-third hepatic (direct to the liver) portal system (superior rectal vein). This means the substance will reach the circulatory system with significantly less alteration and in greater concentrations. [3]

“A drug that is administered rectally will in general (depending on the drug) have a faster onset, higher bioavailability …” [2, 3] Another advantage of administering substances rectally is that it tends to produce less nausea compared to the oral route and prevents any amounts from being lost due to vomiting, degradation due to stomach acid, and loss due to bile and/or pancreatic enzyme activation.

Important in cancer care, rectal delivery may be a better fit for those doing Time Restricting Eating (TRE). Briefly, this is the method where eating is restricted to a window of around 7-10 hours. The goal is to give the gut an extended period of time of rest in order to repair itself from daily damage from toxins. Scientific research supporting TRE is robust, especially regarding cancer.

When eating-time is shortened it can be difficult to find time to take daily supplements inside the restricted time. Rectal administration of nutraceuticals does not affect the resting period which is critical for repair. A large portion of the body’s immune system also resides in the gastrointestinal system; encouraging other methods and sites of absorption may help decrease aberrant immune activation and sensitization.

Independent of the positive effects of absorption, the rectal administration can allow patients to remain in the home setting when the oral route is compromised or utilized when cancer (or treatment) affects the ability to use an oral administration route. Unlike intravenous lines, which need to be placed in an inpatient environment and also require costly formulations of sterile medications, [5] a rectal catheter can typically be placed at home. Many oral forms of medications and supplements can be crushed and suspended in water to be given via a rectal catheter or another mode of delivery.

Contact Dr. Halderman by visiting www.ConnersClinic.com or calling (800) 209-4833.

The post Portalcaval Anastomosis: A novel nutraceutical delivery system appeared first on Cancer Tutor.

Fortunately, there is a compound found in nature that innately induces this powerful pathway. This compound is called isothiocyanate. [1] Sulforaphane is a potent isothiocyanate and is found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale. Robust amounts of scientific research point towards sulforaphane’s potent cancer preventative effects as well as its benefit in those who already a diagnosis of cancer. [5, 6, 7]

Dr. Kelly Halderman has a Naturopathic medical degree from Kingdom College of Natural Health. She currently is working on completing her Ph.D. in clinical nutrition and has certification in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University.

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• Dr. Halderman on Cancer Tutor

Decreased cancer risk in those who consume a healthy amount of cruciferous vegetables on a regular basis has been shown in the scientific research. [4, 7, 8] For example, in a 2010 study, smokers who consumed 4.5 serving of raw cruciferous vegetables per month were shown to have a 55 percent reduction in lung cancer risk. [4]  Multiple studies have shown that women who have consumed cruciferous vegetables at least once a week had between a 17 percent and 50 percent reduction in breast cancer risk for those consuming it every day. [8]

Some of the differences in the positive effects of sulforaphane in cruciferous vegetables in these studies are thought to be due to the way these vegetables were prepared. Naturally occurring sulforaphane in cruciferous vegetables is formed from glucosinolates, which are produced with the help of an enzyme called myrosinase. This enzyme is activated when the cruciferous vegetable is chewed, crushed, or chopped. However, and importantly, it is inactivated when boiled or steamed.

Researchers take advantage of the importance of this: In studies where the effect of sulforaphane is tested, typically the participants are fed raw cruciferous vegetables, mainly broccoli sprouts or nutriceuticals containing sulforaphane. In a study where men with prostate cancer were given 60mg of sulforaphane daily, (approximately 140g of fresh broccoli sprouts) the results showed a slowing of the doubling rate of PSA by 80 percent compared to placebo. [6] A study in those with bladder cancer demonstrated that consuming four servings of raw cruciferous vegetables per month decreased bladder cancer mortality by 57 percent compared with those who only consumed one serving. [5]

The proposed mechanism by which sulforaphane has its “anti-cancer” properties is due to its effects on both tumor cells and on healthy cells as well. One action is that sulforaphane prevents is deactivation of phase I biotransformation enzymes — these enzymes convert procarcinogens into carcinogens. Another is that sulforaphane can activate phase II detoxification enzymes. [1] It also can cause increased expression of the NQ01 gene. (NQ01 is involved in important processes associated with detoxification.) Most importantly, it prevents the degradation of the tumor suppressor protein p53. [2] More than 50 percent of all adult cancers have a broken or mutated  p53  gene. [3] Sulforaphane can also prevent DNA adducts, a type of DNA damage known to lead to cancer.

The NRF2 pathway and its effects on inflammation, detoxification, and cancer are well known and scientifically-backed. Upregulating this pathway is relevant in many disease processes, especially in cancer prevention and treatment. At Conners Clinic, we utilize the anti-cancer effects of sulforaphane with our patients.

We have personally seen so much clinical success using this extraordinary compound that we have developed our own formulation. We also have created a new delivery system of our own sulforaphane product that combines other synergistic ingredients and mode of ingestion to ensure proper dosing and absorption. Furthermore, we use genetic testing to determine if any single nucleotide polymorphisms exist in the NFR2 pathway, which aids in personalizing one’s supplement and treatment regimen.

Contact Dr. Halderman by visiting www.ConnersClinic.com or calling (800) 209-4833.

The post The NRF2 pathway and Sulforaphane: A prominent cancer-protective pathway and its powerful activator appeared first on Cancer Tutor.

“Shiftwork that involves circadian disruption is probably carcinogenic to humans.”
— IARC, the cancer agency of the World Health Organization

In recent news, the International Agency for Research on Cancer issued a statement saying, “shift workers and firefighters have a higher risk of cancer than the general population.” They go on to state that “such work should be classified as probably or possibly carcinogenic.” These conclusions are based on years of published research. More studies are in the process of being done to further confirm the link but it is apparent that shift work disturbs the body’s internal clock, thus having cancer-causing effects.

This “internal clock,” also known as the circadian rhythm, is a cycle that tells our bodies when to sleep, wake up and eat, among other important physiological processes. Our internal clock can be affected by environmental cues like sunlight and temperature. When one's circadian rhythm is disrupted, such as in the case of those who do shift work, sleeping and eating patterns can be negatively affected. Disrupted circadian rhythm can also increase the chances of cardiovascular events, obesity, and a correlation with neurological problems like depression and bipolar disorder.

Dr. Kelly Halderman has a Naturopathic medical degree from Kingdom College of Natural Health. She currently is working on completing her Ph.D. in clinical nutrition and has certification in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University.

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• Dr. Halderman on Cancer Tutor

How does this correlate with cancer? Several tests in mice have shown that genes that control our circadian clock are disrupted in tumor cells. The field studying chronobiology, which involves research on our circadian rhythm, is growing exponentially; researchers were awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in physiology for their work in this area.

Nearly 20 percent of the working population in Europe and North America is engaged in shift work. Shift work is most prevalent in the health-care, industrial, transportation, communications, and hospitality sectors. In 2001, a team at the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center in Seattle found that women who work night shifts might have a 60 percent greater risk of breast cancer. A journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention recently published an analysis of 61 studies that included nearly four million people.

The researchers looked closely at the types of cancer women were getting — they found that women who worked night shifts for longer periods of time had a 41 percent higher risk of skin cancer, 32 percent higher risk of breast cancer and an 18 percent greater risk of digestive system cancers compared to women who did not work night shifts. “We are always going to have night workers and shift workers. Some jobs must be done around the clock like nurses. We need to know how to reduce the risk,” reports a representative for the IARC.

What can be done?

Since most people are not able to easily change occupations we can focus on dampening this risk by implementing what called Time Restricted Eating (TRE). TRE can minimize the ill effects of eating in larger, unnatural timeframes, as we see in those who do shift work. TRE has strong science behind the improvements in immune system function, which is essential in minimizing cancer risk. The gut is the foundation of health, giving it time to rest and repair is imperative.

The secret to TRE is to only eat in a window of time each day. Most experts believe the greatest health benefits of TRE are to limit one’s eating window to 10-12 hours. Eating outside a window over 10-12 hours puts enormous stress on not just the gastrointestinal system but also our inherent detoxification systems.

Without normal repair mechanisms being employed, our gut becomes “leaky” thus spurring on leakage of antigens and ramping up our immune system against in the gut causing excess, chronic inflammation. This has been shown to be a cornerstone of why the shift worker group has an increased risk for cancer.

The shift work findings may also be correlated with the body’s response to light. The pineal gland, found deep in the brain, produces the hormone melatonin after the body is exposed to sunlight (or artificial light) and then to darkness. Production of melatonin is disrupted when people are awake at night (or awoken even in short spurts) with the pineal gland being exposed to light when it is normally not meant to be.

Melatonin production is normally increased after dusk — its action is to get the body prepared and facilitate restful sleep. It attaches to receptors in both the brain and the pancreas, informing them to secrete hormones that help induce sleep. Melatonin also acts as an antioxidant protecting DNA from the type of damage that leads to diseases like cancer and heart disease. Therefore, when one has less secretion of melatonin, as in shift workers, sleep is disturbed and disease risk increases.

More research is being done to examine other factors that help explain the connection between increased cancer risk and shift work. We do know this demand for this type of work is not decreasing and may never be able to replace so efforts to help those so employed with lifestyle choices like the TRE are important. The World Health Organization’s categorization of shift work as a possible carcinogen should prompt us to continue to make changes to minimize this effect.

We at the Conners Clinic work to implement strategies to lessen the effect of this risk and treat those with cancer who need to implement such changes, help individuals through the process of detoxification, gut repair, or other therapies that can minimize the effects of their occupation.

Contact Dr. Halderman by visiting www.ConnersClinic.com or calling (800) 209-4833.

The post Research: shift work ‘probably or possibly carcinogenic’ appeared first on Cancer Tutor.