Hey @Sara Almansoori,

There is no protocol to treat cancer. That doesn’t mean you can help cancer patients. For example, you can support them when they are on chemotherapy or radiation therapy. In both forms of therapy, the body deals with a lot of free radicals. The damage done by these therapies can be partly reduced by helping patients to get enough antioxidants.

You might have learned that cancer cells use more sugar as an energy source. Cancer cells burn sugar mostly anaerobic even when there is oxygen present. This is also called the Warburg effect. Anaerobic glycolysis (burning sugar without oxygen) takes place in the cytoplasm of a cell, while aerobic glycolysis (burning sugar with oxygen) happens in the mitochondria.

It is thought that the reason why cancer cells use anaerobic glycolysis is that the cell can produce faster energy (ATP to be exact) since cancer cells need a lot of energy.

Mitochondrial dysfunction might also be at play. The mitochondria for example play an important role in regulating cell death (see for example this article). If a cell lacks working mitochondria, programmed cell death could be impaired. Since all aerobic burning happens in mitochondria, anaerobic glycolysis might become the only way to produce energy.

Now to your question: does a low carb, low sugar diet help? The answer is: it depends.

One of the potential reasons for this is that not all cancers have the same adaptive metabolism, and certain cancers are affected differently by ketosis. Some cancers can shift to using ketones, while others cannot. For example, the ketogenic diet has been shown to be helpful (not as a cure, but to inhibit cell growth) in the following cancers:

Glioma cancers (cancers that start in the brain or spinal cord, such as glioblastoma – see for example this study)

Pancreatic cancer (See for example this study)

Natural sugar in these cases, still is sugar and can be used as an energy source for cancer cells.

Because not all cancers have the same adaptive metabolism and since cancer isn’t completely understood, it is hard to give some advice.

We do see uncontrolled cell growth as a disease of the body. Toxins and free radicals could for example cause damage to the mitochondria. Some cancers are influenced by imbalances in hormones (Examples are estrogen in breast cancer, and dihydrotestosterone in prostate cancer)

When people are insulin resistant they are also more at risk for developing cancer. Reversing insulin resistance can reduce free radical production and since insulin is an anabolic hormone (this means that it promotes growth factors in the body) it could influence cancer cell growth as well.

If you have for example measured fasting insulin and the lab result shows fasting insulin is elevated, a low-carb diet might reduce cell growth. In cancer survivors, reversing insulin resistance reduces the risk of developing cancer again.

Another tip I could give you:

Make sure vitamin D levels are in the optimal zone (50 ng/ml). Vitamin D can help reduce the metastasis of cancer cells.

Melatonin plays an important role in cancer as well (see this article). Besides using a melatonin supplement, focus first on good quality sleep. Melatonin is also produced in the mitochondria under the influence of near-infrared radiation. Exposure to sunlight during the daytime can therefore be helpful for mitochondrial melatonin production as well.

I hope this answers a few of your questions!

Hey @Lana Zambarakji,

Most people have small amounts of H. Pylori in their stomachs. This is nothing to worry about! In healthy individuals, the body controls these small amounts of H. Pylori.

Although people can get alarmed by the H. Pylori section of the GI Maps, these amounts are quite common and are no reason to worry.

Stress is something you could work on with your friend. Even when all nutrients are available to produce healthy white blood cells, stress can suppress immune system function.

Since your friend had antibiotics, it’s usually recommended to use broad-spectrum probiotics 6-9 months afterwards to support the diversity in the microbiome. Antibiotics kill bacteria and other pathogens but don’t affect yeast. To prevent yeast from overgrowing in the gut, I often recommend my clients to supplement with the beneficial yeast S. Boulardii to prevent opportunistic yeast species from overgrowing.

A nice product that contains S Boulardii with a blend of probiotics is Ther-Biotic ABx from Klaire Labs.

Besides the B vitamins and vitamin D, zinc and vitamin A are also important nutrients for the immune system.

I hope this helps!

Hey @Lana Zambarakji,

Could you help us explain what symptoms you are currently experiencing? If you’re using medications (or supplements), let us know as well! 

Could you also describe your current diet? For example:

How much of your food is homemade? How much is take-out food

How many grams of non-starchy vegetables do you eat daily? An estimation is just fine.

Are you on a plant-based diet?

Streptococcus spp.

Many strains of Streptococcus are non-pathogenic and occur as commensal flora on the skin, the mouth, the upper respiratory tract, urogenital, and gastrointestinal tracts. Some strains can however cause some problems.

Mild infections could cause a variety of symptoms, depending on the place where the overgrowth is. Examples of mild symptoms can be:

Sores and blisters that form near your mouth and nose or on your arms and legs.

Pain and discomfort in your throat.

Cellulitis

Severe infections however need immediate medical attention. An infection that causes a rash, sore throat and a high fever for example.

Secretory IgA

Your IgA is on the lower end as well. This makes me curious about your serum vitamin D levels. Supporting your immune system with the right nutrients might help. These nutrients include vitamin D, vitamin B12, folate, zinc and vitamin A.

Other common reasons why Secretory IgA can be low are:

Food allergies

Stress

and since secretory IgA is mostly produced in the intestines, damage in the gut lining could also be a reason for low secretory IgA

Balancing the immune system can help you to lower the Streptococcus spp and balance the microbiome.

@Sara Almansoori Did the video, including the text and links below give you some answers you were looking for?

@Sara Almansoori did you do a test? If so, you could always share your results and let us help you with the interpretation.

Hey @Sara Almansoori,

Can you give us a little more detail about what germ you are referring to? Do you mean Helicobacter Pylori? Or do you mean something else?

If it is H. Pylori you could start by watching this video. If we have more details about your symptoms and the name of the germ we could provide you with more personalised advice!

Hey @Naveed Aslam,

I just discovered we’ve missed this question! I’m sorry!

There isn’t one test that covers all hormones, but if you are interested in measuring oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone and cortisol, the DUTCH test covers them. The DUTCH test also provides a lot of free information on their site.

Cortisol

Gastritis can be stress induced. The stress hormone you will find on the DUTCH lab report can show you if your cortisol:

Follows a diurnal pattern

And if your cortisol levels are in the reference range

If your gastritis follows a diurnal pattern, that could be a clue as to if your cortisol hormones play an influence.

Insulin resistance

Although not related to gastritis, one of your symptoms was delayed gastric emptying I believe. This can be caused by insulin resistance. Sugary foods can also worsen gastritis. That’s more related to how sugar can contribute to inflammation than the effects of insulin.

Sexhormones
You have asked if men also produce estrogen. You’re right! In men, estrogen is a useful breakdown product of testosterone. We don’t make as much estrogen as women, but estrogen does play a role in male health as well. And since we have the hormone, men can also have their estrogen levels too high!

Estrogen receptors are also present in the GI tract. This could be a reason why women experience more IBS then men. This research from 2019 mentions that estrogen can play a role in the progression of gastroesophageal reflux.

Hey @Iryna Klevetenko,

How is your mom currently doing? Is she feeling a bit better? And what about her blood pressure? Is she having symptoms?

I hope she feels better!

Hey @Sara Almansoori,

If you heard there is a genetic component to acne, you are right! But there is more nuance to that. There could be a genetic predisposition for acne, however, there are always environmental triggers that start the process.

I once wrote an article (click here) about what causes acne with tips to resolve this skin issue. I recommend you to read it!

Did you see this handout in the B Better library? If you didn’t, you might find some additional root causes for acne with some other tips.

High levels of androgens, such as testosterone, DHT and DHEA increase the size and number of sebaceous glands and sebum production. The rise of androgens during puberty in teenagers can contribute to acne formation. Women with PCOS often experience elevations in androgens as well. In both cases, higher levels of insulin can cause higher levels of androgens. In these cases, removing sugar and refined carbohydrates can bring relief.

Oily skin products could also worsen acne since more oil could get trapped in the pores. If these are used you can try removing them.

You mentioned stress and anxiety. Stress and lack of sleep increase the production of cortisol, which encourages sebaceous glands to create more oil. Sebaceous glands also have receptors for catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine), so when the production of these is higher (as with stress), there is an increase in sebum production.

I hope I provided you with some new angles to look at. Are there any you haven’t tried yet?

.

Hey @Mohamed Al Aryani,

Right now you can already give her probiotics. This will help prevent fungi and yeast overgrowth in the gut. You can do this by providing foods (sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir, kvass, etc – the b better library has some good recipes right here).

Providing nutrients to support her immune system might help as well especially if she is low in these nutrients. I’m talking about vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, vitamin B12, folate and vitamin A. These nutrients are necessary to support and build enough healthy white blood cells.

White blood cells help fight off the infection and they help regulate the diversity of microbes in the gut as well.

I hope your mother feels better soon!

Hey @Sarah Mohler,

I don’t know why you can’t access the link, but to help you I’ve uploaded the handout below!

I didn’t realize you were experiencing all these symptoms when I asked the question. I’m sorry to hear!

I like to kindly ask you if you could post these symptoms in a new post! I think this can be a learning opportunity for everyone. The answer I will write is probably a bit longer as well!

It would help if you could add your age in this post, a little history of when the most important symptoms started to appear and what your diet looks like right now and the last 2 years. If you are on any medications (even birth control if this applies to you) or have been on medications for the last years, that would help as well!

Let us know if you need some clarification!

Hey @Szilvia Bartalos,

There are several possibilities. Without more background, I can only guess. Blood sugar imbalances can cause waking up at night and could cause shivering/shakiness. If blood sugars for example drop in the night, your body tries to push blood sugars back up by releasing stress hormones. The same stress hormones can cause some unsettled or nervous feelings. It can also contribute to feelings of anxiety.

You mentioned you just finished your detox, but you’re not eating normally. Am I correct?

If you’re still switching slowly back to your normal food pattern, you might be eating fewer calories than your body usually requires. I’m not sure what your diet looks like, but this is what I often see people doing when they are following a detox diet (even if the goal of the diet isn’t calorie restriction itself!)

When energy from foods is less available or your diet is low in carbs, stress hormones will also rise for the same reason. Your body needs blood sugars and if you aren’t providing enough calories or carbs, elevations in cortisol take place to keep your blood sugars in range.

Another effect can be of the detox diet itself. If you have successfully freed up some stored toxins, that’s great! Especially if you got rid of them, however…

While toxins are free, but not yet secreted, this is when they can do some damage! This can put some stress on the body as well. After the detoxification phase, your body might need to take some time to heal.

Some symptoms you used to have could even return if toxins played a role. Remember, stored toxins often do less harm than free toxins!

I wouldn’t be immediately worried. First I would check:

How much you are eating. If you discover you eat a lot of healthy foods, but still are low in calories, try to eat more! Give your body a reason to drop the stress hormones.

Successfully freeing up toxins can be a burden to the body from which it might need some time to heal. Give it some time to heal.

Keep drinking water, keep enough proteins in your diet (they are necessary for detoxification!), eat enough cruciferous vegetables and make sure you get enough anti-inflammatory foods. A lot of vitamins and minerals play a role in detoxification, but there is a special role for b vitamins.

For blood sugar, you could check fasting glucose and HbA1c. Fasting insulin would even be better, but is often not done in a traditional check-up.

Toxins get excreted via urine and bile. To get some insight into if your bile flow isn’t sluggish, you could do a Complete Metabolic Panel or CMP. In this panel liver enzymes like AST, ALT, GGT and Alkaline Phosphatase are measured. Especially when ALT, AST and GGT aren’t strongly elevated, but alkaline phosphatase is suboptimally high, bile flow could be sluggish. Preferably we like to know this before a detox of course, but optimizing bile flow will help you detoxify better for the rest of the year.

In a CMP electrolytes like potassium and sodium are also measured. These electrolytes are influenced by corticosteroids like cortisol. The balance between the 2 of them can provide us insight into if you are experiencing some form of stress.

If you like to dive deeper into what liver enzymes are I recommend you watch the next few videos:

Liver Panel Markers (ALT, AST and GGT)

Liver Panel Marker ALT (Alkaline Phosphatase)

And if you like to talk better with your doctor watch this movie about what a CMP is exactly

I hope this answer helps you on your way

Hey @Szilvia Bartalos,

How did the detox went? How were you feeling during and after the detox? Just curious!