356 Antioxidants & Cancer [8 Feb 2016]

Last week I mentioned biomedical scientist Dr. Rhonda Patrick who was interviewed by Dr. Mercola about mitochondria. One of the video lectures on her website (foundmyfitness.com) is titled “Do Antioxidants Cause Cancer?”

Since oxidative damage from free radicals is known to cause cancer, and antioxidants protect us from that damage, it was believed that supplementing with antioxidants should prevent cancer. Research results, however, have been rather disappointing and in some cases found that antioxidants can even increase cancer risk. What’s going on?

Dr. Patrick explains that it is important to understand how antioxidants work and the context of the studies. It is now understood that free radicals play a beneficial role in the cells at low levels and in certain circumstances. One of these is in the role of apoptosis (programmed cell death) of damaged cells to prevent their proliferation into cancer. One study found that supplementing mice with vitamin E prevented DNA damage in the control group (without cancer) but increased the rate of cancer growth in the mice with cancer. The vitamin E prevented the activation of the Tumor Suppressor Genes which would have otherwise killed the cancer cells, and allowed them to proliferate faster. Patrick advised that vitamin E in doses near the RDA (22 IU/day in Canada) is probably beneficial unless you already have cancer in which case it should be avoided.

The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) found a statistically increased risk of prostate cancer in men taking alpha tocopherol (400 IU) but not in those also taking selenium (200 mcg). Patrick explains that mega doses of alpha tocopherol depletes levels of another form of vitamin E, gamma tocopherol. Previous studies found the risk of prostate cancer was 5 times higher in men with the lowest gamma tocopherol levels compared with the highest. Gamma, but not alpha, tocopherol acts on a group of free radicals called Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) which are involved in prostate cancer. Selenium, as part of a compound called Selenoprotein P, also protects against the RNS free radicals. Patrick’s conclusion: if you supplement with vitamin E, choose one with both alpha and gamma tocopherols, and again stay close to the RDA.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

355 Mitochondria & Degenerative Disease [1 Feb 2016]

I enjoyed reading the book “Oxygen: the molecule that made the world” by Nick Lane so I bought his book about mitochondria with the eye-catching title “Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the meaning of life” (I’m sure the publishers, rather than the authors, come up with these titles!). The mercola.com topic for January 24 was “How your mitochondria influence your health” which featured Dr. Rhonda Patrick, a biomedical scientist.

Dr. Patrick has studied the roles of micronutrients and degenerative diseases, particularly as they relate to mitochondria. She is a frequent speaker, prolific writer and runs her own website (foundmyfitness.com) where she shares her insights with the public.

I wrote several columns about mitochondria last January (#301, #302, #303). To review: mitochondria are tiny organelles inside almost every cell of our body which generate the energy for all cell functions by converting our food to CO2 and water in a complex biochemical pathway called respiration. In the process of respiration electrons sometimes leak out of the system where they combine with oxygen or nitrogen to form free radicals called Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) or Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) which can damage the mitochondrial DNA. Damage to the DNA eventually results in the death of the mitochondrion. When enough mitochondria die, the cell dies; when enough cells in a tissue or organ dies, the organ fails causing degenerative disease and ultimately our own death.

So what can we do to slow the free radical damage to our cells:
• ensure we have sufficient micronutrients to prevent free radical formation: Co-enzyme Q10, L-carnitine, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, all B vitamins, ALA.
• especially magnesium which is essential for the enzymes which repair damaged DNA and for mitochondrial biogenesis (creating of new mitochondria)
• exercise induces mitochondrial biogenesis which reduces free radical creation by spreading out the workload so the mitochondria can work more efficiently
• avoid over eating and eating before bedtime which causes the respiration pathway to back up spilling more electrons and creating more free radicals

In summary, looking after our mitochondria will go far in avoiding degenerative disease and premature death, and help us enjoy a longer and higher-quality life.

For those so inclined, here is a more scholarly article on mitochondrial DNA damage and longevity: Reinald Pamplona, “Mitochondrial DNA Damage and Animal Longevity: Insights from Comparative Studies,” Journal of Aging Research, vol. 2011.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

351 Oxygen and Disease [4 Jan 2016]

Over the holidays I read a book (on my new Kindle e-reader!) by Nick Lane (2002) called “Oxygen: the molecule that made the world”. The first half of the book describes how oxygen affected the evolution of life on earth, and vice-versa. The second half explores the dual role that oxygen plays in health and disease.

Oxygen is essential for life; without a fresh supply we die in a matter of minutes. Fuel from the food we eat is combined with oxygen in the mitochondria of our cells to produce the energy that runs our bodies (see #302 January 2015). But in the process, oxidative free radicals like hydroxyl, super oxide and hydrogen peroxide are formed. Until neutralized by antioxidants, these free radicals damage whatever they come in contact with including cell membranes and DNA. Most free radicals attack the mitochondria in which they are created but some spill out where they can damage the rest of the cell including the nuclear DNA. As we age this damage accumulates at a faster and faster rate until we die. That’s the free radical theory of aging. For more on this see my column #303 from January 2015.

Lane defines oxidative stress as “an imbalance between free-radical production and antioxidant protection”. But oxidative stress isn’t all bad, in fact it is a necessary component of our immune reaction to infection. Infections create oxidative stress which triggers the immune system to produce both inflammation to attack the infection and stress resistance to protect our cells. The problem is that the rise in oxidative stress from aging also triggers inflammation. But unlike the infection, this doesn’t go away and so becomes chronic. And chronic inflammation is behind most if not all the diseases of aging. The same process that protects us from infection when we are young causes suffering and eventually death in old age.

So what can be done to prevent or reduce this suffering? Lane mentions the spice curcumin for its ability to suppress inflammation by stimulating activity of the anti-stress enzyme haem oxygenase. To me an even better approach would be to increase mitochondrial glutathione to prevent oxidative damage at its source (see #304, 318 & 319 Feb & May 2015).

Oxygen – the molecule that gives us life also causes disease and death. We can only try to postpone the inevitable.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.