Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts

Monday, 21 October 2024

Sea Moss, Iodine and more

So last year I read ‘The Iodine Crisis: What You Don't know About Iodine Can Wreck Your Life’ by Lynne Farrow. It wasn’t a wonderfully written book but it did reintroduce me to the fact that many of us maybe not getting enough iodine. The book for example notes that rates of iodine consumption have dropped 50% since the 1970s.

The book goes onto suggest a possible causal link that “decreased iodine consumption corresponds with the dramatic rise in breast cancer, prostate cancer and thyroid disease.” It also has a huge number of personal ‘iodine stories’ about the wonders of iodine; this maybe useful to some but I am always a little wary of lists of personal stories, preferring more the research - having said that the book also covers some of the research.


Back in early 2019 I had a urine Iodine test with Genova that showed 15 ug/L (0.12 umol/L). This was considered very low by some nutritionists who say that less than 20 is severe deficiency. However there are disagreements among scientists about what are correct levels. Indeed in Japan it has been shown that they may well be having 100 times higher rates of iodine in their diet than the West!


Back in 2019, as I noted in this blog, I did supplement with Lugol’s solution; this has the two types of iodine that the body uses and it was used with people around Chernobyl after the disaster.


When I re-tested the iodine in 2020 I was just over normal levels so stopped supplementation and used occasional seaweed flakes - more of that in a mo. Certainly all practitioners say you need to test to check iodine levels before supplementing. Interestingly following radiation treatment a hair analysis (a technique that some dismiss as inaccurate or even bogus) in December 2021 showed low levels again of iodine. I don’t seem to have got to grips with how much to take and would in retrospect have considered increasing iodine intake during and after radiation.


In that earlier 2019 blog I quoted a doctor, Michael B. Schachter, saying, “Iodine may be needed in individualized doses to improve thyroid function, immune function, and the optimal functioning of all the cells in the body; several associated nutrients need to be given including vitamin C, selenium, magnesium, unrefined salt, and sufficient water; these help to prevent strong detoxification reactions as a result of the release of bromine from the tissues when iodine is given in milligram quantities. These higher milligram doses rather than microgram doses help to enhance anti-cancer functions in most if not all cancers, but certainly in cancers of the thyroid, breast, ovary, and prostate.”


Iodine kills cancer cells


The Canceractive website notes: “Research studies show that iodine can kill cancer cells and cancer stem cells, improve the oxygenation of cells, improve metabolic function and enhance the immune system in its search for rogue and pre-cancer cells. 88% of people have been shown to be seriously deficient in iodine on cancer diagnosis. Having good iodine levels can reduce pathogen levels, and lower the risk of anaemia. Importantly, it can upregulate an inactive p53 gene so that it causes cancer cell death. Iodine deficiency is known to cause pre-cancerous fibrocystic disease, which can lead to breast cancer. Iodine supplementation can maintain breast health. Prostate cancer and colorectal cancer patients have also clear and recorded benefits from the supplementation of iodine”. Read more including references to research in Canceractive’s January 2024 article: https://www.canceractive.com/article/iodine-and-cancer


Thyroid disease is associated with an increased prostate cancer risk. A healthy prostate will have a concentration of Iodine according to a Canadian study; it was found that there were 29% less prostate cases in the group with high iodine, when compared with those men with low iodine. While other research has shown that prostate cancer cells take up iodine easily and it can cause apoptosis. Yay!


Of course this research needs to be repeated before we can be more certain but it indicates to me that we should be taking the issue of our iodine intake more seriously.


Why iodine depletion?


There is a short chapter in Lynne Farrow’s book looking at the role of the iodine-blocking element bromine and how it has ‘purged iodine from our bodies’. Bromine is found in pesticides, fire retardants, plastic packaging, drugs, some baked products and soft drinks. Bromides are also now added to flour; whereas iodine was added to bread prior to the 1980s.


Fluoridation and chlorine both displace iodine in the body – so our water supplies can deplete levels along with toothpaste, mouthwash and more. Lastly soil depletion’s meant lower levels of iodine and we also now consume less iodine-rich foods like prawns, sea fish, eggs and iodised salt.


What to take?


Well it seems to me that we must test before supplementation with iodine using for example Lugol’s or Nascent Iodine - also of course check with your Oncology team. 


The other option is seaweed. One of the challenges is to get pure and heavy metal free seaweeds that don’t come from near Fukushima. Some Sea Kelp does come in tablet form but again I would be wary of over-dosing. I use Dulse and other seaweed flakes - adding them to stews, soups and more. However after revisiting this topic I will try to use it a bit more often!


Sea Moss


This seaweed is sometimes referred to as Irish Moss although several websites distinguish between the two. The Irish is more rare and allegedly has similar but slightly more health benefits. 


Sea Moss, according to conversations I’ve had here in Gloucestershire, seems to have been used in African Caribbean communities in relation to cancer; it is found along the rocky coasts of the Caribbean and has been used there in traditional medicine for centuries. It is an edible red seaweed and it is said can have 92 out of the 102 vitamins and minerals the body needs to function! It is said Sea Moss is packed with cancer-fighting nutrients, including antioxidants, fucoxanthin, polyphenols, and others. One of those nutrients is iodine and this may well also explain it’s benefit.


Organic Nature’s blog summarises the research re prostate cancer: “Sea moss and other seaweeds are excellent for men's health. They're a rich source of zinc, an essential mineral for the prostate to function correctly. Besides, sea moss's natural anti-inflammatory properties participate in reducing inflammation of the prostate. Ultimately, by improving male prostate health and function, sea moss may help reduce the occurrence of prostate cancers in men. Current investigation about the anti-prostate cancer properties of marine-derived compounds confirms that “marine species are unique and have great potential for the discovery of anti-cancer drugs.’”


A friend of mine in Stroud recently gave me a pot of her homemade Sea Moss - it is gloopy and some find that hard to eat - here’s a recipe if you want to try yourself: https://jamaicaherbal.com/blogs/herbal-secrets/sea-moss-benefits-rid-the-body-of-mucus-and-supply-essential-nutrients


As a final point on Sea Moss and seaweeds it is important to say research is very limited and iodine levels vary widely so it is hard too assess what might be a safe ‘dose’ - and clearly would not be safe for some people like those with hypothyroidism. Get advice!


Carrageenan concerns


Carrageenan is derived from red algae or seaweeds and is widely used in the food industry - however it is surrounded by controversy. There are many who consider that it is itself a health risk and indeed I personally make a point of avoiding it in foods. One example is that it is often in non-dairy milks - check out Plenish as they don’t use it and only keep to as few ingredients as possible.


I mention Carrageenan here as it is often confused with Sea Moss but they are not the same. Check out this blog that explains why: https://www.organicsnature.co/blogs/news/carrageenan-in-sea-moss-safety


Read more here re Carrageenan: https://draxe.com/nutrition/what-is-carrageenan/


Here’s Dr Gregor on seaweed and treats cancer: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/which-seaweed-is-most-protective-against-breast-cancer/


Phew another blog that became much longer than intended! To finish here’s a 4minute film from ten years ago looking at this issue with Dr David Brownstein, author of “Iodine: Why You Need It. Why You Can't Live Without It” which is now in it’s fifth edition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8Y800-xEXU

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Saturday, 15 August 2020

Finding Happiness After Covid-19

A friend, Peter Keevil, has just given me a copy of his book 'Finding Happiness After Covid-19’ that he wrote with his wife, Pam Keevil (i). There are quite a number of such books - Amazon lists over 80,000 in a search for ‘happiness' - so a tall order to bring something new to the table. What Peter and Pam do bring is NLP, coaching experience, involvement with the Action for Happiness project and the impact of Covid-19. The book contains a blend of tools and techniques to help us make positive changes happen, in our own lives and in the world around us - a Happiness Toolkit - a toolkit that is so timely following Covid-19. We so don’t need to return to the way we were pre-Covid-19. The pandemic offers us a chance to catalyse some of the individual changes that Peter and Pam are proposing.

In a previous blog I looked at some courses that were being offered while many of us were in lockdown (iii). One of those was Yale University's 'The Science of Well-Being’; more than 2.6 million people signed up by June. It was also in June when a survey showed that only 13% of UK working parents want to go back to ‘the old normal’ (iv). Many of us want change! For me part of my unease at the loosening of lockdown is that may be we’ve not yet learnt the lessons of C-19.

We have for too long been misled into chasing possessions, physical attractiveness, relationships and more money. A string of studies quoted by Santos who organised the Yale course, explain that, after a certain point money doesn’t increase happiness and emotional wellbeing (v). Similarly research shows weight loss and cosmetic surgery may not lead to increases in happiness, as well as research showing how salary goals keep rising as we earn more money. We may never feel we are making enough. We compare ourselves to others, and always are wanting more.

Indeed it seems our whole society measures the wrong things;  narrow economic indicators which don’t take account of factors affecting the quality of life for all people like personal freedom, social equity, health, happiness and human fulfilment. As a former Green Party councillor I’ve long liked the Green Party’s approach calling into question the value of GDP as a measure of national wellbeing - and most recently calling for it to be replaced with an index showing how much free time people have to enjoy - arguing that leisure can contribute more to overall happiness than wealth (vi).

Image from book
One thing that is very clear to me, is that having cancer doesn’t mean an end to happiness. Do I even need to write that?! Indeed many have described cancer as a catalyst for more happiness - not least perhaps because it teaches us gratitude. I also know many with cancer who would not feel like this! In my case, cancer has enabled me to reflect more deeply on what sometimes I’ve taken for granted in the past. And Peter and Pam’s book in their first tool in their Happiness Toolkit talk about Purpose, Compassion and Gratitude. Gratitude is big and I am indeed hugely grateful for so many things. The other two are also big ones - I have covered both purpose and compassion in a previous blog - see here (vii). If we get these three right I reckon we are well on the way!

Last week I was sent the Tedx talk that I hadn’t seen before - it was by Martin Inderbitzin who was 32 years old, with a fresh PhD degree, a new job and about to start a new life when he was suddenly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; part of that life was to be more conscious of living and to collect stories to show how cancer isn’t the end of life (viii). I don’t seem to tire of hearing these inspiring stories! So many of them have similar messages around learning to live - or as the wonderful Fi Munro, who sadly died earlier this year, said: "Choosing to live like you are dying is about embracing the fact that we all have only one life and deciding to make the choice to start truly living for today.” 
 

Happiness is 50% genetically predetermined

Image from book
Peter and Pam’s book notes the research that found 50 percent of happiness is genetically predetermined, while 40 percent is determined by how we relate to setbacks. Only 10 percent was related to the environment around us. Interestingly this 10% confirms what the research was saying earlier in this blog about new jobs, homes, partners etc not leading to more happiness. As Peter and Pam note, "it clearly makes sense to work on the forty percent that is in our control; our thoughts and actions.” It is this area the book concentrates on.

However the 50% troubles me somewhat. In a previous blog here I talked about the science of epigenetics (x). We are learning that genetics are influenced by factors like diet - and genetic damage occurs from a host of factors like pesticides, radiation, stress and more. We now know that certain foods, for example, can help to protect and repair genes from that damage. We can change the destiny of our genetic health. For me, this would be a great area to explore more, but I guess the things Peter and Pam are talking about will still impact on epigenetics.


The Toolkit

Well it seems having your heart set on happiness is not the right way to go. A study, carried out among students living in the UK, found those who said they valued happiness extremely highly tended to show greater signs of depression (xi). The researcher suggests that it maybe because such people focus on goals such as promotions, rather than helping others or spending time with family and friends; in other words focusing on the wrong way to pursue happiness.

In contrast the Happiness Toolkit is perhaps the ‘right way’ to pursue happiness - a wonderful look at so many of the things we can all do - with some exercises to complete and help us think more. One quote I particularly liked: “A lapse of any kind is just that - not a collapse and certainly not a relapse”. 

Image from book
Peter and Pam acknowledge there are more aspects than those covered in their eight tools but I guess with more it could become overwhelming. I also can see that to get the balance right in the eight tools for everyone would rarely be possible! One area that perhaps could have more focus for me is Self-Compassion - it is so key as so many of us are so self critical. In an article I like from Action For Happiness, the authors talked about three ‘components’ of self-compassion; Mindfulness, Kindness and Connecting with others (xii). They all get a mention in the book but I would have loved more on this topic.

Another area that has fascinated me is the link between health and happiness - we hear often that "laughter is the best medicine” and research does show that happiness does indeed impact on our health. We also know that there is evidence that unhappiness, anxiety, stress and depression, for example, are linked to poorer health outcomes. However according to the U.N.'s World Happiness Report 2015 good health does not appear to lead to happiness. 

I’m not sure this is entirely true….I mentioned above diet….and there is increasing evidence is linking the development of depression with poor health of our gut microbiota (xiii). For example a meta-analysis published in Molecular Psychiatry in 2018 concludes anti-inflammatory diets high in plant foods such as the Mediterranean diet are effective in protecting against the development of depression. The Alliance for Natural Health has an article with a DIY dietary approach to tackling some mental health challenges (xiv). So it would seem diet is a key factor in our mental health - and happiness?

I want to explore lots more - what do others think? Big thanks to Peter and Pam - there is much food for thought in their book and you can also sign up to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Finding-Happiness-after-Covid-19-103335108060770/
 
Update: this Tex talk was sent by a friend: Emily Esfahani Smith with 'There's more to life than being happy' - and yes this makes loads of sense:
https://www.ted.com/talks/emily_esfahani_smith_there_s_more_to_life_than_being_happy
 
Notes
 
(viii) https://youtu.be/M5QBH3wDrQY and more on the website ‘My Survival Story’: https://www.mysurvivalstory.org/ 
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Thursday, 13 August 2020

Intermittent fasting, time restricted eating and more

Fasting has been part of pretty well every culture in the past but features much less so nowadays. I’ve heard about the possible benefits to cancer but because of my low body weight I’ve not investigated further. Indeed my naturopath has advised against it in the past. A couple of years ago I read Chris Woollams who shared research that shows little or no benefit from ’Intermittent Fasting’, where people extend their overnight fast to miss an evening meal or breakfast (i). The study he quotes found; "mild caloric restriction and weight loss, without calorie counting. It may also offer clinical benefits by reducing blood pressure."(ii).

Chris went on to argue that the benefits from fasting come after about 24 hours without food. As I wasn’t ready to fast longer I dismissed the idea of shorter fasts. It is certainly true there is lots and growing evidence about longer fasting. I’ll come to that in a mo but I am also not so dismissive of the shorter 12-16 hour fasts. Although as with so many aspects of health it is hard to unpick what folks are staying - not least as there are so many versions of ‘intermittent fasting’ and of course we are all so different.

A 2016 study looked at over 2,000 women with early stage breast cancer and looked at the role prolonged night time fasting might play in breast cancer recurrence (iii). Women who had a short duration of nightly fasting (less than 13 hours between the evening meal and breakfast) were 36% more likely to experience a breast cancer recurrence than those who had a nighttime fasting duration of more than 13 hours. However the increased risk of recurrence was not associated with increased mortality from breast cancer or overall mortality. The researchers suggest that longer periods of follow-up might reveal an association. But hey this is just one piece of research….


Fasting and nutrition

A lot of the Intermittent fasting research does not seem to say much about our choices of food. Yet we know what we eat is critical. Dr. Valter Longo, Professor of the USC School of Gerontology has done loads of work in this area and written the ground-breaking book, ”The Longevity Diet”. He describes in the book his everyday diet, based in part on research including studies of centenarians and long-lived populations around the world. It is mainly plant-based, low in protein and rich in unsaturated fats and complex carbohydrates. Some fish is allowed once or twice a week - see more at: https://www.createcures.org/cancer/ Interestingly for over 65s there is some relaxation of the diet: https://www.createcures.org/longevity-diet-for-adults/

And of course following any diet should be done with the knowledge of your doctors. This is even more so when we talk below about fasting as it can have many unforeseen consequences and indeed can be very dangerous.

Longo is clear that we need to look for quality in food and not demonise any particular food group. He says in an interview in an article (Feb 2019) (iv): "The truth is fats are good and bad. Carbs are good and bad. Proteins are good and bad. Fats like olive oil, nuts, salmon are actually associated with positive effects. It is saturated fats and trans fats that are associated with a lot of problems. You hear a lot about low-carb or no-carb diets, but the right carbohydrates, including legumes, vegetables and whole grains, are very good for you. In fact, all the populations who have record longevity have a high carbohydrate diet. All of them. No exceptions. It may seem easier to label foods as good or bad, but in the long run this leads to problems”.


So yes to intermittent fasting?

In his book he clearly recommends a form of intermittent fasting - time-restricted eating - and this is in addition to his ’Longevity Diet' and the periodic five day Fasting-Mimicking Diet. In the article where Longo is quoted above, he is asked specifically about the timing of when we eat. His response is: "It turns out that it is important is to stick very close to 12 hours of feeding and 12 hours of fasting. If you eat 15 hours a day or more, that starts to be associated with metabolic problems, sleep disorders, etc. This is a new habit. If you ask centenarians, it is almost unheard of in these groups. But also, if you fast for longer than 12 or 13 hours, that starts to be associated with problems like gallstone formation, and we also know that longer fasts can lead people to skip breakfast. There are a number of studies, and we have our own data supporting this, showing that skipping breakfast is associated with increased risk for overall mortality and cardiovascular disease. So not only is it not good, it is bad for you”.

So daily 12 hours fasting looks good - or as Longo calls it “time-restricted eating” - and he also recommends not eating 3-4 hours before bed. 


Ayurveda and a Nobel prize

This leads me onto a workshop that Dr Sam Watts, a leading Ayurvedic Consultant, ran on Facebook this week on Intermittent Fasting. In that excellent session he shared that in 2016 the Nobel Prize was won by Japanese cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi (v). This confirmed what the Ayurvedic tradition has been saying for many hundreds of years. Fasting can be very good for us. Indeed fasting for more than 12 or 24 hours hours triggers autophagy - this is when cells destroy viruses and bacteria and get rid of damaged structures (see film here to explain autophagy) (vi). The word autophagy comes from the Greek for "self" and "phagein", which means "to eat” - and it’s key for the health of our cells and indeed our survival. This links to the reasons that fasting is associated with longevity. 

Granddaughter pic of me rebounding
There is research that that shows benefits to fasting like better blood sugar balance, reduced inflammation, loss of weight loss, and better brain function. Oshumi has now provided some of the understanding about how this happens. What I found very interesting was that exercise also does this - it can cause autophagy so that cells repair and renew (vii). I’ve already noted many times the importance of exercise but this understanding helps me ensure I still exercise when perhaps I don’t feel so like it!

So from this research it would seem the wonderful process of autophagy starts to kick in between 12 and 16 hours which maybe why the research noted above saw some benefits? And why Sam Watts recommends once or twice a week doing a 16 hour fast. This would perhaps then avoid the concerns Longo had around gallstones?


The five day Fasting-Mimicking Diet

Evidence is certainly mounting for the impact of fasting; reduced blood sugar and blood growth hormone (IGF-1), very low triglyceride and insulin levels, immune system regeneration and stopping cancer progression. And wow there are so many ways to fast - the internet is full of them from the 5:2 Diet (viii) to the Vedic way of 24 hour fasts on the 11th and 22nd days of the lunar cycle (ix). I started looking at possibilities ahead of my radiotherapy as it can help with that (x).

I can’t vouch for any of those fasting techniques but I do like the rigorous science behind the work of Dr Longo - in his book he gives a couple of weeks of food suggestions for his ’Longevity Diet’ and covers loads of the research to back his five day Fasting-Mimicking Diet - indeed it has been clinically demonstrated to provide huge beneficial effects on aging and disease risk factors. Of course as mentioned already don’t embark on this without doctor being involved - is is potentially dangerous for some conditions.

Longo has also shown that it looks like fasting significantly improves the performance of chemotherapy while reducing side-effects greatly. However fasting is not always possible on chemo which is why he has developed the Fasting-Mimicking Diet. Sadly this 5 day diet is only covered very briefly in his book - indeed to proceed safely it looks like you need to purchase food boxes at around $250 a time(xi)? And I don’t think these products are even organic or fresh? 

Interestingly new research from Longo is around using fasting as a groundbreaking method to avoid hormone therapy resistance in breast cancer - and I guess other cancers like prostate? I have had hormones twice in the past as part of my treatment so was very interested to hear about this (xii). You can listen to Longo being interviewed by Chris Wark here (xiii)
 
See also Longo's TedX talk: https://youtu.be/dVArDzYynYc
 
There is also an amazing opportunity to hear Longo and ask questions in the second 'Your LIfe and Cancer ' weekend: https://www.yourlifeandcancer.com/expanding-your-knowledge.


So where does that leave me?

1. Time-restricted eating. Eating in a 12 hour window where possible seems to make sense; this is possible but do have tottery and stop the need for nuts or something later in evening.

2.  16 hour fast. Try once or twice a week to go for a 16 hour fast; have done this a couple of times missing breakfast and surprisingly hard for me - I will persist and try missing dinner next time. I am also learning to fit it with the rhythm I mentioned in a recent blog - see here (xiv).

3. A longer Fast? I feel I still need to do some more research; just liquids carry there own challenges particularly when I am just on the bottom end of ideal weight - FMD also doesn’t feel the right place to start with a box sent from the states. Is there anyone who does that in this country?
 
Update 30th Sept 2020; just seen this blog on intermittent fasting by the wonderful Nasha Winters: https://www.drnasha.com/2020/09/14/intermittent-fasting-for-beginners-everything-you-need-to-know-to-get-started
and here's a useful Tedx talk on intermittent fasting: https://youtu.be/A6Dkt7zyImk 


Update 2.10.22: Must get around to a blog on chemo and fasting but in meantime see: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/fasting-mimicking-diet-before-and-after-chemotherapy/


Notes

(i) https://www.canceractive.com/article/Intermittent-fasting-is-basically-a-waste-of-time
(ii) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29951594/
(iii) https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2506710
(iv) https://news.usc.edu/135551/fasting-aging-dieting-and-when-you-should-eat-valter-longo/
(v) https://www.nature.com/articles/543S19a
(vi) https://www.bluezones.com/2018/10/fasting-for-health-and-longevity-nobel-prize-winning-research-on-cell-aging/
(vii) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22258505/
(viii) https://thefastdiet.co.uk/
(ix) https://www.learnreligions.com/ekadasi-hindu-lunar-calendar-1770178
(x) https://myunexpectedguide.blogspot.com/2019/11/increasing-effectiveness-of.html
(xi) https://prolonfmd.com/
(xii) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2502-7
(xiii) https://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/dr-valter-longo-fasting-mimicking-diet-improves-breast-cancer-treatment/ Also see more re Longo at: https://valterlongo.com/cancer/
(xiv) https://myunexpectedguide.blogspot.com/2020/07/getting-in-rhythm.html
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A look at hydrogen

Some 6 years ago I met Jan Beute and he was very persuasive about how useful hydrogen can be in treatment of cancer. See my post then:  http...