Focus on the gut, kidneys and liver
Blood pH CAN NOT VARY. A quick overview of the pH scale
Our body pH is scaled from 0 to 14: numbers below 7 are acidic (low on oxygen) and numbers above 7 are alkaline (high oxygen). The blood, lymph and cerebral spinal fluid in the human body are designed to be slightly alkaline at a pH of 7.35 to 7.45. In comparison, our stomach acid has a pH of around 1.5 to 3.5. This makes it acidic. A low pH is good for digesting food and destroying any germs that get into the stomach. Diets rich in animal proteins and some fruits produce uric acid while diets mainly composed of vegetables tend to produce alkali urine. "The pH of the internal environment, the basic 'ground' biochemical terrain, can tolerate more significant changes than that of the blood, but the pH of the internal environment should never go beyond 7.36 or 7.42 if good health is to be maintained. ... The acidification of the internal terrain is in fact the source of all health troubles caused by acidity."
– Christopher Vasey N.D., renowned Swiss researcher and author of The Acid-Alkaline Diet for Optimum Health, Simon & Schuster, 2006
Urinalysis
MayoClinic
A urinalysis is a common test that's done for several reasons:
e.g. to screen for a variety of disorders, such as diabetes, kidney disease or liver disease. ... hydrochloride acid is excreted into the stomach, in exchange for generation of bicarbonate in the blood... In this way bicarbonate is “generated” in stomach blood vessels and “extracted” in pancreatic vessels, resulting in a neutral pH in blood leaving the duodenum.. >>>more
Understanding the Transition to Cancer Metastasis Network of Physical Scientists, Engineers, & Cancer Researchers Interdisciplinary 'Battery of Tests' on Cancer Cells: Under the auspices of the Office of Physical Sciences-Oncology at the National Cancer Institute, a team of 95 physicists, engineers, mathematicians, chemists, computational scientists and biologists working on different experiments in 20 US laboratories has gained a new perspective on cancer by pooling their research in a coordinated way.
The research was conducted by the network of 12 Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers around the country (PS-OCs), These centers were set up to foster collaboration between physical scientists, biologists and oncologists in order to achieve new insights into cancer. . . .
Excerpt: Forty years ago President Richard Nixon declared a "war on cancer". Yet in spite of $100bn (£60bn) of taxpayer-funded research in the US alone, the cancer mortality rate remains little changed. Dozens of much-hyped "cures" developed by drug companies are either useless or have marginal effect. What can be done?
Two years ago, in a spectacularly enlightened move, the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) decided to enlist the help of physical scientists. The idea was to bring fresh insights from disciplines like physics to help tackle cancer in radical new ways. Twelve research centres were created to focus the effort, and I was approached to run the one based at Arizona State University. >>> more
"Exposing cancer's deep evolutionary roots: Could cancer be an ancient genetic programme with roots in our multicellular past?"
Paul Davies outlines a new “evolutionary” theory of cancer, Physics World, Vol 26, No 7, July 2013, p. 37 (single article pdf).
Download complete issue of Physics World (PDF 15.3MB).
Metastasis defined: (meh-TAS-tuh-SEEZ) the development of secondary malignant growths at a distance from a primary site of cancer.
Excerpt:
To investigate the transition from non-cancerous to metastatic from a physical sciences perspective, . . . Analyses of these measurements revealed dramatic differences in their mechanics, migration, adhesion, oxygen response, and proteomic profiles. >>> more
2. The American National Cancer Institute definition:
The spread of cancer cells from the place where they first formed to another part of the body.
In metastasis, cancer cells break away from the original (primary) tumor, travel through the blood or lymph system, and form a new tumor in other organs or tissues of the body. The new, metastatic tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if breast cancer spreads to the lung, the cancer cells in the lung are breast cancer cells, not lung cancer cells. The plural form of metastasis is metastases (meh-TAS-tuh-SEEZ)
Professor Ian Davis: Cancer - I used to understand it. Central Clinical School, Monash University Symposium 2015
Published on YouTube, Oct 25, 2015 “It’s a little bit humbling to know that we’ve still got a long way to go.” - Professor Ian Davis, (15:22)
Professor Ian Davis MB BS PhD FRACP FAChPM is a medical oncologist, cancer immunologist, clinician-scientist, and NHMRC Practitioner Fellow.
He is Professor of Medicine, Monash University and Eastern Health, and Head of the Eastern Health Clinical School (EHCS). . .>>> more
Professor Ian Davis
describes how the understanding of cancer and its treatments in the last thirty years has become far more differentiated and complex, tailored to the specific condition.
Excerpts: 4:27"The truth of the matter is that there have only been a handful of genuine breakthroughs in the last century." - Professor Ian Davis
... Immune checkpoints . . . (17:41) . . . critical checkpoints in keeping the immune system actively suppressed. So the truth we thought we knew was that immunity was broken. It’s actually being actively switched off in all of us and particularly in cancer patients. (18:00) . . . (19:45) What they did find is when they went back and looked at patients who’d got radio therapy according to their prescribed - the prescription vs ‘sloppy’ radiotherapy - there was a 30% improvement in survival. … overall survival - simply by doing what we already knew that we had to do. . . . Let us not forget, we already know a lot of good stuff, lets remember how to use it properly.” – Professor Ian Davis, Concluding remarks, 2015 Monash University Symposium
Chemotherapy warning
as hundreds die from cancer-fighting drugs By Sarah Knapton, science editor
The Telegraph UK
30 August 2016
Excerpt: Patients should be warned about the dangers of chemotherapy after research showed that cancer drugs are killing up to 50 per cent of patients in some hospitals. For the first time researchers looked at the numbers of cancer patients who died within 30 days of starting chemotherapy, which indicates that the medication is the cause of death, rather than the cancer. >>> more
Hormone Therapy - the pros and cons
- aka androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).
The American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO’s) cited a report led by Xabier Garcia-Albeniz M.D., Research Associate at Harvard University School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology. The 2015 report, analyzing information from 2,096 men, found that Hormone Therapy neither lengthened nor shortened men’s lives.
“These findings suggest that there may be no need to rush to ADT. If our results are confirmed, patients could feel more comfortable waiting until they develop symptoms or signs of cancer that are seen on a scan, before initiating ADT.” Delaying hormone therapy would allow men to avoid a decrease in quality of life associate with common side effects of ADT that can worsen the longer it is given, such as sexual problems, bone weakness and breaks, hot flashes, decreased mental sharpness, fatigue, loss of muscle, high cholesterol, weight gain, and depression. Download pdf
– Garcia-Albeniz X, Chan JM, Pacioreck A, Logan RW, Kenfield SA, Cooperberg MR, Carroll PR, Hernán MA.
Immediate vs. deferred initiation of androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer patients with PSA-only relapse. An observational follow-up study. European Journal of Cancer. 2015 May;51(7):817-24
Many medical biochemists researching the biology of cancer metastasis still do not fully understand the processes involved in metastasis. For example, these recent studies focus on 'killing' tumorous cancer cells.
(i) "We propose that specific toxic RNAi-active sequences present in the genome can kill cancer cells." (Putzbach et al., 2017)
(ii) "we recently identified 651 genes as critical for the survival of cancer cells." (Patel & Peter, 2018)
(iii) "We provide evidence that in addition to the CD95L transgene a number of endogenous protein coding genes involved in regulating protein translation, particularly under low miRNA conditions, can be processed to sRNAs and loaded into the RISC suggesting a new level of cell fate regulation involving RNAi." (Putzbach et al., 2018)
A November 2018 report on this study states:
After eight years spent analyzing the human genome and its many regulatory molecules, a team from Northwestern University has discovered a seemingly foolproof self-destruct pathway that can be used to destroy any type of cancer cell. . . . "We think this is how multicellular organisms eliminated cancer before the development of the adaptive immune system, which is about 500 million years old," . . . "It could be a fail-safe that forces rogue cells to commit suicide. We believe it is active in every cell protecting us from cancer."
Astrophysicists "seek to understand the universe and our place in it." – NASA
Generally speaking, "cancer" cell proliferation follows a pattern:
"When a physical process follows a pattern, physicists can bring valuable insights from their discipline."– Dr Paul Davies
Astrophysicist & astrobiologist Paul Davies explains how and why cells can "de-couple" from the immune system.
With a background in fundamental theoretical physics and cosmology, astrophysics and astrobiology Paul Davies began asking why cancer exists, and found that when cells "de-couple" from the body's immune system they form a "cancer tumour" that looks like the early stages of embryonic development – that will eat you alive. (See his collaborative cancer research here)
"Cancer has long been recognised as a throwback to a "selfish cell" era. But recent advances in research permit us to embellish this picture. For example, cancer cells thrive in low-oxygen (even zero-oxygen) conditions, reverting to an earlier, albeit less efficient, form of metabolism known as fermentation." –– Paul Davies
Exposing cancer's deep evolutionary roots
Dr. Paul Davies, Physics World, July 2013 Download (pdf) Excerpts: Single-celled organisms act to preserve themselves, while cells in multicellular organisms act for the greater good.
The embryonic formation of the body and all of its organs are a choice the single-cell makes to become mortal, within the immune system, and cancer is a mutation that unfolds when the cell "de-couples" from an “inflamed” immune system. ...
... The genomes of nearly all healthy human cells, containing the entirety of an individual’s inherited information, evidently come pre-loaded with a “cancer sub-routine” that is normally idle but can be triggered into action by a wide variety of insults, such as chemicals, radiation and inflammation.
... Single-celled organisms replicate by division and are in a sense immortal. In multi-cellular organisms, immortality is relinquished and the genetic legacy of the organism is outsourced to specialized sex cells – eggs and sperm – known as the germ line.
Evidence is mounting that the micro-environment at the cells’ destination plays a key role in the success of metastasis. … deep links between embryogenesis and tumorigenesis have been found …
... As the complex regulatory mechanisms of the body break down, the cancer defaults to earlier and earlier phenotypes, with the most malignant cells representing the most ancestral forms. ...
There is a quite different additional link between cancer and early forms of life. Cancer cells tend to adopt an ancient mode of metabolism known as fermentation, or glycolysis, which takes place in the cytoplasm of the cell. In contrast, healthy cells mostly use a process known as oxidation-phosphorylation, or ox-phos, which is performed within tiny organelles called mitochondria.
The characteristics of fermentation are its ability to flourish in low-oxygen conditions (hypoxia), its high demand for sugar (glucose) and a low-pH environment – all conditions characteristic of tumours. Could it be, we wonder, that cancer’s predilection for a hypoxic environment reflects the prevailing conditions on Earth at the time when multicellularity first evolved, before the second great oxygenation event?
"Charles Lineweaver, of the Australian National University, and I have proposed a theory of cancer based on its ancient evolutionary roots." – Paul Davies, 2012
Cancer can teach us about our own evolution Dr Paul Davies, The Guardian, 19 November 2012,
Excerpt:
Medical science treats cancer as a disease in which rogue cells proliferate uncontrollably, running amok around the body. Therapy focuses on killing the cancer before it kills the host. Unfortunately, the emphasis on cancer cells as defective loose cannons is at odds with the stubborn way they outwit both the body's defences and the physician's armoury.
Cancer is such a ruthless adversary because it behaves as if it has its own fiendishly cunning agenda. Cancer cells come pre-programmed to execute a well-defined cascade of changes, seemingly designed to facilitate both their enhanced survival and their dissemination through the bloodstream. There is even an air of conspiracy in the way that tumours use chemical signals to create cancer-friendly niches in remote organs.
In the frantic search for an elusive "cure", few researchers stand back and ask a very basic question: why does cancer exist? What is its place in the grand story of life? Astonishingly, in spite of decades of research, there is no agreed theory of cancer, no explanation for why, inside almost all healthy cells, there lurks a highly efficient cancer subroutine that can be activated by a variety of agents – radiation, chemicals, inflammation and infection.
Cancer, it seems, is embedded in the basic machinery of life, a type of default state that can be triggered by some kind of insult. That suggests it is not a modern aberration but has deep evolutionary roots, a suspicion confirmed by the fact that it is not confined to humans but is widespread among mammals, fish, reptiles and even plants. Scientists have identified genes implicated in cancer that are thought to be hundreds of millions of years old. Clearly, we will fully understand cancer only in the context of biological history. >>> more
"The human gut houses a complex microbial ecosystem referred to as the microbiota. It has become clear that the influence of the microbiota transcends the confines of the gut, forging intimate connections with all aspects of human biology"
Abstract:
Human-associated microbial communities have adapted to environmental pressures. Doses of antibiotics select for a community with increased antibiotic resistance, inflammation is accompanied by expansion of community members equipped to flourish in the presence of immune effectors and Western diets shift the microbiota away from fibre degraders in favour of species that thrive on mucus. Recent data suggest that the microbiota of industrialized societies differs substantially from the recent ancestral microbiota of humans. Rapid modernization, including medical practices and dietary changes, is causing progressive deterioration of the microbiota, and we hypothesize that this may contribute to various diseases prevalent in industrialized societies. In this Opinion article, we explore whether individuals in the industrialized world may be harbouring a microbial community that, while compatible with our environment, is now incompatible with our human biology. >>> more
Questions answered by Neil Saunders, Computational biologist
July 2006
• Why do aerobic organisms need oxygen?
• How do anaerobic organisms live without oxygen?
• Why are some anaerobes facultative and others obligate?
• Why is oxygen toxic for obligate anaerobes? >>> more
– Fermentation, mitochondria and regulation (2012)
Fermentation reactions occur in the cytoplasm of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. In the absence of oxygen, pyruvate does not enter the mitochondria in eukaryotic cells.
– How Fermentation Gives Us Beer, Wine, Cheese — and Cancer? (2015)
Even in the presence of oxygen, cancer cells and some bacteria prefer fermentation, a new study finds. "... some researchers are coming around to the idea that the ultimate pathologic insult might be impaired or altered energy production." >>> more
– Sartori H. E. (1984) Nutrients and cancer: an introduction to cesium therapy.
The rationale for this approach termed the "high pH" therapy resides in changing the acidic pH range of the cancer cell by cesium towards weak alkalinity in which the survival of the cancer cell is endangered, and the formation of acidic and toxic materials, normally formed in cancer cells, is neutralized and eliminated.
Explainer:
What are mitochondria
and how did we come to have them? Steven Zuryn, Group Leader, The University of Queensland
September 22, 2017
Excerpt: Our primordial ancestor was a simple single-celled creature, living in a long-term rut of evolutionary stagnation. Then something dramatic happened – an event that would literally breathe life into the eventual evolution of complex organisms. One of the cells engulfed another and enslaved it as a perpetual source of energy for its host.
The increase in available energy to the cell powered the formation of more complex organisms with multiple cells, eyes, and brains. Slowly, the two species became intertwined – sharing some of their DNA and delegating specific cellular tasks – until eventually they became firmly hardwired to each other to form the most intimate of biological relationships. Two separate species became one.
These energy slaves are the mitochondria, and there are hundreds or even thousands of them inside every one of your cells (with the exception of red blood cells) and in every other human alive. They still resemble their bacterial origin in appearance, but we can no longer exist without them, nor they without us. The evolutionary explosion powered by mitochondria is evident by the fact they are found in every complex multicellular organism that has ever existed, from giraffes to palm trees, mushrooms and dinosaurs. >>> more
White and Red Blood Cells
All Blood cells are produced by bone marrow stem cells as pluripotent undifferentiated stem cells that can grow to become any type of blood cell - erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets.
Most of the carbon dioxide in the blood is in the form of bicarbonate ion, both venous and arterial, because it is a critical pH buffer.
White blood cells (WBCs) contribute to immune system function. All white blood cells are produced and derived from multipotent cells in the bone marrow known as hematopoietic stem cells. They are found throughout the body, including the blood and lymphatic system: Also called leukocytes or leucocytes, including neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes and monocytes that protect the body from both infectious disease and foreign invaders.
Health Direct - excerpts:
White blood cells are an integral component of your blood. They are a vital part of your immune system, detecting and dealing with infections. There are different types of white blood cells. If you have an abnormally low or high number of white blood cells, it might indicate an underlying problem.
What are white blood cells?
White blood cells, also called leucocytes, detect and deal with infections or foreign molecules that enter your body. White blood cells will produce antibodies to fight the infection and help with other immune responses.
They are one of four main components of your blood, along with red blood cells, platelets and plasma.
…
What are the problems involving white blood cells?
An abnormally low or high number of white blood cells might indicate an underlying problem.
If you have too few of the healthy type of white blood cells called neutrophils, this is known as neutropenia. It might be a sign of a serious problem, or it might just be because you've got a virus. It can also come on after cancer treatment
If you have too many white blood cells, it could be because you’ve got a bacterial infection. Also leukaemia, a type of cancer, makes you produce large numbers of abnormal white blood cells. >>>more
Red blood cells (RBCs), aka corpuscles, deliver oxygen to body tissues, via blood flow through the circulatory system.
Health Direct - excerpts:
Red Blood cells
The main role of red blood cells is to carry oxygen around your body and to transport carbon dioxide to the lungs, from where it can be exhaled. A healthy diet containing essential minerals and vitamins will help your body produce enough red blood cells. >>>more
2. “Since the pH variation in blood and tissue influences the transport and exchange of O2 and CO2 (Bohr and Haldane effects), and since most CO2 is transported as HCO3(-) (bicarbonate) via the CO2 hydration (buffering) reaction, the transport and exchange of HCO3(-) and H+ are also simulated along with that of O2 and CO2.”
- Ranjan K Dash & James B Bassingthwaighte (2006), "Simultaneous blood-tissue exchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide, bicarbonate, and hydrogen ion"
3. "carbonic anhydrase catalyzes the reaction between carbon dioxide and water.” …”CO2 is about 23% and bicarbonate is about 70% of the total carbon dioxide transported to the lungs." … "carbon dioxide diffuses out of the tissue cells in the gaseous form (but not to a significant effect in the bicarbonate form because the cell membrane is far less permeable to bicarbonate than to the dissolved gas." - Guyton, Arthur C., M.D. (1976). "Ch. 41 Transport of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide in the Blood and Body Fluids". Textbook of Medical Physiology (Fifth ed.). Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Saunders. p. 553-555. ISBN 0-7216-4393-0.
What is Oxadative Stress?
Oxidative Stress François Gagné, in Biochemical Ecotoxicology, 2014 Science Direct Oxidative stress occurs when excess oxygen radicals are produced in cells, which could overwhelm the normal antioxidant capacity. >>>more
Oxidative Stress & Antioxidant Defense Birben, et al. (2012), NCBI Abstract excerpt: Oxidative stress contributes to many pathological conditions and diseases, including cancer, neurological disorders, atherosclerosis, hypertension, ischemia/perfusion, diabetes, acute respiratory distress syndrome, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma. In this review, we summarize the cellular oxidant and antioxidant systems and discuss the cellular effects and mechanisms of the oxidative stress.>>> more
Abstract: Oxidative stress is well known to be involved in the pathogenesis of lifestyle-related diseases, including atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic diseases, and malignancies. Oxidative stress has been defined as harmful because oxygen free radicals attack biological molecules such as lipids, proteins, and DNA. However, oxidative stress also has a useful role in physiologic adaptation and in the regulation of intracellular signal transduction. Therefore, a more useful definition of oxidative stress may be “a state where oxidative forces exceed the antioxidant systems due to loss of the balance between them.” The biomarkers that can be used to assess oxidative stress in vivo have been attracting interest because the accurate measurement of such stress is necessary for investigation of its role in lifestyle diseases as well as to evaluate the efficacy of treatment. Many markers of oxidative stress have been proposed, including lipid hydroperoxides, 4-hydroxynonenal, isoprostan, 8-hydroxyguanine, and ubiquinol-10. To prevent the development of lifestyle diseases, advice on how to lead a healthy life should be given to individuals based on the levels of oxidant and antioxidant activity assessed by pertinent biomarkers. Individual genetic information should also be taken into consideration. >>>more
Cancer as a metabolic disease (pdf) by Thomas N.Seyfried & Laura M. Shelton
Nutrition & Metabolism 7, 7 (2010)
Abstract
Emerging evidence indicates that impaired cellular energy metabolism is the defining characteristic of nearly all cancers regardless of cellular or tissue origin. In contrast to normal cells, which derive most of their usable energy from oxidative phosphorylation, most cancer cells become heavily dependent on substrate level phosphorylation to meet energy demands. Evidence is reviewed supporting a general hypothesis that genomic instability and essentially all hallmarks of cancer, including aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect), can be linked to impaired mitochondrial function and energy metabolism. A view of cancer as primarily a metabolic disease will impact approaches to cancer management and prevention. Download PDF
The Warburg Effect The “Warburg Effect" or the “Warburg Hypothesis” states that cancer cells live on sugar (glycolysis) and thrive in an anaerobic (low oxygen) environment.
Professor Otto Warburg (1883-1970), won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1931for his pioneering research on Cell Physiology, the process of oxidation, at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Biology, Berlin-Dahlem, Germany, where he discovered that cancer cells were low in oxygen due to a change in cellular respiration from using oxygen to using fermentation of sugar.
“Cancerous tissues are acidic, whereas healthy tissues are alkaline. Water splits into H+ and OH- ions, if there is an excess of H+, it is acidic; if there is an excess of OH- ions, then it is alkaline.”. . . “All normal cells have an absolute requirement for oxygen, but cancer cells can live without oxygen – a rule without exception. “Deprive a cell 35% of its oxygen for 48 hours and it may become cancerous.”
“Cancer, above all other diseases, has countless secondary causes. But, even for cancer, there is only one prime cause. Summarized in a few words, the prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar."
– Professor Otto Heinrich Warburg
Warburg's Nobel Prize committee biography was written in 1931 and updated in 1965:
For his discovery of the nature and mode of action of the respiratory enzyme, the Nobel Prize has been awarded to him in 1931. This discovery has opened up new ways in the fields of cellular metabolism and cellular respiration. He has shown, among other things, that cancerous cells can live and develop, even in the absence of oxygen.>>> more
(i) Otto Warburg's 1956 paper, On the Origin of Cancer Cells,
Science, 24 Feb 1956: Vol. 123, Issue 3191, pp. 309-314, DOI: 10.1126/science.123.3191.309).
Excerpt
What was formerly only qualitative has now become quantitative. What was formerly only probable has now become certain. The era in which the fermentation of the cancer cells or its importance could be disputed is over, and no one today can doubt that we understand the origin of cancer cells if we know how their large fermentation originates, or, to express it more fully, if we know how the damaged respiration and the excessive fermentation of the cancer cells originate.
Energy of respiration and fermentation
We now know the chemical mechanisms of respiration and fermentation almost completely, but we do not need this knowledge for what follows, since energy alone will be the centre of our considerations. We need to know no more of respiration and fermentation here than that they are energy-producing reactions and that they synthesise the energy-rich adenosine triphosphate, through which the energy of respiration and fermentation is then made available for life. Since it is known how much adenosine triphosphate can be synthesised by respiration and how much by fermentation, we can write immediately the potential, biologically utilizable energy production of any cells if we have measured their respiration and fermentation. … the cancer cells can obtain approximately the same amount of energy from fermentation as from respiration, whereas the normal body cells obtain much more energy from respiration than from fermentation. For example, the liver and kidney of an adult animal obtain about 100 times as much energy from respiration as from fermentation.
I shall not consider aerobic fermentation, which is a result of the interaction of respiration and fermentation, because aerobic fermentation is too labile and too dependent on external conditions. Of importance for the considerations that follow are only the two stable independent metabolic processes, respiration and anaerobic fermentation – respiration which is measured by the oxygen consumption of cells that are saturated with oxygen, and fermentation, which is measured by the formation of lactic acid in the absence of oxygen.>>> more
(ii) The Warburg Effect: How Does it Benefit Cancer Cells?
by Maria V. Liberti and Jason W. Locasale
Trends Biochem Science, 2016, Mar; 41(3): 211–218.
Cancer cells rewire their metabolism to promote growth, survival, proliferation, and long-term maintenance. The common feature of this altered metabolism is increased glucose uptake and fermentation of glucose to lactate. This phenomenon is observed even in the presence of completely functioning mitochondria and together is known as the Warburg Effect. The Warburg Effect has been documented for over 90 years and extensively studied over the past 10 years with thousands of papers reporting to have established either its causes or its functions. >>> more
Avoid FEAR while monitoring symptoms of immune system breakdown.
Stanford University stem-cell research pioneer Bruce Lipton's "Biology of Belief" (2005) offers wisdom:
"Just like a single cell, the character of our lives is determined not by our genes but by our responses to the environmental signals that propel life."... “The moment you change your perception is the moment you rewrite the chemistry of your body.”
– Bruce Lipton gave his book away on the 10th anniversary. "Biology of Belief" (2005) pdf
Partial transcript:
"If we could ultimately get rid of fear in our population, then basically we would put all of our reserves, all of our energy and all of our body systems into the mode of growth and maintenance, and therefore, not only would we be healthy as individuals, but then, as a community, all healthy individuals in a community would raise the level of life in that particular community so that there is the great possibility of a future of growth and peace and harmony once the concept of fear is removed from our belief system." – Dr. Bruce Lipton, 2012
Your Inner Fish
A journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body
by Neil Shubin, Professor of Anatomy, and scientific illustrator Kalliopi Monoyios at the University of Chicago. Free Teaching Tools
In Your Inner Fish, Neil Shubin tells the story of evolution by tracing the organs of the human body back millions of years, long before the first creatures walked the earth. By examining fossils and DNA, Shubin shows us that our hands actually resemble fish fins, our head is organized like that of a long-extinct jawless fish, and major parts of our genome look and function like those of worms and bacteria. We have compiled the figures from the book into a deck of PowerPoint slides for use in the classroom. Download here:
Kidney Function
Dr. Richard Lifton at Howard Hughes Medical Institute uses an aquarium and salt to illustrate the amount of work the kidney performs each day to maintain proper levels of ions in the body. Watch his video HERE
In the NEWS
Kidney Problems Linked to Brain Disorders: Study
By Robert Preidt
HealthDay Reporter, WebMD
THURSDAY, Aug. 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) --
Kidney problems can increase the risk of brain disorders, a new study finds. The findings suggest that protecting kidney health may also benefit the brain, the researchers said. . .
Melbourne University, 22 Oct, 2018:
Landmark study sheds light on how our brains age Two studies from a landmark 20-year Melbourne research project have shed more light on how the brain ages and what can affect the process.
Professor Kathryn Powley, 22 Oct, 2018
"Researchers looked inside the live brain using imaging data to see what impact different factors had over that time on actual brain pathology changes as well as brain function." – Professor Kathryn Powley
Anne M. Murray, (2009), The brain and the kidney connection:
A model of accelerated vascular cognitive impairment, Neurology, September 22, 2009; 73 (12)
Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) exhibit tremendously high levels of symptomatic and occult cerebrovascular disease and associated inflammatory factors, homocysteine, anemia, hypertension, and diabetes.
. . .The brain and kidneys may be considered end organs on parallel trajectories, subject to shared cardiovascular risk factors, with microvascular pathologic processes mediated by inflammatory and oxidative processes …
Includes a collection of recent studies:
Excerpt: Given that fascia is the most abundant connective tissue in the body, ask yourself how fascia could be the suspected cause of all disease and pain (HERE) if it were not intimately related to the endocrine system? Speaking of the endocrine system, let's talk for just a moment about the neuroendocrine system. If we cruise over to PubMed and search the term "neuroendocrine," we come up with over 140,000 studies -- not a misprint. But we shouldn't be surprised once we begin to grasp the intimate relationship between neurology and endocrinology. The best example of this is to look at the HPA-Axis.
With the HPA-AXIS, the Hypothalamus (brain) sends out hormones that act on the Pituitary Gland (brain), which in turn releases hormones that travel all over the body to effector sites. In other words, you can't really understand neurology and brain function without understanding endocrinology, and you can really understand endocrinology without having a handle on neurology --- they are intertwined to the point they cannot be separated. And while this is nothing new, neither is the fact that these hormones have effects on connective tissues such as ligaments, tendons, and fascia. >>> more
Nervous System
The Autonomic Nervous System “acts like an emergency controller to help the body cope with stressful situations by heightening our awareness and preparing us for activity (fight or flight response). The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) is a subdivision of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), termed the "rest and digest" system as it autonomically co-ordinates the functions of organs involved in these processes. The PNS works in tandem with the Sympathetic nervous system which “is responsible for determining the 'fight or flight' response”. . . The PNS will produce the opposite affect, e.g., "the SNS will cause a reduction in salivary secretion and production while the PNS will increase this"
– Rhoades, R Pflanzer, R (2003). Human Physiology. 4th ed. London: Thomas Brook/Cole. P. 340-341- (See Archive.org Preview)
Human Anatomy and Physiology is designed for the two-semester anatomy and physiology course taken by life science and allied health students. The textbook follows the scope and sequence of most Human Anatomy and Physiology courses, and its coverage and organization were informed by hundreds of instructors who teach the course. Instructors can customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom.
Chapter 1. An Introduction to the Human Body Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Discuss the role of oxygen and nutrients in maintaining human survival
• Explain why extreme heat and extreme cold threaten human survival
• Explain how the pressure exerted by gases and fluids influences human survival
Oxygen
Excerpt:
Atmospheric air is only about 20 percent oxygen, but that oxygen is a key component of the chemical reactions that keep the body alive, including the reactions that produce ATP. Brain cells are especially sensitive to lack of oxygen because of their requirement for a high-and-steady production of ATP. Brain damage is likely within five minutes without oxygen, and death is likely within ten minutes.
Chapter 3. The Cellular Level of Organization 3.6 Cellular Differentiation
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Discuss how the generalized cells of a developing embryo or the stem cells of an adult organism become differentiated into specialized cells
• Distinguish between the categories of stem cells
Excerpt:
How does a complex organism such as a human develop from a single cell—a fertilized egg—into the vast array of cell types such as nerve cells, muscle cells, and epithelial cells that characterize the adult? Throughout development and adulthood, the process of cellular differentiation leads cells to assume their final morphology and physiology. Differentiation is the process by which unspecialized cells become specialized to carry out distinct functions.
Stem Cells
A stem cell is an unspecialized cell that can divide without limit as needed and can, under specific conditions, differentiate into specialized cells. Stem cells are divided into several categories according to their potential to differentiate.
The first embryonic cells that arise from the division of the zygote are the ultimate stem cells; these stems cells are described as totipotent because they have the potential to differentiate into any of the cells needed to enable an organism to grow and develop.
The embryonic cells that develop from totipotent stem cells and are precursors to the fundamental tissue layers of the embryo are classified as pluripotent. A pluripotent stem cell is one that has the potential to differentiate into any type of human tissue but cannot support the full development of an organism. These cells then become slightly more specialized, and are referred to as multipotent cells. . . .
Chapter 20. The Cardiovascular System: Blood Vessels and Circulation
Figure 1. Cardiovascular Circulation. The pulmonary circuit moves blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs and back to the heart. The systemic circuit moves blood from the left side of the heart to the head and body and returns it to the right side of the heart to repeat the cycle. The arrows indicate the direction of blood flow, and the colors show the relative levels of oxygen concentration.
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
• Describe the composition of urine
• Label structures of the urinary system
• Characterize the roles of each of the parts of the urinary system
• Illustrate the macroscopic and microscopic structures of the kidney
• Trace the flow of blood through the kidney
• Outline how blood is filtered in the kidney nephron
• Provide symptoms of kidney failure
• List some of the solutes filtered, secreted, and reabsorbed in different parts of the nephron
• Describe the role of a portal system in the kidney
• Explain how urine osmolarity is hormonally regulated
• Describe the regulation of major ions by the kidney
• Summarize the role of the kidneys in maintaining acid–base balance
The urinary system has roles you may be well aware of: cleansing the blood and ridding the body of wastes probably come to mind. However, there are additional, equally important functions played by the system. Take for example, regulation of pH, a function shared with the lungs and the buffers in the blood. Additionally, the regulation of blood pressure is a role shared with the heart and blood vessels. What about regulating the concentration of solutes in the blood? Did you know that the kidney is important in determining the concentration of red blood cells? Eighty-five percent of the erythropoietin (EPO) produced to stimulate red blood cell production is produced in the kidneys. The kidneys also perform the final synthesis step of vitamin D production, converting calcidiol to calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D.
If the kidneys fail, these functions are compromised or lost altogether, with devastating effects on homeostasis. The affected individual might experience weakness, lethargy, shortness of breath, anemia, widespread edema (swelling), metabolic acidosis, rising potassium levels, heart arrhythmias, and more. Each of these functions is vital to your well-being and survival. The urinary system, controlled by the nervous system, also stores urine until a convenient time for disposal and then provides the anatomical structures to transport this waste liquid to the outside of the body. Failure of nervous control or the anatomical structures leading to a loss of control of urination results in a condition called incontinence...
Your Aorta: The Pulse of Life Understanding The Aorta and Its Job in Circulation
The American Heart Association The aorta is the main artery that carries blood away from your heart to the rest of your body. After the blood leaves the heart through the aortic valve, it travels through the aorta, making a cane-shaped curve that connects with other major arteries to deliver oxygen-rich blood to the brain, muscles, and other cells. . .
When a problem occurs with the aorta, the heart and the entire body’s blood supply can be jeopardized. . .
An aortic dissection is a split between the layers of the aorta that traps blood coming from the heart.
An aortic aneurysm is a weakened or bulging area on the wall of the aorta, which may occur anywhere along its length. . .
What are the Symptoms of an Aortic Emergency?>>>more
Plaque Build-up in arteries
1. What is atherosclerosis of the aorta?
Having atherosclerosis (say "ath-uh-roh-skluh-ROH-sis") of the aorta means that a material called plaque (fat and calcium) has built up in the inside wall of a large blood vessel called the aorta. This plaque buildup is sometimes called "hardening of the arteries." ... The plaque can weaken the wall of the aorta.
– Canada: MyHealth Alberta
2.
Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other parts of your body. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your arteries. – USA: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
What is the endocrine system and why is it important? The endocrine system, aka the hormonal system, is a chemical messenger system and the major endocrine glands are the thyroid gland and the adrenal glands. The endocrine glands secrete hormones into the bloodstream and influence the functions of almost all cells in the body.
What is the hormonal system? HealthDirect.com.au
Excerpt:
The hormonal system (also called the endocrine system) is a network of glands and organs in the body that produce hormones.
Hormones are important for almost all cells in the body to work.
They influence your metabolism, growth and many other functions.
You have a number of glands that produce hormones, including the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, the pineal gland, the thyroid gland, the parathyroid glands, the adrenal glands, the pancreas, ovaries and testes.
Each gland makes one or more hormones. Some hormones influence almost all cells in the body. Others only influence a small number of cells in specific organs. >>>more
What is adrenaline rush? When adrenaline is released suddenly, it’s often referred to as an adrenaline rush.
Healthline.com Excerpt:
An adrenaline rush is sometimes described as a boost of energy. Other symptoms include:
rapid heart rate
sweating
heightened senses
rapid breathing
decreased ability to feel pain
increased strength and performance
dilated pupils
feeling jittery or nervous
After the stress or danger is gone, the effect of adrenaline can last up to an hour.>>>more
What is cortisol?
Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands, which sit on top of each kidney. When released into the bloodstream, cortisol can act on many different parts of the body and can help:
- the body respond to stress or danger
- increase the body’s metabolism of glucose
- control blood pressure
- reduce inflammation
Cortisol is also needed for the fight or flight response, which is a healthy, natural response to perceived threats. The amount of cortisol produced is highly regulated by your body to ensure the balance is correct.
What triggers the adrenal glands to produce cortisol?
Cortisol production by the adrenal glands is regulated by the pituitary gland. The pituitary is a pea-sized gland at the base of the brain that is sometimes referred to as the "master gland" because of its wider effects on the body.
When you wake up, exercise or you’re facing a stressful event, your pituitary gland reacts. It sends a signal to the adrenal glands to produce just the right quantity of cortisol. >>>more
(i) Tumor cells engineer acidity to drive cell invasion Estrella, V., et al.
January 25, 2013, (Moffitt Cancer Center) Science Daily
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at Wayne State University School of Medicine investigated the acidity in solid tumors to determine if pH levels play a role in cancer cell invasion in surrounding tissues. They found that an acidic microenvironment can drive cancer cells to spread and propose that neutralizing pH would inhibit further invasion, providing a therapeutic opportunity to slow the progression of cancers. ... acidity in solid tumors is the result of an increased fermentative metabolism combined with poor delivery of blood to tissues.>>> more
(ii)Acidity generated by the tumor microenvironment drives local invasion.
Estrella V., et al.
March 2013, Cancer Research, NCIB
Abstract excerpt: The pH of solid tumors is acidic due to increased fermentative metabolism and poor perfusion. It has been hypothesized that acid pH promotes local invasive growth and metastasis. … >>> more
(iii) Treatment of acute metabolic acidosis:
a pathophysiologic approach
Jeffrey A. Kraut & Nicolaos E. Madias,
September
2012, Nature Reviews Nephrology 8, 589–601
Abstract excerpt: Acute metabolic acidosis is associated with increased morbidity and mortality because of its depressive effects on cardiovascular function, facilitation of cardiac arrhythmias, stimulation of inflammation, suppression of the immune response, and other adverse effects. Appropriate evaluation of acute metabolic acidosis includes assessment of acid–base parameters, including pH... >>> more
(iv) Therapeutic effects of vinegar: a review
Elsevier, Volume 8, April 2016, Pages 56-61
Anuar Samad, Azrina Azlan, Amin Ismail, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia
Highlights
– Vinegar could be alternative to modern medications in various health complications.
– The effectiveness of vinegar and its roles in attenuating diseases.
– Possible mechanisms of vinegar in proving its therapeutic values.
Vinegar is a natural product derived from a process of fermentation. Carbohydrates-rich foods are excellent sources of substrate to produce vinegar. Vinegar is mainly used as an ingredient in food preparation due to its taste and aroma. It is one of the most famous folk medicines used to fight infections. Several studies have showed vinegar has a potential to ameliorate obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, cancer and microbial infections. Daily intake of a drink containing 15 mL vinegar (750 mg of acetic acid) was reported to improve lifestyle-related diseases, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obesity. The presence of acetic acid and other components in vinegar could be responsible for its therapeutic effect. This paper reviews recent studies on therapeutic values of vinegar derived from different food sources. Possible mechanisms of therapeutic action of vinegar are also discussed.>>>more
What Is Culinary Medicine and What Does It Do? by John La Puma, MD, FACP
February 2016
Population Health Management
Over the past 35 years, a new enthusiasm has emerged about the relationship of food, eating, and cooking to personal health and wellness.1 Though there are few peer-reviewed publications, grant monies, books, or biomedical journals entitled “culinary medicine,” there are thousands of peer-reviewed publications, found mainly in mainstream medical journals that form its published research base. How can the emerging field of culinary medicine be helpfully described? >>>more
New York Makes Plant-Based Hospital Meals the Law Michael Keevican
Dec. 6 2019
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
The Physicians Committee—a nonprofit with more than 12,000 doctor members—applauds New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for signing into law on Dec. 6 a landmark bill that guarantees hospital patients a healthful plant-based option at every meal. >>> more
Excerpt:
Alkalosis is a condition in which the body fluids have excess base (alkali). This is the opposite of excess acid (acidosis).
Causes
The kidneys and lungs maintain the proper balance (proper pH level) of chemicals called acids and bases in the body. Decreased carbon dioxide (an acid) level or increased bicarbonate (a base) level makes the body too alkaline, a condition called alkalosis. There are different types of alkalosis. These are described below.
Respiratory alkalosis is caused by a low carbon dioxide level in the blood. This can be due to:
• Fever
• Being at a high altitude
• Lack of oxygen
• Liver disease
• Lung disease, which causes you to breathe faster (hyperventilate)
• Aspirin poisoning
Metabolic alkalosis is caused by too much bicarbonate in the blood. It can also occur due to certain kidney diseases.
Hypochloremic alkalosis is caused by an extreme lack or loss of chloride, such as from prolonged vomiting.
Hypokalemic alkalosis is caused by the kidneys' response to an extreme lack or loss of potassium. This can occur from taking certain water pills (diuretics).
Compensated alkalosis occurs when the body returns the acid-base balance to normal in cases of alkalosis, but bicarbonate and carbon dioxide levels remain abnormal.
Symptoms of alkalosis can include any of the following:
• Confusion (can progress to stupor or coma)
• Hand tremor.
• Lightheadedness.
• Muscle twitching.
• Nausea, vomiting.
• Numbness or tingling in the face, hands, or feet.
• Prolonged muscle spasms (tetany) >>> more
"If your patient receives exogenous NaHCO3[bi-carb soda] orally for indigestion or intravenously during cardiopulmonary arrest, it adds HCO3- to the ECF, and can result in metabolic alkalosis."
How does one make the diagnosis of metabolic alkalosis and differentiate simple from mixed disturbances? Excerpt:
Metabolic alkalosis is due either to a gain in bicarbonate or a bicarbonate precursor (HCO3-), loss of hydrogen ion (H+) or the loss of fluid that contains Cl- in higher concentration and bicarbonate in lower concentration than serum. The brainstem is sensitive to interstitial and cellular H+changes and the decline in H+with metabolic alkalosis inhibits ventilation (respiratory compensation). In simple metabolic alkalosis the resultant compensatory alveolar hypoventilation leads to an increase in arterial carbon dioxide content (PaCO2). . . . The evaluation of a patient with suspected metabolic alkalosis on a set of arterial blood gases involves four simple steps:>>> more
The pH of beverages in the United States
Avanija Reddy, DMD, MPH; Don F. Norris, DMD; Stephanie
S. Momeni, MS, MBA; Belinda Waldo, DMD; John D. Ruby,
DMD, PhD, (2016), The Journal of The American Dental Association
Excerpt: Sweetened and flavored beverage consumption has increased dramatically over the past 35 years in the United States with carbonated soft drinks being consumed the most frequently, and most often by children, teens, and young adults.1-3 In 1942, the annual production of soft drinks was approximately 60 12-ounce servings per person; that number has increased almost 10-fold since 2005.
Between 1999 and 2002, daily carbonated soft drink and fruit drink consumption by 13-to 18-year-olds was 26 ounces, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest has reported that in 2004, total consumption of these drinks for every man, woman, and child was approximately 68 gallons per year. The prevalence of dental erosion in the 21st century has also increased due to our enhanced preference for sweet and sour. The consumption of acidic beverages contributes to an erosive oral milieu and should be of concern to the dental practitioner.
The pH of commercial nonalcoholic, nondairy beverages ranges from 2.1 (lime juice concentrate) to 7.4 (spring water). Commercially available beverages with a pH of less than 4.0 are potentially damaging to the dentition. Acids are added to beverages and compose a flavor profile giving the beverage a distinctive taste. Acids provide a tartness and tangy taste that helps to balance the sweetness of sugar present in the beverage; they are key factors in the taste of the beverage. Phosphoric acid is added to cola drinks to impart tartness, reduce growth of bacteria and fungi, and improve shelf-life. >>> more
Humans are meant to be pH balanced.
Acidosis is caused by low oxygen uptake which leads to low nutrient absorption followed by immune system suppression and breakdown - and food cravings: Processed 'food-like' products bear no resemblance to real food. They are full of sugars and synthetic food additives that have been proven to cause metabolic dysfunction (See Health Matters overview).
Symptoms of aging follow inefficient excretion of acidic waste.
Excess acidic waste gradually accumulates in capillary blood vessels, slowly clogging them and depriving them of oxygen and essential nutrients.
The skin is an organ too, and the consequence of slow organ deterioration is premature ageing.
Prevent disease, mental disorders, cancer, AND premature ageing. When body pH is slightly above 7.4 cancer cells become dormant and at pH 8.5 cancer cells will die while healthy cells will live. (Davies, 2013)
Lemon acidity is neutralised
during the digestion process.
A few un-squeezed lemon slices in
a jug of water =
a delicious pH balancing drink.
SLEEP Believing that you received more sleep than you did is enough to give your brain some of the positive effects of sleep.
"How to put your mind to sleep" and 'associate positivity' with sleeping.
Every body is different, so get to know your own body. Balanced pH supports maximum nutrient uptake. Recommended daily dietary intake:
20% acid foods and 80% alkaline foods
BREATH
Exercise to remove carbon dioxide from your lungs. ". . .sometimes the lungs can’t remove enough CO2.
This may be due to a decrease in respiratory rate
or decrease in air movement
due to
an underlying condition such as. . ." >>> more
Drink more water: Increase water intake to help flush out toxins.
Suggestions:
Drink plain water between meals in the afternoon
to allow your stomach time to rest and replenish digestive juices. Add sliced un-squeezed lemons to a large jug of water
and sip throughout the day. (Lemons are acid pH, but they metabolises to neutral pH.) NOTE:
sparkling mineral water is acid pH, along with all carbonated soft drinks and alcohol.
Know your condition:
Use urine pH test strips to monitor your body's pH condition. If you find you have an acid pH reading, you can quickly neutralise stomach acids.
"A wonder solution!"
Remedy
– Bi-Carbonate Soda before bed
– Apple Cider Vinegar before breakfast Always take bi-carb
at least two hours after eating - after food has been digested - and drink water only until reactivation of digestive juices with apple cider vinegar before next meal.
Step 1)Before bed:
Taking bi-carb soda before going to bed will neutralise stomach acids and allow your kidneys to rest overnight. (Bi-carb research reports HERE.)
Take 1/2 a teaspoon of bi-carbonate soda in a small glass of water and take a sip of plain water to wash away the salty taste.
– If necessary, especially after drinking alcohol, test pH in the middle of the night.
– It's OK to repeat this formula to achieve pH 8.5 for two or three hours before breakfast.
Step 2) Before breakfast:
ReActivate Digestive Juices with Apple Cider Vinegar before your next meal.
(ACV reports HERE and HERE and HERE)
Take ONE teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a shot-glass of water to reactivate digestive juices and to prevent alkalosis.
– Best 'thrown back' to avoid weakening tooth enamel.
Optional: – 1 tsp acv in large glass of hot water, with honey.
Step 3)“Let thy food be thy medicine” – Hippocrates
This is also a good time to take probiotics as
neutral pH allows ‘living’ probiotics to reach the intestine alive.
– Digestion begins with the flow of "digestive juices" in the mouth, therefore, it is essential to chew food thoroughly.
– Drink 6 to 8 large glasses of filtered water every day.
STRESS is multi-symptom - starting with WORRY!
When we're pro-actively managing our 'condition' we begin to feel empowered, which will replace worry with gratitude.
