diet adjustment

“Could Diet Adjustment Prevent Aggressive Prostate Cancer?” – an article from Cancer Therapy Advisor can be accessed here.

Comments from Dr. Rosenberg on the article:

Please do not use the ketogenic diet for all cancers! Prostate cancer has a different metabolic phenotype than the classic glycolytic cancers, where the “Warburg effect” applies. 

Prostate cancer tends to increase their uptake of amino acids, such as glutamine and arginine, as well as fatty acids. Prostate cancer also increases expression of the enzyme fatty acid synthase, to help synthesize long-chain fatty acids. As I mentioned in prior issues, there is significant data to suggest that statins may inhibit prostate cancer. Because of prostate cancer’s reliance on lipids, the FDG-PET scan is not an ideal imaging study. 

So what kind of diet should prostate cancer patients follow? Low fat diet, but keep in mind, that as the cancer progresses and mutates, some of the lesions may become glycolytic, requiring low carbohydrate intake as well.

January 10th, 2019

Posted In: cancer care, Cancer Prevention, Healthy Lifestyle

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small-daily-dose

 A small, daily dose of Viagra may reduce colorectal cancer risk – an article by ScienceDaily can be accessed here.

Comments from Dr. Rosenberg on the Article:

Over the last decade, researchers have elucidated the roles that impairment of cGMP signaling pathway by PDE5 activity inhibition plays in the regulation of tumor development, and progression.

PDE5 inhibition could be associated with a decreased risk of human cancer development and suppression of tumor progression in several malignancies including those of the lung, prostate, breast and colon. PDE5 inhibitors may also provide an additional anti-tumor immune response in patients affected by myeloma and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. In addition, a synergistic effect with current chemotherapeutic regimens and monoclonal antibodies has been reported.

Although it likely will not cause harm to use PDE5 inhibitors as both a cancer preventative, as well as an adjunct to existing therapies, some questions need to be answered:

1. Which are the most effective class of PDE5 inhibitors against cancer?

2. Within each class, which drug(s) is the most effective?

3. Optimal dosage?

December 20th, 2018

Posted In: cancer care, Cancer Prevention, Healthy Lifestyle

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depression

Source Credit: This article was originally released by the the European Society for Medical Oncology in December, 2016.

A brain-boosting protein plays an important role in how well people respond to chemotherapy, researchers report at the ESMO Asia 2016 Congress in Singapore.

A study has found that cancer patients suffering depression have decreased amounts of brain-derived neurotophic factor (BDNF) in their blood. Low levels make people less responsive to cancer drugs and less tolerant of their side-effects.

Lead author Yufeng Wu, head of oncology, department of internal medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China, said: “It’s crucial doctors pay more attention to the mood and emotional state of patients. “Depression can reduce the effects of chemotherapy and BDNF plays an important role in this process.”

Low mood is common among cancer patients, especially the terminally ill. BDNF is essential for healthy brain function and low levels have already been linked with mental illness. This study aimed to discover how depression influenced outcomes for people with advanced lung cancer.

Researchers recruited 186 newly diagnosed patients receiving chemotherapy. To assess their state of mind, they were asked to rate their depression levels the day before treatment began. Quality of life details, overall survival and other data were also collected. This allowed researchers to compare this information with the patients’ mood scores.

Results showed that those whose cancer had spread to other organs were the most depressed and this severely decreased their tolerance to chemotherapy. It was associated with vomiting, a reduction in white blood cells, and prolonged hospital stays. The impact of severe depression was even greater. It reduced the length of time that patients lived with the disease without it getting worse.

Researchers found that BDNF clearly boosted the number of tumour cells killed by chemotherapy. Patients with severe depression had lower levels of the protein in the blood so their bodies were not as effective at fighting cancer. This reduced their chance of surviving the disease.

“Our aim now is to prescribe drugs such as fluoxetine to depressed patients and study their sensitivity to chemotherapy,” added Wu. Commenting on the results of the research, Ravindran Kanesvaran, consultant medical oncologist and assistant professor, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, said: “The link between depression and poor outcomes among these patients is significant and can be associated with the downregulation of brain derived neurotrophic factor.

“This finding can perhaps lead to new ways to treat depression in these patients which in turn may prolong their lives. Further research is needed to establish the effects of different anti-depressant drugs on BDNF levels.”

March 29th, 2017

Posted In: cancer care, Healthy Lifestyle

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coffee

If you love coffee like I do, you wouldn’t think of starting your day without a cup or two of your favorite coffee.  Like me, it helps your brain wake up, helps you think more clearly, and helps you get on your way for the day.

But did you know that drinking coffee regularly has another really important benefit – especially as you get older?

Prevent Retinal Damage with Your Morning Coffee

As amazing as that sounds, a recent study out of Cornell University proved it to be true. Researchers found that drinking a daily cup of coffee can help prevent vision damage, especially the type that comes with getting older – retinal damage.

And if you gave up coffee drinking because of the caffeine you can still get the vision protection.   That’s because the active ingredient in coffee that protects the retina is CLA – chlorogenic acid.

Researchers found that chlorogenic acid is a powerful antioxidant found previously to prevent retinal damage in lab animals.  The retina is the part of your eye responsible for refracting light coming into your eye.  It’s what allows you to make visual sense of the world through delineating images.

To do this important job, the retina needs a lot of oxygen.  This can make it more subject to oxidative stress from free radicals.  In lab animals tested, nitric oxide was administered to create oxidative stress and retinal damage.  Yet, the animals who received a pre-treatment with chlorogenic acid did not develop retinal damage.

As a result, exciting new avenues of research are being undertaken in the study of CLA for treatment of retinal damage.  If CLA is found to cross the blood retinal barrier – meaning CLA can be carried through the blood to the retina – then doctors can simply prescribe a certain type of coffee to drink to prevent/treat retinal damage.  But for now, you can get the same benefit just by drinking your same cup of coffee every morning.

But protecting the retina isn’t the only health benefit recently attributed to coffee.   It has also been found to cut the risk of these other age-related conditions as well:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Type 2 diabetes – lowers blood
sugar levels.
• Alzheimer disease – fights
development of beta amyloid
plaques.
• Prostate cancer
• Age-related cognitive decline

The chlorogenic acid in coffee seems to confer anti-aging benefits through boosting the immune system via its antioxidant capacity.  You can also get chlorogenic acid in a tablet form from green coffee bean extract.

What Else Can You Do To Protect Your Retina?

Protecting your retina essentially involves fighting oxidative stress damage from free radicals.  This can increase as you get older if you don’t take steps to block, or neutralize, it.  Besides your daily coffee, here are some other things you can do to protect your retina:

1.  Nutrition. A high antioxidant diet helps minimize oxidative stress throughout your entire body.  Antioxidants include astaxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamins A, C, E, zinc, gingko biloba, turmeric, selenium.  Omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in fish, krill or flax seed oil, have also been found to be beneficial to the retina.  They help prevent blood vessel damage/loss which leads to the formation of new, deformed blood vessels.  These deformed blood vessels lead to the retina pulling away from the back of the eye causing blindness.  Also, limit/omit refined sugars.  These can cause a lot of inflammation in your body from too much acid.

2.  Protection.  Bright sunlight can damage not only the retina but the lens and result in cataracts. Wear protective sunglasses with a high UV ray blocking capacity.  The best glasses block 100% of UV rays and HEV (high energy visible) rays.  Glasses that wrap further around to cover the entire eye prevents light getting in from the side.  Also, prevent trauma to the eye. Retinal damage/ detachments occur most often after trauma to the eye.

3.  Regular eye check-ups.  Seeing an ophthalmologist once a year – especially over age 50, and if you’re diabetic – is important.  A retinal exam is done where special drops are placed in your eye.  The eye doctor is then able to see the back of the eye, where the retina is, to look for tears, floaters, etc.  Dark spots that bounce around in your vision are called “floaters”.  They occur when tiny bits of vitreous humor break away. They are usually harmless but could be a warning sign of retinal detachment – especially if you have a “shower” of them occur at once.

4.  Regular medical care.  As you get older, it’s important to also get regular medical check-ups and lab tests to look for diabetes.  It’s one of the major vision robbing conditions and people over age 50 are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  In addition, cardiovascular disease can also affect your eyes and vision.  If your heart’s blood pumping ability is impaired, your eyes won’t receive the nutrients and oxygen they need.

5.  Aerobic Exercise.  Your eyes also benefit from aerobic exercise as much as the rest of you does.  Aerobic exercise builds your oxygen intake capacity and that oxygen travels via your blood stream to your eyes.

Protecting your vision at any age is important but especially so as you get older.  It should be one of the primary concerns in fighting aging.  Keeping a healthy vision will allow you to stay independent and maintain your activity level as you get older.  Having a simple cup – or 2 – of coffee every morning is a good way to start.

February 20th, 2017

Posted In: Healthy Agin, Healthy Lifestyle, Nutrition

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dancing

There is a fun, simple activity anyone can do at any age, that on a regular basis is really good for your health. Dancing is an easy activity that may even lengthen your life.

It might sound too good to be true – fun and exercise don’t usually go together.  But, it is true and health researchers continue to prove it all the time.  Here’s what dancing several times a week can do for health, especially for older people:

Fires up brain cells
The New England Journal of Medicine reported that dancing just twice a week decreases your risk of developing dementia.  It also helped stimulate the memory of people who already had Alzheimer’s dementia.

Strengthens bones
Any movement where your feet impact the floor, or ground, stimulates your bones to grow.  But dancing is very gentle on joints so people with arthritis find dancing easier to do than other forms of exercise.

Brightens your mood
Many older people can be prone to mood shifts from changing hormones and loneliness.  Listening and dancing to upbeat music stimulates the production of “happy hormones” in your brain.  Pretty soon, you’re moving to the beat, laughing and having a great time.

Reduces stress
Stress is the #1 health hazard of older people. Chronic stress can lead to a chronic flood of hormones that create inflammation throughout your body.  As you’ve probably read in my articles before, inflammation is the #1 cause of many illnesses.  Studies show dancing promotes a positive outlook on life.  Once you start dancing, the “feel good” factor keeps your interest from waning. You’ll want to keep going back for more.

Boosts flexibility & balance
Dancing makes your body move in space in a 3-dimensional way.  It stimulates your brain to work harder to keep you balanced, upright, and prevent falling. You strengthen, and make more flexible, those muscles that keep you balanced, like those of your core, lower back, gluteus, and thigh muscles. Falls are the primary cause for fractures in older people.

Boosts oxygen intake
As you get older, your lung capacity can decrease, simply because you don’t get enough regular aerobic exercise to keep their capacity strong.  Decreased oxygen intake has a great impact on every tissue of your body, most notably your brain and heart.

Less oxygen in your blood makes your metabolism slow down and all your functions to slow.  Dancing comfortably increases your lung capacity and endurance.  As a result you get less tired and winded doing simple activities of daily living – climbing stairs, carrying grocery bags, laundry, etc. And your heart and brain work more efficiently.

But you don’t have to confine your dancing to your home.  Especially if you live alone, you might consider getting out and taking a dance class with others.  Doing so can add even more longevity health benefits.  It’s also of special benefit to single people.

It’s been known for a while now that older people who live alone are more prone to depression and loneliness.  These 2 factors create chronic stress and dangerous inflammation.  People stay healthier and live longer when they have more satisfying social lives.

Even just going to the gym everyday doesn’t really have the same social benefits that dancing in a class with others does.  In the gym, there’s not much opportunity to connect with people.  Most have their headphones plugged into their music and are focused on their workouts.

In a dance class, you come in close proximity to other people as you dance.  You physically and mentally need to connect with them in order to perform.  A study out of the Albert Einstein University College of Medicine has shown that people who dance socially have less depression, stress and loneliness.  Whether its ballroom, square or line dancing, ballet, zumba, sweating to the oldies, hip hop, or jazz, dancing offers the chance to interact with people and make new friends.

So, whether you just want to dance like no one’s watching in your living room, or get out and learn a new dance in a class, or join a weekly dance club, regular dancing can boost both your physical and mental health.  And that’s the key to living longer – health and happiness!

January 31st, 2017

Posted In: Healthy Lifestyle

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