Cannabidiol or CBD is a naturally occurring component of cannabis. It is extracted from the cannabis plant and often made into an oil for use. CBD is not psychoactive, and does not produce the ‘high’ of THC (tetrahyrocannabinol), the primary psychoactive component of cannabis. CBD is legal in Canada and has been used in the treatment of various medical conditions.
All cannabinoids, including CBD, produce effects in the body by attaching to certain receptors in the brain or immune system. The human body also produces its own cannabinoids. It seems that CBD does not attach directly to receptors. Instead, it directs the body to use more of its own cannabinoids to produce the therapeutic effects associated with CBD.
Research suggests that CBD may provide relief for chronic pain. Sativex is a proprietary medication that combines THC and CBD and may be prescribed for the relief of pain associated with multiple sclerosis. There is also some evidence suggesting that CBD may be a promising support for people with opioid use disorders. The researchers noted that CBD reduced some symptoms associated with substance use disorders including anxiety, mood-related symptoms, pain, and insomnia.
After researching the safety and effectiveness of CBD oil for treating epilepsy, in 2018, the United States FDA approved CBD (Epidiolex) as a therapy for two rare conditions characterized by epileptic seizures. Other evidence suggests that CBD may be useful in the treatment of schizophrenia, though further research is needed before introducing CBD into medical practice.
There is some initial evidence that CBD may help people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease keep the ability to recognize the faces of people that they know, and thus slow progression of the illness. Again, more research is needed in this area.
Because of the way cannabis and its products are metabolized, scientists believe there is a potential for interaction with other drugs, although nothing significant has yet been recorded. CBD has been found to be generally safe. Reports from patients indicate that negative drug interactions are not common. As with any other treatment, it is important to monitor your use of CBD and seek assistance if you experience any problems or have questions or concerns about its use.
The Kidney-Brain Connection
Since the 1970s, doctors have known that aluminum in tap water can cause kidney patients to acquire dialysis-associated encephalopathy (DAE). This is a brain disorder that can look like Alzheimers. In several hospitals worldwide, dialysis patients developed symptoms including speech impairment, tremors, memory loss, and delusional behavior, sometimes years after treatment. When they died, often within a few years of symptoms beginning, high levels of aluminum were found in their brains. As a result, water now used for dialysis is purified to exclude any trace of the metal.
DAE also stoked scientific interest in the connection of aluminum to Alzheimers. Research showed that aluminum disrupts the blood-brain barrier, kills neurons and glial cells, activates the brains immune system, and causes brain inflammation; increases oxidative stress, damages mitochondria the energy powerhouses in every cell of the body and alters gene expression. Its been suspected in a host of other nervous system diseases including autism, ALS, and Parkinsons.
In the early 1990s, scientists established that aluminum is linked to redistribution of proteins related to the tangles in the brains of both Alzheimers and dialysis patients. They determined that aluminum binds to amyloid-beta and that only a tiny amount of the metal disrupts its normal configuration, causing it to form beta-pleated sheets. These findings were confirmed by a decade of research, and beta-sheets, in turn, were shown to be impervious to normal degradation and related to neurotoxicity in vitro.
Can you sidestep Alzheimer disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by progressive damage to nerve cells and their connections. The result is devastating and includes memory loss, impaired thinking, difficulties with verbal communication, and even personality changes. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may live anywhere from two to 20 years after diagnosis. Those years are spent in an increasingly dependent state that exacts a staggering emotional, physical, and economic toll on families.
A number of factors influence the likelihood that you will develop Alzheimer’s disease. Some of these you can’t control, such as age, gender, and family history. But there are things you can do to help lower your risk. As it turns out, the mainstays of a healthy lifestyle exercise, watching your weight, and eating right appear to lower Alzheimer’s risk.
Skin Care and Repair, Have you noticed memory problems piling up in ways that affect daily life in yourself or someone you love? Do you find yourself struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word, becoming confused in new places, or botching tasks that once came easily? More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimers disease, and estimates suggest it will affect 13.8 million by 2050. Already, it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. This Special Health Report, Alzheimer’s Disease: A guide to diagnosis, treatment, and caregiving, includes in-depth information on diagnosing Alzheimers and treating its symptoms.
5 steps to lower Alzheimer’s risk
While there are no surefire ways to prevent Alzheimer’s, by following the five steps below you may lower your risk for this disease and enhance your overall health as well.
Maintain a healthy weight. Cut back on calories and increase physical activity if you need to shed some pounds.
Check your waistline. To accurately measure your waistline, use a tape measure around the narrowest portion of your waist (usually at the height of the navel and lowest rib). A National Institutes of Health panel recommends waist measurements of no more than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men.
Eat mindfully. Emphasize colorful, vitamin-packed vegetables and fruits; whole grains; protein sources such as fish, lean poultry, tofu, and beans and other legumes; plus healthy fats. Cut down on unnecessary calories from sweets, sodas, refined grains like white bread or white rice, unhealthy fats, fried and fast foods, and mindless snacking. Keep a close eye on portion sizes, too.
Exercise regularly. This simple step does great things for your body. Regular physical activity helps control weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. Moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise (walking, swimming, biking, rowing) can also help chip away total body fat and abdominal fat over time. Aim for 2 1/2 to 5 hours weekly of brisk walking (at 4 mph). Or try a vigorous exercise like jogging (at 6 mph) for half that time.
Keep an eye on important health numbers. In addition to watching your weight and waistline, ask your doctor whether your cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and blood sugar are within healthy ranges. Exercise, weight loss if needed, and medications (if necessary) can help keep these numbers on target.
For more on ways to help prevent Alzheimer’s as well as information on diagnosing and treating it, buy Alzheimer’s Disease: A guide to diagnosis, treatment, and caregiving, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.
Your Brain Keeps Growing and Changing Throughout Life
While the results of this study clearly need to be replicated, there’s ample evidence to suggest you have the capacity to improve your brain function at any age. Until recently, it was believed the human brain could not generate new neural cells once brain cells died or were damaged. This old model is no longer relevant, as it’s been proven that your brain not only can generate new cells (neurogenesis), it can also create new neural pathways.
This ability of your brain to change and adapt in response to experience is known as neuroplasticity.9 You can think of these neurological changes as your brain’s way of tuning itself to meet your needs, which change over time. One example of this is when you’re learning a new skill. The more you focus and practice, the better you become, and this is a result of new neural pathways that form in response to your learning efforts.
At the same time, your brain is undergoing “synaptic pruning” elimination of the pathways you no longer need. This phenomenon applies to emotional states as well. For example, if you have a history of anxiety, your neural pathways become wired for anxiety. If you develop tools to feel calm and peaceful more of the time, those anxiety pathways are pruned away from lack of activity. “Use it or lose it” really does apply here.
Besides life experiences and/or mental training, your brain’s plasticity is also controlled by your diet and lifestyle choices such as exercise. Despite what the media tells you, your brain is not “programmed” to shrink and fail as you age. The foods you eat, exercise, your emotional states, sleep patterns, your level of stress and exposure to EMF are all factors that influence your brain from one moment to the next.
All of these factors also influence your genetic expression. It’s important to realize that any given gene is not in a static “on” or “off” position. You may be a carrier of a disease-activating gene that never gets expressed, simply because you never supply the required environment to turn it on. As previously explained by neurologist David Perlmutter:
“We interact with our genome every moment of our lives, and we can do so very, very positively. Keeping your blood sugar low is very positive in terms of allowing the genes to express reduced inflammation, which increase the production of life-giving antioxidants.
So that’s rule No. 1: You can change your genetic destiny. Rule No. 2: You can change your genetic destiny to grow new brain cells …You are constantly growing new brain cells throughout your lifetime, through the process of neurogenesis.”
How to Protect Your Brain With Wise Lifestyle Choices
A number of simple lifestyle strategies have proven to promote neurogenesis, which will help protect against memory loss and dementia. This includes but is not limited to:10
Exercise, especially high-intensity interval training.
Calorie restriction (intermittent fasting and/or multiple-day water fasting appears to have many of the same benefits while being easier to comply with).
Cyclical nutritional ketosis, i.e., a ketogenic diet high in healthy fats (including and especially animal-based omega-3 fats), low in net carbohydrates (non-vegetable carbs, especially grains and sugars) with a moderate amount of high-quality protein. According to Perlmutter, who wrote the book “Grain Brain,” a low-carb, high-fat diet is a key component of Alzheimer’s prevention. Gluten appears to be particularly problematic for brain health.
Sleep. Research11 shows sleeping well helps you retain information by growing dendritic spines, connections between brain cells that make it easier for information to pass across the synapses. Deep sleep is also essential for brain detoxification and waste removal.
This includes the removal of amyloid-beta, proteins that form the plaque found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. If you do not sleep well or long enough, your brain will not be able to perform these basic cleanout processes.
Mnemonic devices memory tools to help you remember words, information or concepts by organizing information into an easier-to-remember format.
Examples include the use of acronyms (such as PUG for “pick up grapes”); visualizations (such as imagining a tooth to remember your dentist’s appointment); rhymes (if you need to remember a name, for instance, think “Shirley’s hair is curly); and chunking, which is breaking up information into smaller “chunks” (such as organizing numbers into the format of a phone number).
Are You Getting Enough of These Important Brain Nutrients?
Certain nutrients are also really important for optimal brain health. In addition to animal-based omega-3s, these include:
Vitamin D. Researchers have located metabolic pathways for vitamin D in the brain’s hippocampus and cerebellum; areas that are involved in planning, information processing and memory formation. In older adults, research has shown that low vitamin D levels are associated with poorer brain function. Patients with vitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L) were more likely to suffer cognitive impairment and slower reaction times.
Studies have also confirmed vitamin D can help improve dementia, including its most severe form, Alzheimer’s disease.12 Keep in mind that if you take a vitamin D supplement, you may also need to increase your magnesium, calcium and/or vitamin K2, as all of these work in tandem.
Astaxanthin, a carotenoid that’s very good for reducing free radical-mediated damage to fat (which is what most of your brain is made of). Astaxanthin has also been found to reduce the accumulation of phospholipid hydroperoxidases, better known as PLOOH compounds known to accumulate in the red blood cells of people who suffer from dementia13 and some scientists believe astaxanthin could help prevent dementia, including Alzheimer’s.
The human diet does not contain very high amounts of astaxanthin, unless you eat loads of microalgae and sea creatures that consume the algae (such as salmon, shellfish, red trout and krill). The typical dose of astaxanthin when taken in supplement form is 2 to 4 milligrams (mg), but emerging evidence suggests you may need a lot more, depending on your health status.
Dr. Robert Corish, author of “A Guide to Men’s Health: Easy Tips for a Long and Healthy Life,” believes 12 mg may be an optimal dose for brain and heart health.
Choline, an essential nutrient your body makes in small amounts. To get enough, you need to get it through your diet. In adults, choline helps keep your cell membranes functioning properly, plays a role in nerve communications and reduces chronic inflammation. Eggs and meat are two of the best dietary sources. If you do not consume animal foods, you may be at risk of a deficiency and want to consider supplementation.
Last but not least, the state of your gut can also have a significant influence on your brain function. Your gut is quite literally your “second brain.” Just as you have neurons in your brain, you also have neurons in your gut, and gut bacteria transmit information from your GI tract to your brain via your vagus nerve. In addition to avoiding sugar, one of the best ways to support gut health is to consume fermented vegetables, which are loaded with beneficial bacteria.
Mitochondrial Dysfunction Is at the Heart of Alzheimer’s
Download Interview Transcript
I recently interviewed Dr. Dale Bredesen, director of neurodegenerative disease research at the UCLA School of Medicine and author of “The End of Alzheimer’s: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline.” If you missed it, I highly recommend viewing it now (for the full interview, see the original article, linked above).
Bredesen has identified more than four dozen variables that can have a significant influence on Alzheimer’s, but at the heart of it all is mitochondrial dysfunction. This makes logical sense when you consider that your mitochondria are instrumental in producing the energy currency in your body, and without energy, nothing will work properly.
Your mitochondria are also where a majority of free radicals are generated, so when your lifestyle choices produce higher amounts of free radicals, dysfunctions in mitochondria are to be expected. The accumulation of mutations in mitochondrial DNA are also a primary driver of age-related decline.
Importantly, Bredesen’s work sheds light on why amyloid is created in the first place. Amyloid production is actually a protective response to different types of insults, each of which is related to a specific subtype of Alzheimer’s. Bredesen explains:
“If you’ve got inflammation going on, you are making amyloid because it is a very effective endogenous antimicrobial. [I]n that case, it’s not really a disease [It’s] a falling apart of the system. You’re making amyloid because you’re fighting microbes, because you’re inflamed, because you are decreased in your trophic support (insulin resistance, and so on) or because [you’re toxic].
Guess what amyloid does beautifully? It binds toxins like metals, mercury and copper. It’s very clear you’re making [amyloid] to protect yourself. It’s all well and good if you want to remove it, but make sure to remove the inducer of it before you remove it. Otherwise, you’re putting yourself at risk.”
The program Bredesen developed is a comprehensive approach that addresses the many variables of Alzheimer’s at their roots. Interestingly, if you have the ApoE4 gene, which increases your risk for Alzheimer’s, you would be wise to implement intermittent fasting or do longer fasts every now and then.
In fact, this gene appears to be a strong clinical indication that you need to fast on a regular basis to avoid Alzheimer’s. The reason for this is because the ApoE4 gene helps your body survive famine. Unfortunately, it also promotes inflammation. Fasting appears to help cancel out this inflammatory proclivity.
Alzheimer’s Screening Tests
Bredesen also recommends a number of screening tests to help tailor a personalized treatment protocol. For example, if you have insulin resistance, you want to improve your insulin sensitivity. If you have inflammation, then you’ll work on removing the source of the proinflammatory effect. If your iron is elevated, you’ll want to donate blood to lower it, and so on.
Alzheimer’s Screening Tests
Test Recommended range
Ferritin
40 to 60 ng/mL
GGT
Less than 16 U/L for men and less than 9 U/L for women
25-hydroxy vitamin D
40 to 60 ng/mL
You can get the test here
High-sensitivity CRP
Less than 0.9 mg/L (the lower the better)
Fasting Insulin
Less than 4.5 mg/dL (the lower the better)
Omega-3 index and omega 6:3 ratio
Omega-3 index should be above 8 percent and your omega 6-to-3 ratio between 0.5 and 3.0
You can get the omega-3 index test here
TNF alpha
Less than 6.0
TSH
Less than 2.0 microunits/mL
Free T3
3.2-4.2 pg/mL
Reverse T3
Less than 20 ng/mL
Free T4
1.3-1.8 ng/mL
Serum copper and zinc ratio
0.8-1.2
Serum selenium
110-150 ng/mL
Glutathione
5.0-5.5 μm
Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol)
12-20 mcg/mL
Body mass index (which you can calculate yourself)
18-25
ApoE4 (DNA test)
See how many alleles you have: 0, 1 or 2
Vitamin B12
500-1,500
Hemoglobin A1c
Less than 5.5 (the lower the better)
Homocysteine
4.4-10.8 mcmol/L
Photobiomodulation for Brain Health
I also want to touch on the topic of photobiomodulation which, if preliminary findings are any indication, offer tremendous hope for dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. It also appears to be a powerful preventive strategy. Earlier this year, I interviewed Dr. Lew Lim about the use of near-infrared therapy to treat Alzheimer’s disease, and how you can use light therapy to radically reduce your risk.
Recent animal research has shown that introducing gamma frequencies into the brain significantly reduces the amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s.14 Lim hopes that by targeting the hippocampus and other memory consolidation areas of the brain with gamma frequency, he may be able to achieve better outcomes in people with more advanced Alzheimer’s people for whom there is currently no hope whatsoever.
Near-infrared light is thought to work by interacting with cytochrome c oxidase (COO) one of the proteins in the inner mitochondrial membrane and a member of the electron transport chain. COO is a chromophore, a molecule that attracts and feeds on light. When you eat food, the nutrients nourish your cells and provide fuel for biological functions. But food is not your body’s sole source of fuel. Sunlight is also a source (about 40 percent of the energy in sunlight is near-infrared).
Unfortunately, few clinicians have any idea that light is a powerful fuel for your body. In my view, this ignorance is one of the reasons why Alzheimer’s disease is skyrocketing in prevalence, as so many are routinely avoiding sensible sun exposure. The same can be said for the last topic I want to address, namely EMF exposure.
EMFs A Wildly Underestimated Contributor to Alzheimer’s
Last year, Martin Pall, Ph.D., published a review15 in the Journal of Neuroanatomy showing how microwave radiation from cell phones, Wi-Fi routers and computers and tablets (when not in airplane mode) is clearly associated with many neuropsychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer’s.
The way microwaves emitted from devices such as these end up harming your health in general, and brain specifically, is by increasing intracellular calcium through the voltage gated calcium channels (VGCCs) in your cells. The tissues with the highest density of VGCCs are your brain, the pacemaker in your heart, and male testes.
Once VGCCs are stimulated, they trigger the release of neurotransmitters, neuroendocrine hormones and highly damaging reactive oxygen species, significantly raising your risk of anxiety, depression and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Based on this mechanism, it seems clear that chronic exposure to EMFs can play a significant role in dementia, and that as a society we need to take this very seriously. On a personal level, be sure to limit your exposure to wireless technology. Simple measures include turning your Wi-Fi off at night, not carrying your cellphone on your body and not keeping portable phones, cellphones and other electric devices in your bedroom.
I also strongly recommend turning off the electricity to your bedroom at the circuit breaker every night. This typically works for most bedrooms unless you have an adjacent room, in which case you might need to shut that off too. This will radically lower electric and magnetic fields while you sleep.
This will help you get better, more sound sleep, allowing your brain to detoxify and cleanse itself out each night. As you can see, there are a number of things you can do to prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s, but it does require you to be proactive.
REMEMBER to take your UNFORGETTABLE!
While theres still no cure for Alzheimers, researchers have just made one of the biggest advances ever. Theyve succeeded in slowing down its progression and improving the mental function of people who already have it.
As you may know, Alzheimers develops when brain cells (called neurons) become damaged by free radical molecules (a result of oxidative stress).
Researchers have theorized that if they could limit this oxidative damage, they might be able to slow the progression of the disease. But how, they wondered, is the best way to achieve this?
Great News: Theyve Discovered the Solution!
Im sure youre aware that antioxidant nutrients are the natural enemies of free radicals. And one the strongest antioxidants of them all is glutathione peroxidase, which your body produces from the nutrient glutathione.
Researchers wanted to see if levels of glutathione peroxidase effect the progression of Alzheimers in patients so they decided to investigate.
Now, if you have a loved one with Alzheimers, you know that doctors measure the progression of the disease with a test called the MMSE. A perfect MMSE score is 30 but its rare for patients with Alzheimers to score over 25. As the disease progresses, their scores decline (along with their mental functions).
So, when the researchers compared patients MMSE scores with their levels of glutathione peroxidase, they made a fascinating discovery. Patients with higher glutathione peroxidase levels (over 100) also had higher MMSE scores (meaning their disease was progressing at a much slower rate).
But heres the irony: when they measured the patients glutathione levels (from which glutathione peroxidase is produced), those with the highest levels actually progressed the fastest of all!
So, What the Heck Is Going On?
When they connected the dots, they found the answer.
You see, if the production of glutathione peroxidase from glutathione is slowed down for some reason, then we see higher levels of glutathione and lower levels of glutathione peroxidase (which means a faster progression of Alzheimers).
To slow down the disease, researchers had to increase the production of glutathione peroxidase from glutathione. And they found that ozone therapy is perfect for this!
In fact, several studies show that ozone therapy increases your bodys levels of all antioxidant enzymes and especially glutathione peroxidase.
One study found a whopping 78% increase in glutathione peroxidase after a standard course of ozone treatments with a corresponding decrease in glutathione levels.
Sounds Like Just What the Doctor Ordered, Doesnt It?
Slowing the progression of Alzheimers means you could have more time to enjoy your loved one because he/she will maintain healthier mental function for much longer than normal. Be sure to order my Special Report to read all the details and how to locate a doctor in your area who is trained in ozone therapy. Its the greatest gift you can give anyone with Alzheimers.
If youre taking a prescription drug to lower your cholesterol, please be sure to read every word of this
Dan was a robust 74-year-old man who came to me because he was becoming so forgetful that he repeated himself in conversations. His doctor had diagnosed Dan with Alzheimers and prescribed a drug for it.
But Dan didnt have Alzheimers. After examining him, I determined that his memory problems were being caused by a drug his doctor prescribed to lower Dans cholesterol.
The drug, a member of the statin family, was destroying Dans memory and causing other problems with his health, as well.
I first sounded the alarm about this more than 10 years ago. So my Second Opinion readers who heeded my warnings about these cholesterol lowering drugs avoided Dans Alzheimers problem.
Dire New Warnings About These Drugs!
Now, the FDA has issued additional safety warnings about these drugs. So if youre taking any of them or know someone who is youll want to order this Special Report right away.
These drugs involved are: Lipitor Lescol Mevacor Altoprev Livalo Pravachol Crestor Zocor Advicor Simcor and Vytorin.
In my Report, I described the nasty new side effects they can cause many of which are quite serious, including full-blown dementia.
I also describe the details of Dans case in this Report but suffice it to say that all of his symptoms completely vanished when I discontinued the drug. A few months later, he was back to normal.
(As for Dans so-called heart disease problem, we fixed that too with the safe, natural treatment I also describe in this Special Report.)
Why These Statin Drugs Are Unnecessary
You see, I rarely use cholesterol-lowering drugs because I know cholesterol doesnt cause heart disease. Of course, this isnt what conventional medicine says.
Because it is strongly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry, conventional medicine includes cholesterol-lowering drugs as part of its standard treatment when cholesterol is elevated in a patient.
Any physician who fails to do so can be sued for malpractice. So Dans doctor was just covering his you-know-what.
But cholesterol is essential for proper brain function. So when its lowered with a drug, cognitive problems can result. The evidence for this has been known for a decade, when two clinical trials first identified the connection. (Youll read about both studies in this Report.)
Other Memory-Destroying Drugs to Beware of
And statins arent the only drugs that can mess with your brain or memory. My Report lists several other medications linked to cognitive problems. (God only knows how many people are suffering from memory loss and cognitive decline because of the medications their doctors are prescribing.)
The Benefits of PQQ
PQQ stands for pyrroloquinoline quinone. This compound was identified as an essential nutritional component in 1994. Eventually, it will be classified as a vitamin. It’s particularly important for the health of the mitochondria. “It appears that PQQ is really the spark of life,” Murray says. “Our mitochondria definitely require this compound to produce energy. It’s also critical in protecting the mitochondria from damage.”
Mitochondrial DNA is quite prone to damage from free radicals and pro-oxidants. Most of the free radicals in the body are produced within the mitochondria themselves, which is why they’re so susceptible. The free radicals are an unavoidable artifact of burning food for fuel, and your food is ultimately metabolized in your mitochondria.
PQQ has been shown to protect against this kind of damage. PQQ is found in minute quantities in food, but research shows that when taken in supplement form, you can dramatically boost your PQQ level and really see remarkable effects. While your mitochondria are susceptible to damage, they also have built-in repair and replication mechanisms. The key is to activate those mechanisms, which is what PQQ allows you to do. Murray explains:
“Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced during energy production. There are mechanisms that the mitochondria use to protect itself. One of those mechanisms is PQQ. I know your audience is very familiar with the term “antioxidant.” The thing is everybody thinks all antioxidants are the same. They’re really not. You have to look at the type of pro-oxidant and free radical that is involved.
You have to look at how many times an antioxidant can be used to really get a sense of how profound it is in protecting our cells. PQQ is really a profoundly effective antioxidant. Every time an antioxidant neutralizes a free radical, that’s called a catalytic conversion. Some antioxidants just aren’t used very often.
For example, vitamin C is only capable of going through four catalytic conversions. That means after it’s used four times, it’s no longer effective as an antioxidant. The number of catalytic conversions that PQQ can be utilized for is in the realm of over 20,000 times It also plays a huge role in a process called mitochondrial biogenesis (regeneration of new mitochondria).
It does a great job in killing off mitochondria that are not functioning properly and then stimulating the replication of the healthy mitochondria. It’s really a cellular regenerator. It does this through its action on mitochondria. This is really exemplified in studies that have looked at the influence of PQQ in enhancing brain function and brain connections, and forming new brain cells. That translates to just having your brain function at a much higher level.”
The Role of Polyphenols for Health
Before we go further, I want to remind you that indiscriminately suppressing free radicals with general antioxidants is typically not a good idea. Yes, free radicals are often considered damaging, but the same can be said for exercise. It too causes damage if done excessively without enough recovery. The key is moderation and balanced recovery.
ROS are actually important biological signaling molecules. If you indiscriminately suppress their formation, you can interrupt profoundly important biologic pathways. So, there’s a fine balance to prevent damage. This is one of the reasons why I recommend focusing on your diet. When you eat a diet high in healthy fats, low in net carbs, with moderate amounts of protein, you naturally limit the production of ROS in the first place, which means you typically don’t need to worry about excessive damage taking place.
Additionally, an alternative to using a potent antioxidant like PQQ is to use hormetic agents such as molecular hydrogen, CBD oil both of which activate the Nrf2 pathway and resveratrol (found in grape skins, for example). Hormetic agents are not antioxidants by themselves, rather, they induce oxidative stress on the system that causes your body to produce its own antioxidants. This helps ensure a more ideal balance of free radicals and antioxidants.
As a quick side note, increasing Nrf2 a biological hormetic that upregulates superoxide dismutase, catalase and all the other beneficial intercellular antioxidants is helpful mainly because it lowers inflammation, improves your mitochondrial function and stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis. Both PQQ and berberine (discussed below) have a positive effect on Nrf2 expression. Murray weighs in on this subject, saying:
“Flavonoids, polyphenols, are quite interesting to mitochondrial function. There’s wisdom in the body. There’s wisdom in nature. If we look at the way flavonoids are transported in the body, they are not transported in a free form. They are bound to either sulfur or glucuronic acid. In this bound form, they become inactive.
This is really important because we want to make sure that when we take something that is getting delivered not only to the tissues but also to the cell and to the parts of the cell that really needs the greatest support. The latest science shows that when we ingest these polyphenols whether they come from grapes, berries, raw cacao or any of the other rich sources they are bound to glucuronic acid and they are inactive.
But at sites of inflammation, sites of infection, or when cells aren’t functioning properly, the cells release an enzyme called glucuronidase. This liberates the flavonoid or polyphenol and allows that polyphenol to enter the cell, enter the mitochondria and affect change. This has been demonstrated with mitochondria. It causes mitochondria to experience stress.
When the mitochondria experience that stress, it causes release of glucuronidase, and that ultimately leads to flavonoids entering in the mitochondria, protecting the mitochondria from free radical damage, and actually activating certain genomes that will allow the mitochondria to function much more efficiently and to reduce the inflammation and the stress.”
PQQ Boosts Brain Health
So, it’s important to get the right type of antioxidants and not just use a shotgun approach where you’re loading your body up with them. For health, you really need targeted support for key cellular compartments, especially your mitochondria. As for PQQ, Murray notes that PQQ is stored in your mitochondria, where it is used appropriately. “When you supplement with PQQ, it increases the number and the health of your mitochondria, which in turn increases the need for PQQ,” he says.
Both animal and human studies using doses between 10 and 20 milligrams (mg) of PQQ shows significant improvement in mental processing and memory.
One study using the Stroop test found PQQ in combination with Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) produced better results than either of these nutrients alone, so there appears to be some synergistic effects with CoQ10. (The Stroop test is where you’re looking at words spelling out various colors while the word itself is also colored. You’re supposed to name the color you see. The test is timed, which gives you an indication of your brain’s processing speed.)
“A lot of times the energy production [in the brain] is turned down like a dimmer switch. What PQQ, CoQ10 and other mitochondrial enhancers do is they basically just brighten up the brain. They turn up that dimmer switch. They increase the energy production in the brain cells, so that they function more efficiently.
That leads to better memory, better cognitive function and feeling better as well,” Murray says. “That’s what they’re showing with these clinical studies with PQQ. In regards to brain health, these studies have used a combination of [a daily dose of] 20 mg of PQQ with 300 mg of CoQ10.”
I recommend using the reduced form of CoQ10, called ubiquinol, as it is more readily available for your body. It’s fat-soluble, so it’s best taken with a small amount of fat in your meal rather on an empty stomach. In addition to being a powerful antioxidant in its own right, CoQ10/ubiquinol also facilitates the recycling (catalytic conversion) of other antioxidants.
PQQ Lowers Inflammation and Improves Blood Lipids
Research looking at PQQs influence on energy metabolism and markers of inflammation showed a single dose was able to dramatically lower C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation. Other studies have shown it lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol on par with statins, but without any side effects. “I think the list of potential applications for PQQ is extremely long,” Murray says.
“If you look at some of the metabolic effects of PQQ, they go well beyond improving mitochondrial function. PQQ can lead to activation of an enzyme called adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). This enzyme, I think, is really a molecular target for modern humans.
As we age, the level of this enzyme drops. Certain dietary practices too much of the wrong types of fats, not enough of the good types of fats, not enough of the flavonoids, not enough of the metabolic enhancers and mitochondrial enhancers lead to a reduction in AMPK activity.
Insulin resistance is probably the major cause of reduction in AMPK activity. This enzyme plays a huge role in body fat composition. In your body, it plays a huge role in inflammation [and] blood lipids. It’s not surprising with PQQ activating this enzyme that we see improved blood sugar control, we see excess body fat, particularly visceral fat, decline, and we see drops in LDL cholesterol.”
How PQQ Helps Lower Risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
AMPK also stimulates mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy) and mitochondrial biogenesis, as well as five other critically important pathways: insulin, leptin, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator 1-alpha (PGC-1α). According to Murray, it also increases nerve growth factor and helps protect against the type of oxidative stress that leads to Parkinson’s disease.
One of the mechanisms by which it does this is by protecting against the self-oxidation of a gene called DJ-1, which is damaged by various compounds. When damaged, it leads to Parkinson’s disease. According to Murray, PQQ has been shown to be protective against every known inducer of damage to DJ-1, including mercury and other heavy metals, as well as a variety of neurotoxins.
“[PQQ] protects against the development of alpha-synuclein, a protein associated with Parkinson’s,” Murray says. “It also protects the brain from the development of Alzheimer’s disease [via] multiple mechanisms, including protecting the formation of beta-amyloid [and] the damage that beta-amyloid can cause in the brain.
It’s really far reaching. I think that PQQ is going to be a real superstar in the dietary supplement field. It’s really going to revolutionize natural therapies for many different health conditions.
We highlighted its synergy with CoQ10. I think we’re going to learn that various cocktails of PQQ in combination with other compounds are going to produce better results than PQQ on its own. It makes a lot of sense when you start digging in and looking at how PQQ works, and how it’s synergistic with all these other wonderful compounds that we have available to us now.”
The Benefits of Berberine
Another beneficial and vastly underappreciated supplement is berberine. It has many of the same benefits as the diabetic drug metformin, but without the drawbacks and side effects. Historically, berberine-containing plants such goldenseal, goldthread, Oregon grape root and barberry have been used in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal infections, liver problems and a number of other health conditions.
Berberine is an alkaloid, which tend to be stronger in their effect than the flavonoids. Flavonoids are neutralized fairly quickly in the body by binding to glucaronic acid or sulfur. Alkaloids circulate in two to three forms and therefore tend to be stronger. Like PQQ, berberine benefits mitochondrial function and is a powerful AMPK activator.
“The research on berberine right now is really focusing on its ability to improve blood sugar control, to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. If this were a drug, it’ll hit big numbers, because it’s kind of a holy grail. The drug companies would love to have a drug that would hit that triad of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes.
There were 27 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials with berberine for those conditions. The results were on par with the individual drug for those three conditions (metformin, statins and blood pressure-lowering drugs) You’re looking at clinical trials involving thousands of patients now. The results show [berberine is] very safe [and] a very effective natural alternative to drugs used for these common conditions.”
The typical dose is 500 mg of berberine two or three times daily. It’s best taken right before meals as it also helps improve digestion and will address parasitic infections in the gastrointestinal tract.
Berberine is actually poorly absorbed by your body, and many of its benefits appear to be related to its beneficial impact on the gut microbiome, which we now know plays an important role in metabolism and even insulin sensitivity. In addition to its beneficial effects on blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, berberine is also a powerful neuroprotector, in part by improving mitochondrial health and function.
The Benefits of Mulberry Leaves and Grape Seed Extract
Another plant that can help improve blood sugar control is mulberry leaves. Murray cites a study in which mulberry leaves were compared to glyburide, a Type 2 diabetes medication, and mulberry performed far better than the drug. In addition to improving blood sugar control, lowering A1C levels and improving fasting blood sugar levels, mulberry also increases the level of antioxidants in your blood and lowers both LDL and total cholesterol.
“It just seems to work much better than the drug,” Murray says. “It’s just that there’s no money to advertise mulberry or mulberry extract. It’s really a very important approach I think. [Berberine and mulberry] are good answers for these epidemic conditions that people are suffering from out there, whether it’s high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes.”
Murray also cites research demonstrating the effects of grape seed extract on high blood pressure. Two double-blind studies found 300 mg of grape seed extract per day lowered blood pressure in people with mild to moderate hypertension, bringing them back into the normal range. “We’re not talking about a few points that we typically see with some of the natural approaches. We see dramatic clinically relevant reductions just by taking a simple dietary supplement,” he says.
“My key message is that there are safe and effective alternatives [to drugs],” Murray says. “We use those safe and effective alternatives until the diet and lifestyle and attitude adjustments have a chance to take hold. But we don’t lose focus. We focus on those real key areas that really lead to the condition arising in the first place diet, lifestyle and attitude.”
12 Nutrients to Consume Daily
Consume the following 12 nutrients daily to equip your body with the cancer-fighting tools it requires to prevent and treat cancerous growth.
#1 Ursolic Acid
Holy basil leaf
Holy basil is a good source of ursolic acid, along with other common herbs such as lavender, peppermint, oregano, and thyme
A dietary compound found in herbal medicines such as holy basil, as well as in the natural waxy coating of fruits like apples, ursolic acid has extraordinary anti-cancer potential. Ursolic acid has been shown to treat cancers of the skin, colon, breast, lung, cervix, prostate, esophagus, and pancreas.
Specifically, ursolic acid reduced tumor size and distant organ metastasis of colorectal cancer cells, likely by blocking the expression of proteins needed for their survival, proliferation, and metastasis.
Researchers are aware of ursolic acids ability to reduce inflammation-promoting enzymes despite not having a full understanding of all biological functions which ursolic acid affects. Reducing the levels of these enzymes is critical to blocking abnormal cell cycles and preventing the expression of genes which turn off cellular apoptosis. In other words, ursolic acid increases cancer cell apoptosis and prevents DNA replication, a typical characteristic of cancerous growth that would otherwise lead to metastasis.
Increasing the ursolic acid content of your daily nutrient intake can inhibit tumors from forming in your body. Many health practitioners supplement with a dose of 150-300 mg ursolic acid 3 times daily for optimal benefits. This is much more than you could get from using apple peels and holy basil which have between 5-10 mg of ursolic acid per serving. Waxy apple peels and holy basil do have other phytonutrients that are beneficial for the bodys immune system, however, and shouldnt be discarded.
#2 Piperine
spoonful of black pepper
Piperine is found in black pepper and is responsible for its pungent flavor
Every year colorectal cancer kills more than 639,000 individuals worldwide. One of the major causes likely to blame for such a high statistic is a bacterium known as H. pylori, which invades the gastrointestinal lining of more than half of the worlds population and is carcinogenic. Known as the King of Spices, piperine a compound found in black pepper helps reduce the incidence of cancers relating to the stomach and breast. Piperine has traditionally been used to treat symptoms of cold and fever. Most recently it has gained attention for its cancer fighting properties.
Direct research suggests that piperine has anti-inflammatory effects on H. pylori-induced gastritis and may potentially be useful in prevention of H. pylori-associated gastric carcinogenesis. Piperine appears to prevent H. pylori growth by preventing it from adhering to the gastrointestinal surface.
Piperine has also been shown to target cancer stem cells of breast tumors in testing. As a result of piperines actions, the H. pylori bacterium cannot release toxins, cause stress, raise inflammation levels, and promote cancer growth. The antimutagenic factors which piperine induces may be due to its ability to prevent proteins from binding which would normally stimulate cancer formation. Add piperine to your daily diet by including freshly ground high quality black pepper in marinades, salad dressings, sauces, dips, and soups.
#3 Lycopene
blood oranges containing lycopene
Lycopene is found in fruits and vegetables with red flesh such as blood oranges and pink watermelon
Lycopene is a bioactive compound that destroys cancer cell activity. Foods rich in lycopene include red-fleshed colored fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, watermelons, pink grapefruit, and even so-called blood oranges. In fact, red-fleshed sweet orange juice that contains high levels of beta-carotene and lycopene has been shown to have potential chemopreventive effects on leukemia cells in laboratory experiments.
Consuming a lycopene-rich diet is as easy as snacking on watermelon on hot summer days, or adding a bowl of grapefruit to your yogurt in the winter. Add pulp back into your beverage when juicing citrus foods containing lycopene. Increase the bioavailability of lycopene in foods by simmering tomato skins before consumption and enjoy homemade pasta sauce and salsa.
Lycopenes anti-cancer properties stem from its ability to increase cytotoxicity and apoptosis in cancer cells. This nutrient disrupts cancer stem cells communication signals which help a cancer cell to flourish and instead increases its risk of dying. Cancers which lycopene may be effective at preventing include cervix, colon, lung, and prostate cancer.
If you are looking to avoid carbohydrates and stay on a ketogenic diet, you may want to consider supplementing with 30-50 mg of lycopene, 1-2 times daily. This is about the same amount you would get from eating 2 servings of organic tomato sauce.
#4 Isothiocyanates
Three-day-old broccoli sprouts
Three-day-old broccoli sprouts contain 10-100 times higher levels of sulforaphane than a mature head of broccoli
Isothiocyanates are derived from naturally occurring sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, wasabi, horseradish, mustard, radish, and watercress contain many types of glucosinolates, each of which forms a different isothiocyanate when hydrolyzed in our body.
Isothiocyanates such as sulforaphane may help to prevent cancer by eliminating potential carcinogens and by enhancing production of so-called tumor suppressor proteins. In other words, consuming isothiocyanates through cruciferous vegetable consumption may decrease cancer risk although boiling and microwaving cruciferous vegetables is known to reduce the bioavailability of isothiocyanates. Depending on the particular vegetable, either consume raw (eg. broccoli sprouts and watercress) or lightly steam (eg. Brussels sprouts, kale, and cauliflower) to retain the most nutrients.
Isothiocyanates promote detoxification, enhance immunity, activate cancer inhibiting agents, and prevent against tumor growth related to the breast, stomach, spleen, prostate, and colon. Isothiocyanates inhibit cancer in many ways. They:
Prevent toxins from accumulating
Prevent inflammation
Stimulate antioxidant potential
Increase healthy gut microflora and remove carcinogenic bacteria linked to stomach cancer
Promote phase 2 enzymes which stimulate antioxidant powerhouses such as glutathione
Increase Nrf2 signaling pathways known to block tumor formation
You too can benefit from the many health benefits of isothiocyanates by adding them to your diet. Although cruciferous vegetables are excellent sources of these powerful compounds, it turns out their sprouts are far more powerful cancer fighting foods. For instance, did you know that cruciferous sprouts can contain up to 100 times more of the glucosinolate compounds needed for the body to produce isothiocyanates than an entire head of broccoli can provide?!
If choosing to supplement with sulforophane, many health practitioners advise taking 300-600 mg, 1-2 times daily. This is especially useful for complementing treatment against hormone-sensitive cancers, as isothiocyanates are very good estrogen detoxifiers.
#5 Curcumin
Turmeric root next to bowl of powdered turmeric
Turmeric is a member of the ginger family that has been used for centuries in traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine
Turmeric is a herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family. The rhizomes of this plant are boiled, dried, and ground into a deep-orange-yellow powder that is used as a spice in Indian cuisine, for dyeing, and to impart color to mustard condiments. One active ingredient of this turmeric powder is curcumin.
Curcumin has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. Curcumin prevents chronic inflammation and can also decrease risk of cancer development. Curcumin regulates various factors and substances involved with cancer stem cells and manipulates multiple signaling pathways that are necessary for cancer formation.
Curcumin has shown to target cancer cells by turning off factors which normally would suppress apoptosis, preventing angiogenesis which supplies nutrients and blood flow to cancer cells, and inhibiting tumor invasion and metastasis.
The following types of cancers have been shown to be suppressed by curcumin:
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Leukemia
Kidney
Renal
Bladder
Brain
Ovarian
Liver
Lung
Colorectal
Cervical
Breast
Prostate
Many health practitioners recommend taking 500-1000 mg doses, 3-4 times daily with food. Curcumin should also be mixed with piperine from black pepper and taken with a fat-based meal for optimal absorption.
#6 EGCG
cup of green tea with EGCG for anti-cancer nutrition
EGCG and other green tea antioxidants have been found to stop cancer cells from growing, kill cancer cells, and prevent the formation and growth of new blood vessels in tumors
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, also referred to as EGCG, is a polyphenol found in green tea. EGCG is linked to numerous health benefits including its ability to treat cancer.
Did you know that sipping on green tea regularly can reduce your risk of breast, colon, prostate, and lung cancer? You could also make a green tea base instead of water to add to your smoothies.
EGCG prevents cancer cells from multiplying, causing inflammation, and invading new tissue and it also interrupts cancer stem cells communication pathways. Researchers have found that EGCG inhibits critical proteins required for cancer cell survival from binding and shuts off mechanisms which induce cancerous cell growth.
Matcha green tea is the most potent form of EGCG. One glass of Matcha is equivalent to 10 glasses of a commercial green tea in terms of its nutritional value and antioxidant content. One could also supplement with 400-800 mg of EGCG, 1-2 times daily. Always use this earlier in the day as it can be stimulating.
One caveat is that green tea does reduce folate absorption. If using green tea daily, it is advisable to consume extra raw green vegetables (that are rich in folate) in salads or juices or to supplement with an extra 500 mg of methylfolate or calcium folinate.
#7 Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)
Vitamin D3 bottle
Vitamin D3 deficiency is one of the most common factors associated with the development of cancer
Did you know that approximately 10,000 cancer cells are produced daily in your body and have the ability to invade, multiply, and spread to other areas? Vitamin D3 deficiency is one of the most common factors associated with the pathogenesis development) of cancer. Unfortunately, our lack of time spent outdoors in natural sunlight and the increase in use of synthetic drugs has lowered our bodys ability to absorb nutrients from the sun and vitamin D sources from food. Needless to say, proper intake of vitamin D3 daily is required for the prevention of cancer.
Vitamin D3 has been shown in doses of 20,000 IU to act as an effective therapy in delaying the onset of cancer and alleviating systemic inflammation. Perhaps most vital for D3 daily intake is the production of GcMAF, a protein which inhibits cancer cells and boosts the immune systems natural response to invasive agents such as cancer. GcMAF can eradicate tumors completely but requires adequate vitamin D3 levels for its activity.
Ideal levels for vitamin D3 (25-hydoxy vitamin D) are between 60-100 ng/ml with the ideal range between 80-100 ng/ml for individuals looking to prevent or slow cancer growth. As a general rule, take 1,000 IUs per 25 pounds (11.3 kg) of body weight to slowly raise your vitamin D levels into range or take 2,000 IUs per 25 pounds of body weight to quickly raise your vitamin D levels.
Because vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient, it is important to take the supplement with a fat-based meal for optimal absorption.
#8 Resveratrol
grape skins are a high source of resveratrol
While grape skins are one of the highest sources of resveratrol, its nearly impossible to get enough of this nutrient through diet alone
Resveratrol is a natural phenol produced naturally by several plants in response to injury or when under attack by bacteria or fungi. Food sources of resveratrol include the skins of grapes (as well as wine made from grape skins), blueberries, raspberries, and mulberries.
This phenolic compound has a profound ability to prevent and heal metabolic conditions such as cancer. It is designed to protect our cells from damage and assist in extending their lifespan and improving normal cells processes which cause repair. The cancer-protective properties of resveratrol have been shown to prevent and heal cancers related to the prostate, liver, colon, pancreas, skin, and various other organs.
Adding a resveratrol supplement to your daily diet may be needed as getting enough of this cancer fighting nutrient solely from your diet is not possible given its low concentrations in foods and beverages. Patients combating cancer can take more than 200 mg of resveratrol daily. Non-cancer patients can take 20-100 mg of resveratrol every day to reap optimal anti-cancer benefits.
#9 6-Gingerol
The unique fragrance and flavor of ginger come from its natural oils the most important of which is gingerol which has been studied for its powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects
The unique fragrance and flavor of ginger come from its natural oils the most important of which is gingerol which has been studied for its powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects
Ginger is an excellent source of the phytonutrient 6-gingerol, which reduces nitric oxide production associated with inflammation and other cellular disturbances. 6-Gingerol protects against free radical damage and possesses powerful neuroprotective capabilities. Studies show that 6-gingerol stimulates antioxidant defenses and pharmacological pathways for healing.
To get the benefits of 6-gingerol, try sipping on ginger in your tea, add it to meat marinades, shave on vegetable dishes and include in your recipes for coleslaw and salad dressings to improve the chemoprotective properties of your meals. It is also advisable to consume fermented ginger, which is commonly used in Asian dishes such as sushi and in the Korean dish kimchi.
#10 Silymarin
Silymarin the main active ingredient in milk thistle
Silymarin is the main active ingredient in milk thistle. Silymarin is both an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and is commonly used as a natural treatment for liver problems
Also known as milk thistle, Silymarin is a flavonoid which protects against skin and colon cancer. This healing nutrient acts as a strong detoxifying substance able to promote the function of the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. Silymarin has shown therapeutic potential in preventing and treating cancers of the skin, prostate, cervix, and breast.
The ability of Silymarin to promote oxygenation to blood cells and increase enzymatic activity of antioxidants like glutathione and superoxide dismutase (SOD) are believed to contribute to its chemotherapeutic effects. Silymarin inhibits carcinogens from accumulating in organs of the body, which assists in detoxification processes and decreases the risk of cancerous cell growth.
Lower your risk of developing cancer by supplementing your diet with 200-600 mg of milk thistle daily to prevent against toxic waste build up and inflammation.
#11 Quercetin
apples for anti-cancer nutrition
Primary dietary sources of the antioxidant quercetin include citrus fruits, apples, onions, parsley, sage, tea, and red wine
Quercetin is a dietary antioxidant found in fruits, vegetables, teas, and wine. Quercetin has been shown to specifically interfere with cancer stem cells by blocking communication to processes which stimulate free radical production. As a result, hazardous and cancer-stimulating free radicals such as reactive oxygen species are drastically reduced.
Quercetin exhibits anti-cancer properties which improve the production of other antioxidant levels such as glutathione and SOD, thereby further preventing free radical damage and cancer growth. High doses of quercetin may be used to impair the expression of cancer stem cell-activating genes linked to leukemia. Quercetin can relieve inflammation and acts as an antihistamine due to its impact on lowering immune cell responses.
Consuming organic apples (including the skin), red onions, green tea, raspberries, and dark colored tomatoes are great ways to increase quercetin in your diet and lower your risk of cancer. If choosing to supplement with quercetin, it is recommended to take 400-500 mg, 2-3 times per day.
#12 Anthocyanins
anthocyanin anti-cancer food
The name anthocyanin is derived from cyan in Greek which means dark blue. The deep blue and purple colors of anthocyanins are created at the cellular level and provide sun protection for plants and us when we consume them
Over 600 types of anthocyanins are found naturally in plants such as berries (especially bilberries), grapes, red cabbage, red onions, eggplant, tea, and specific varieties of oranges. Anthocyanins increase the function of genes which act to inhibit tumor growth pathways in cancer stem cells. Anthocyanins are also equipped to trigger apoptosis by manipulating cell signaling between cancer stem cells and tumors.
Anthocyanins enable the body to naturally heal making them potentially useful in treating colorectal cancer, reducing breast cancer tumors, and limiting leukemia cells from spreading. These dietary components have the ability to control cancer stem cells which otherwise are uncontrollable. Anthocyanins enhance the productivity of genes which suppress tumors, induce apoptosis in colon cancer cells, and create dysfunction in leukemia cells.
Consuming nutrient-dense, anthocyanin-rich foods can help to protect your body from developing cancer and fight already present tumors. Having a handful of organic blueberries or blackberries each day is a fantastic way to get more of these nutrients into your system.
One of the best ways to get anthocyanins is to make fermented sauerkraut with red cabbage and red onions. The final product is rich in isothiocyanates, anthocyanins, and other sulfur compounds that boost glutathione and cancer stem cell-killing compounds.
Committing to an Anti-Cancer/ Enhancing your Memory Diet
The solution to killing cancer stem cells is found in our diets. This is a resolution which must be committed to for the long-term. Plant-based diets rich in nutrients which fight chronic inflammation, slow cellular aging, stimulate normal cellular functioning and most importantly, target and destroy cancer stem cells is vital to living a cancer-free life.
Shutting down the signaling pathways which stimulate pro-survival mechanisms in cancer stem cells is necessary to living a cancer-free life and can be accomplished with the 12 nutrients discussed in this article.
So how do you plan to implement these nutrients into your lifestyle on a regular basis to give you and your family the best cancer protection?