INTRODUCTION
In today’s post I am going to talk about the gut microbiome and just how important this is when it comes to surviving cancer. Did you know that disruptions in the gut microbiome have been linked to a significant number of chronic health problems including uterine cancer?
This is a topic your doctors won’t tell you about, but having a healthy gut will help your treatments be more effective, improve outcomes and prevent side effects. It is absolutely essential to have a healthy gut in order to recover from cancer.
So many people have very unhealthy gastrointestinal systems and gut microbiomes and don’t know it. Keep reading to learn more about this problem.
WHAT IS THE GUT MICROBIOME?
Your gastrointestinal (GI) tract is where you eat and digest food and get the proper nutrients you need to live. It starts in your mouth and goes all the way to your rectum. Within your GI tract live trillions of single-celled microorganisms, mostly bacteria, but also yeast, fungi, protozoa and viruses. These organisms are what make up the gut microbiome.
Did you know there are so many microorganisms in your gut that their genes outnumber your genes by 100 times?!
The gut microbiome is now being studied more and more with the advent of new technology. It is like exploring space and a whole new frontier for scientists to figure out has emerged. There is still so much to learn about this amazing world of living microorganisms in our bodies!
WHAT DOES THE GUT MICROBIOME DO?
The gut microbiome is an entire delicate ecosystem co-existing within us in a symbiotic relationship. These organisms play a vital role in numerous functions in our bodies, which include, but are not limited to:
- Producing a variety of vitamins
- Synthesizing all amino acids
- Make it possible for us to digest and metabolize non-digestible carbohydrates like starches, cellulose, pectins and gums from plants
- Stimulate and train the immune system to respond to antigens, which are foreign substances or toxins we are exposed to
- Break down the foods we eat so we can get the nutrients we need
- Play an important role in our mental health and moods (the gut-brain axis)
- Involved in immune function and regulation
- Involved in metabolism and energy usage
- Can affect body weight and appetite
- Protect you from pathogenic bacteria when the good bacteria produce antimicrobials in your gut
- Protect your gut lining cells to prevent toxins, (bacterial breakdown products and foreign substances) from entering your blood stream
- Produce and regulate important hormones including estrogen
The gut microbiome is one of the largest immune organs in our body. In fact 80% of our immune system comes from the gut microbiome and we can’t live without it!
WHAT CAN DISRUPT THE HEALTHY MICROBIOME?
When the gut microbiome becomes imbalanced and disrupted, this is called DYSBIOSIS. The bacterial balance is shifted and the GI tract itself may become compromised.
Three main things can happen
- Loss of beneficial bacteria
- Overgrowth of harmful bacteria
- Loss of bacterial diversity
The causes for Dysbiosis are many, but here are some of the main ones
- Antibiotic use (oral and topical)
- Ultra-processed foods and an unhealthy diet
- Stress and anxiety
- Poor dental hygiene
- Alcohol – more than 2 drinks per day
- Other medication
- Exposure to chemicals like pesticides on produce
- Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy
- Loss of sleep
HOW AN UNHEALTHY GUT MICROBIOME IS ASSOCIATED WITH CANCER
- INFLAMMATION
When the gut lining is damaged through dysbiosis, harmful bacteria and toxins can enter the blood stream, triggering inflammation throughout the body. This is sometimes called “leaky gut syndrome.” This chronic inflammation is a known risk factor for cancer and can create a favorable environment for cancer cells to grow and spread.
Some harmful bacteria in a dysbiotic gut can release lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This is a potent inflammatory molecule that stimulates the immune system to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines. Two examples are tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 6 both of which have been implicated in cancer development and metastasis.
Chronic inflammation caused by pathogenic gut microbes damages DNA and enhances the survival of malignant cells. It can also cause rapid cell division and ineffective DNA repair, contributing to cancer progression. This is especially true in hormone driven cancers where chronic inflammation can directly increase estrogen production!
2. HORMONE REGULATION
The gut microbiome is an endocrine organ and it helps regulate estrogen levels in the body among other things.
The estrobolome is a collection of bacteria in the gut that metabolizes estrogen. This group of bacteria produces enzymes like beta-glucuronidase, which can reactivate estrogens in the gut, allowing them to be reabsorbed into the blood stream instead of being excreted.
In cases of dysbiosis, there may be higher activity of these beta-glucuronidase producing bacteria, leading to increased estrogen reabsorption and higher levels of circulating estrogen, which is not good when you have endometrial cancer.
3. OBESITY AND METABOLISM
The microbiome is known to influence metabolism and fat storage. Certain bacteria may contribute to weight gain and insulin resistance, both risk factors for endometrial cancer.
Certain bacterial species in the gut are more efficient at extracting energy from indigestible fibers and carbohydrates. An abundance of these energy-harvesting bacteria (such as members of the Firmicutes phylum) has been associated with obesity, as they lead to an increase in caloric absorption and fat deposition.
It has been shown that gut microbiomes that lack genetic diversity are related to obesity, insulin resistance, abnormal levels of lipids in the blood stream and inflammation.
The bacterial composition of the microbiome has been shown to differ between obese and lean people. Also, a Western-style diet, high in unhealthy fats and refined carbohydrates may promote increased intestinal bacteria linked to obesity.
The gut microbiome plays a significant role in appetite regulation. If you have an imbalance in the gut organisms, your appetite may be affected leading to weight gain and obesity.
4. IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTION
80% of our immune system comes from our gut microbiome! We need a healthy immune system to identify and attack cancer cells.
Disruptions in the microbiome can lead to an immunosuppressive environment. Combine this with the immunosuppressive effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy and you potentially have a disaster.
Cancer cells can actually secrete metabolites that affect the gut bacterial diversity and composition. In this way they can regulate the tumor microenvironment and cause immune inhibition.
Certain gut bacteria produce short chain fatty acids. One example is butyrate. This fatty acid has been shown to regulate the activity of T-cells and natural killer cells, both key white blood cells for attacking and destroying cancer cells.
Dysbiosis can reduce the short chain fatty acid production impairing the immune system’s ability to combat cancer.
THE MICROBIOME AND CANCER TREATMENTS
- This is a relatively new field of exploration in the cancer world. Scientists now recognize the vital role the gut microbiome plays in cancer. However, most of the studies have been done in mouse models, although they are still very relevant.
- It is well known that chemotherapy and radiation therapy alter the gut microbiome, which leads to many of the side effects such as mucositis, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, brain fog and diarrhea.
- New research has proven that an altered gut microbiome (dysbiosis) can cause the adverse effects of cancer treatment and make the treatments less effective. The gut microbiome is also responsible for the development of resistance to many of the chemotherapy drugs.
- Scientists are now looking at patient stool samples to predict which patients may respond better to chemotherapy!
- Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium are so well known to boost the effectiveness of immunotherapy, that they could be considered immune adjuvants to immune checkpoint inhibitor treatments. Read More
- Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei and the formulation VSL #3 (streptococcus, lactobacillus and bifidobacterium species) have been proven to reduce radiation induced toxicity and reduce the duration of neutropenia (low white blood cell counts).
- Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Akkermansia may enhance chemotherapy effectiveness.
This is a big subject and there are lots of studies going on. I encourage you to do your own research, but the bottom line is you need to improve your gut microbiome.
Gut Microbes in Gynecologic Cancers: Causes or Biomarkers and Therapeutic Potential In summary, the following recommendation will significantly prolong the survival time of patients with gynecological malignant tumors as well as improve the survival rate and quality of life. Read More
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR GUT MICROBIOME AND WHY YOU NEED TO
By altering the gut microbiome through dietary changes, probiotics and prebiotics, your health can dramatically improve and the treatments will become more effective with less toxicity.
- FASTING
- Believe it or not, fasting, intermittent fasting, time restricted feeding and even fasting mimicking diets can actually improve your gut microbiome!
- In one research study, they found that intermittent fasting increased the number of a bacteria species called Lachnaspiraceae. This bacteria can happily live in an empty GI tract. It also produces a very beneficial short chain fatty acid called butyrate.
- Butyrate improves the barrier functions of the intestines and also sends anti-inflammatory signals to the immune system. Reducing leaky gut and inflammation are very beneficial when it comes to cancer.
- In this study, they found that weight loss was statistically associated with an increase in the diversity of the microbiome and also a decrease in intestinal permeability, both of which are necessary to heal from cancer. There was also a specific increase in Akkermansia muciniphila, which has been shown to be a beneficial bacteria to help immunotherapy work better. Read More
- In this study, they used a fasting mimicking diet in mice and suppressed colorectal cancer by various mechanisms. Read More
- Time restricted feeding is when you eat in a certain window of time during the day. Typically it is an 8 hour window. i.e. between 9am and 5pm, but sometimes shorter. This type of eating can restore the cycling of the microbiome, which actually has a circadian rhythm. This has many beneficial effects on our health.
2. PROBIOTICS
Probiotics are essential when you want to heal from cancer. They have many benefits including:
- improve immune function
- reduce pathogenic bacteria in the gut
- help heal the gut barrier (prevent leaky gut syndrome)
- improve sleep
- used to treat certain diseases including cancer
Probiotics that contain these beneficial bacteria are great. Lactobacillus species, Bifidobacterium species, Streptococcus thermophilus, Akkermansia muciniphila and a yeast organism called Saccharomyces boulardii.
3. KETOGENIC DIET
The ketogenic diet in essence mimics fasting. By forcing the body to use fats and protein for fuel instead of glucose readily available from carbohydrates, you are becoming metabolically flexible and healthier and weakening cancer cells.
The research is still out on this way of eating and the gut microbiome and studies in humans are very few. Here is one reference that you may find helpful in understanding more.
4. FLAVANOIDS
Flavanoids are chemicals found in plants. The science is still in its infancy, but there are many positive properties of these chemicals.
- May inhibit gastrointestinal inflammation thereby helpful in the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases like cancer.
- Can inhibit pathogenic bacteria and boost healthy bacteria in the gut
- Improve the intestinal lining and barrier function to prevent leaky gut
- Reduce endotoxin production by bacteria
- Promote nutrient absorption
Examples of some well known plant flavonoids are resveratrol, curcumin, quercetin, green tea extract and apigenin. Best of all chocolate and coffee are chock full of many beneficial flavonoids!
IN SUMMARY
- The gut microbiome is of major importance when it comes to surviving cancer and the treatments!
- We all have some degree of dysbiosis whether we know it or not.
- Gut dysbiosis has now been linked to not only cancer, but diabetes, obesity, heart disease, dementia, Alzheimers, autoimmune diseases, depression and more.
- We have to consider doing further testing to find out more about the status of our gut microbiome and how to improve it. (more on this in another post)
- The best ways to start to improve your gut microbiome are through fasting, time-restricted feeding, the ketogenic diet, probiotics, eating healthy plants and taking supplements.
ONE THING YOU CAN DO TODAY TO CONTINUE ON YOUR HEALING JOURNEY
Today I want to encourage you to read this book, SUPER GUT, by William Davis, MD. He also authored the book, Wheat Belly. Both of these are national bestsellers. This book was recommended by my naturopathic doctor and is a real eye-opener!
Dr. Davis goes into great detail in a very easy to read and humorous format about the gut microbiome. He describes how our gut microbiomes can become badly damaged from the time we are born. It is shocking that the majority of us are walking around with what he calls Frankenbellys and how that negatively impacts our health and we don’t realize it.
We were not meant to be eating ultra-processed foods, taking antibiotics for everything and being exposed to all kinds of pollution and toxins in our environment. This wreaks havoc on our gut ecosystem and we need to pay attention to this and make changes to help this trillion organism ecosystem flourish again.
The best part is he gives very detailed ways you can heal from all these problems with easy to follow protocols, including making your own super gut yogurt. I really enjoyed reading this book and learned so much. I will also link to the probiotics he recommends and a great yogurt maker below if you decide to make his super gut healing yogurt and follow his recipes.
Ultimate Probiotic Yogurt Maker – This is what I use. It makes great yogurt!
Digestive Advantage Probiotic – B. Coagulans
BioGaia Probiotic – L. Reuteri
Biothin Probiotic – L. Gasseri
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. – Exodus 14:14