This week’s
blog on my homepage focused on how we can modulate our risk for chronic
diseases and cancer by addressing inflammation and making lifestyle changes. A
recent article in MedPage Today summarized this connection:
Indeed, 15 to 20 percent of all cancers are preceded by chronic
inflammation – a persistent immune response that can target both diseased and
healthy tissues. Chronic hepatitis, for example, may result in
hepatocellular carcinoma and inflammatory bowel disease can eventually
cause a form of colon cancer , known as colitis-associated cancer.
Still, most cancers are not preceded by chronic inflammation. On the other hand,
they exploit ubiquitous, infiltrating immune cells to unduly provoke and hijack
the host inflammatory reaction. Until now, the mechanism of so-called
“tumor-elicited inflammation,” which is detected in most solid
malignancies, was poorly explained.
“The tumor-associated inflammatory reaction is an emerging and vibrant
field for biomedical studies. It may hold the keys for future preventive and
therapeutic measures,” said first author Sergei Grivennikov, PhD, noting
that studies of long-term users aspirin have revealed that general inhibition of inflammation reduces the risk of
cancer death by up to 45 percent, depending on the type of cancer. “So
inhibition of inflammation during cancer development may be beneficial.
Source:
Medical News Today. Tumors Exploit Microflora And Immune Cells To Fuel Growth.
October 5, 2012.
Essential
Oils
So how do we
address this inflammation-immune issue?
I discussed
on my homepage three ways: using movement, plant medicine, and micronutrients.
Another
method is the use of Therapeutic Essential Oils.
Essential
oils were my first introduction to how biochemistry and natural medicine unify
with conventional thinking in disease processes. Many treatments in
conventional medicine have been aimed at multi-million dollar pathways to
change our biochemical response from symptom expression to suppression. Not a
bad idea, as long as the cause is being treated as well.
Essential
oils, being the life blood of the plant, have the ability to modulate and work
with our biochemistry to promote innate healing capacity. These volatile
compounds have the ability to not just modulate negative symptom expression by
affecting our biochemistry, they are also providing other various
phytochemicals that can actually repair tissue damage, squelch inflammation,
and halt DNA damage.
Various
sources have provided evidence that these volatile compounds may be the active
ingredient in the herbs that are working in synergy to repair and modulate our
cancer risk. A 1994 study in the Journal of Nutrition reports:
Research has centered around the biochemical activity of the Allium
sp. and the Labiatae, Umbelliferae, and Zingiberaceae
families, as well as flaxseed, licorice root, and green tea. Many of these
herbs contain potent antioxidant compounds that provide significant protection
against chronic diseases. These compounds may protect LDL cholesterol from
oxidation, inhibit cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes, inhibit lipid
peroxidation, or have antiviral or antitumor activity. The volatile essential
oils of commonly used culinary herbs, spices, and herbal teas inhibit
mevalonate synthesis and thereby suppress cholesterol synthesis and tumor
growth.
These AFNOR
and ISO standardized therapeutic Grade A essential oils have a medicinal effect
that earned a high place in my healing arsenal recommendations. In fact, I had
a direct experience with their healing capacity when I used them along
with nutrients, chiropractic, and herbs to heal a herniated disc that was
triggered in Naturopathic Medical School. I was so impressed by my
healing response of Young Living Essential Oils; I ended up doing my thesis on
the subject of DNA repair and the use of essential oils in cancer. It was a joy
to behold.
Sources:
Elson CE, Yu
SG. The chemoprevention of cancer by mevalonate-derived constituents of fruits
and vegetables. J Nutr 1994;124:607-14.
Case GL, He
L, Mo H, Elson CE. Induction of geranyl pyrophosphate pyrophosphatase activity
by cholesterol-suppressive isoprenoids. Lipids 1995;30:357-9.
An
unexpected food for inflammation control
Coconut Oil
Could Combat Tooth Decay
Did you know
that the connection of inflammation and chronic diseases can start at the
mouth? One way to modulate inflammation in the mouth is a good diet. I also
recommend gargling with essential oils and a colloidal silver spray to halt
inflammation from the top-down. Perhaps I should add coconut oil.
A recent
study provided evidence that coconut oil can combat inflammation in the mouth:
“Our data suggests that products of human digestion show antimicrobial
activity. This could have implications for how bacteria colonize the cells
lining the digestive tract and for overall gut health,” explained Dr
Brady. “Our research has shown that digested milk protein not only reduced
the adherence of harmful bacteria to human intestinal cells but also prevented
some of them from gaining entrance into the cell. We are currently researching
coconut oil and other enzyme-modified foodstuffs to identify how they interfere
with the way bacteria cause illness and disease,” he said.
Laura
Udakis. Coconut Oil Could Combat Tooth Decay. EurekAlert. 9-2-12.
In summary,
let’s move, spice our plates with healthy herbs, take individualized nutrients,
use Young Living essential oils and eat healthy diets…good luck to cancer
thriving in that environment!
