Probiotics
Probiotics, beneficial bacteria and your defence against cancer
Source: CancerActive
Many orthodox medical ´experts´ claim there is no research evidence behind Complementary and Alternative Therapies. Yet when there is evidence consistent evidence it often gets ignored. When it comes to Beneficial Bacteria, perhaps the experts have not had time to read and digest the research results? Perhaps they are not aware of it? After all there is so much of it and all very recent. Or could it be that the research poses some nasty questions about the direct conflict with current orthodox treatment methods? Judge for yourself.
1 Over 80 clinical trials and more than 4,000 research studies have been conducted in the last half a dozen years or so on the essential role of Beneficial Bacteria in your good health.
2 Scientists believe over 800 strains of bacteria inhabit your gut they have already identified over 400 strains.
3 Thirteen strains have been studied most frequently. All offer significant benefits to your health and well-being. They are Lactobacillus Bulgaris, Acidophilus, Shirota, Caseii, Lactis, Rhamnosus, Plantarum; Bifidobacterium bifidum, langum; Streptococcus thermophilus; Saccharomyces boulardi.
4 A fundamental finding running throughout the research is that many of key beneficial bacteria strengthen your immune system, particularly stimulating the production of immunoglobulins, cytokines and Natural Killer cells.
5 Kids growing up on farms and those with pets in the home have stronger immune systems you need to eat a bit of dirt. You need more bacteria to build your defences.
6 Natural birth babies have stronger immune systems. Mothers give their children some good bacteria as baby passes down the birth canal. Breast milk contains important prebiotics the perfect food for beneficial bacteria – these stimulate the growth of important good bacteria. (So much for ´caesarians´)
7 Our strong immune systems keep invading viruses, bacteria and cancer cells in check. Without the beneficial bacteria our defences are greatly weakened, allowing disease to take hold more easily.
8 One hundred years ago, we ate beneficial bacteria all the time but pasteurisation, sterilisation and irradiation of food have ended much of that.
9 Worse our modern world kills the good guys, and alters the balance nature intended in our gut. Chlorinated water, stress, alcohol, too much salt, antibiotics in our chickens etc all reduce the levels of good guys within us.
10 Worse still, the drugs your doctor prescribes actually kill off even more; for example, antibiotics, chemotherapy, even certain statins and mercury in vaccines. Most drugs actually weaken your defences.
11 But these good guys do even more than build your immune system: at night time when you sleep, they attack, neutralise and ingest the invading microbes and yeasts you consumed during the day. Without the good guys your enemies can take control.
12 Yeast and fungal infections are now commonplace amongst UK adults yellow toe nails, thrush, cystitis, bloating, wind, allergies are all signs.
13 Now, fungal infections in the body are increasingly being linked to serious diseases like diabetes, MS, and cancer.
14 Beneficial bacteria are essential to the processes that release vitamins from your food. Their action increases blood levels of anti-cancer vitamins like B vitamins folic acid, niacin and B-12, and vitamin K.
15 Some beneficial bacteria have been proven to make short chain esters from your food these pass across the gut wall and reduce bad cholesterol levels.
16 Some beneficial bacteria have been shown to neutralise excess toxins, biding to nitrosamine and oestrogenic products and to heavy metals, helping the body to eliminate these dangers.
17 Some beneficial bacteria destroy the Helicobacter pylori bacterium known to play a part in stomach cancer; they may even neutralise a microbe US researchers believe is linked to colon cancer.
18 Some beneficial bacteria can even rebuild and repair the gut lining, damaged in diseases like IBS and Krohn´s.
19 IMPORTANTLY, recent 2010 research has shown that beneficial bacteria can make sodium butyrate from whole foods. Sodium butyrate kills cancer cells.
20 You can increase your beneficial bacteria by supplementing with probiotics – a probiotic cannot be called a probiotic unless clinical trials have proved it delivers a real benefit in the gut! Every day you need as many beneficial bacteria strains as you can ingest and you need to feed them their favourite whole foods. Rare ones you ate as a child may never be replaced if you destroy them. Without them all, can you really hope to beat cancer?
Studies
Study: Nowadays, probiotics have been suggested as adjunctive and complementary treatment modalities for improving the impacts of chemotherapy and immunotherapy agents. Probiotics, the friendly microflora in our bodies, contribute to the production of useful metabolites with positive effects on the immune system against various diseases such as cancer.
This study examined the impact of consuming dairy yogurt containing L. paracasei, B. lactis and heat-treated L. plantarum over a twelve-week period on immune function. Consumption of yogurt containing probiotics increased NK cell activity in the test group were significantly greater than placebo group. The results suggest that daily consumption of dairy yogurt containing L. paracasei, B. lactis and heat-treated L. plantarum could improve immune function by enhancing NK cell activity.
This study found that probiotics C. butyricum and B. subtilis inhibited the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells, caused cell cycle arrest and promoted apoptosis [programmed cell death].
The molecular mechanism involved reduced inflammation and improved immune homeostasis. This work establishes a basis for the protective role of probiotics B.subtilis and C. butyricum in intestinal tumorigenesis.
Study: In conclusion, modulation of the immune response associated with consumption of specific probiotics may occur not only via the innate and adaptive immune system, but also via (a) regulation of the intestinal epithelium permeability, (b) mucus secretion, and (c) competition within bacterial ecosystem via secretion of antimicrobial compounds.
Study: Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host, including the gastrointestinal tract. While this beneficial effect was originally thought to stem from improvements in the intestinal microbial balance, there is now substantial evidence that probiotics can also provide benefits by modulating immune functions.
Can Probiotics Be Harmful to Cancer Patients?
Source: Livestrong.com
Risks
If you have cancer and are undergoing treatment, talk to your doctor before taking probiotics. Although probiotics are generally not infectious and do not cause tissue damage, they can be dangerous if you have a severely weakened immune system, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. Many therapies for cancer, such as radiation and chemotherapy, damage your immune system, which could allow these bacteria to spread to other tissues and cause problems, such as sepsis.
Updated 2024