Diabetes, Mitochondria & Cancer

Type 2 Diabetes is a known precursor for many different cancers.

Type 2 Diabetes also appears to confer a significantly greater risk in women than men for cancers of the mouth, stomach, kidney and for leukaemia.

With the knowledge that chronic inflammation fuels complications of Type 2 Diabetes, including cardiovascular and kidney issues, determining the underlying causes of inflammation in Type 2 Diabetes is very important for the development of treatments.  The prevailing assumption has held glucose to be the main determinant.

However, new research from scientists at the University of Kentucky has shown that changes to mitochondria drive chronic inflammation from cells exposed to certain types of fats.  This new finding does not disprove glucose as a mechanism for inflammation but it does shed light on the puzzling situation of people with tight glucose control still seeing disease progression.

What Are Mitochondria?

Mitochondria are organelles found in every human cell except for red blood cells. The more energy a cell needs the more mitochondria it will have.  Mitochondria take in nutrients, break them down and create energy for a vast number of cellular functions.

Improving Mitochondrial Health

With the results of this study in mind, improving the health mitochondria is a logical piece of the puzzle for cancer prevention.

Let’s look at some ways to do this.

Exercise

Mitochondria are essential providers of energy for cellular survival.  They are also key to the function of apoptosis, or programmed cellular death.  Exercise is key to increasing mitochondrial health and biogenesis.

Intermittent Fasting

 Intermittent fasting has been shown to remove damaged mitochondria from the body through a process known as mitophagy. It also improves mitochondria homeostasis leading to more optimal functioning.

As well, by avoiding over consumption you reduce the amount of fuel that your mitochondria is required to burn.  This serves to limit free radicals, a by-product of mitochondrial function.

Toxins

The deleterious effects of environmental toxins on mitochondrial function has been studied extensively in humans.  Doing your best to avoid environmental toxins, improving the environmental health of your home and workplace and supporting your natural detoxification pathways to aid your system in the elimination of acquired toxins are vital for supporting your mitochondrial health.

Diet

Poor diet can lead to excessive free radicals and inflammation.  Your mitochondria also produce free radicals.  Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables provides needed antioxidants to counteract harmful effects of these free radicals.

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References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2890380/

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-018-4664-5

https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(19)30377-8?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1550413119303778%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31674658

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19448716

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6078194/

 

 

 

 

 

This Week on The Health Hub…Technology’s Push for Change in Healthcare with Lonny Stormo

Lonny Stormo is the CEO & co- founder of Pops Diabetes Care. He has spent 34 years in the healthcare industry primarily at Medtronic, the largest medical device in the manufacturer world. At Medtronic he served in a large variety of roles including leading the Medtronic Therapy Delivery business. In the last four years, Lonny has successfully led the founding and growth of Pops, a leader in creating full virtual care, the next stage of healthcare. Lonny is passionate about consumer experience, changing healthcare to focus on benefiting individuals across the globe, and serving as a leader of the most inspired teams. Lonny is on local American Diabetes Association and Rotary International boards. He holds a BSEE degree from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and an MBA from Arizona State University.

 


Learning Points:

  • What is the POPS technology platform?
  • How is technology pushing for a transformation in healthcare?
  • What is healthcare associated waste?

Social Media


Listen live or catch the podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud!

Every Tuesday from 11am -12pm I host The Health Hub, an interactive, forward thinking talk show on Radio Maria Canada.   Call, tweet or email your questions as together we explore health issues that are relevant to you from new and innovative points of view.


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If you have a health topic that you would like us to discuss or are a health care specialist who wants to be a guest on our show let us know!

Here is our email.  We would love to hear from you! thh@radiomaria.ca

 

 

 

This Week on The Health Hub… Healthy Management of Type 1 Diabetes with Dr. Jody Stanislaw


Dr. Jody Stanislaw received her naturopathic doctorate degree at Bastyr University, one of the top holistic medical schools in the United States. Using natural health treatment modalities, she has helped hundreds of patients transform their health from flailing to fabulous.

Dr. Jody is not only well trained professionally, but at the age of 7 she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes which has driven her to become an expert at teaching and inspiring others to healthy living. She is a unique physician because she not only focuses on improving physical health, but also ensures her patients have tools for living with emotional peace and joy. She considers herself a professional health nut and loves to help others experience the ecstasy of healthy living.

In September 2017 Dr. Stanislaw gave a TEDx talk, Sugar is Not a Treat, which has had over 450,00 views.

She has a virtual practice thus works with patients all over the world.

Learning Points:

  • What is the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes?
  • What is the role of insulin in balancing blood sugar?
  • What is the healthy way to manage blood sugar? 

Listen live or catch the podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud!


Every Tuesday from 11am -12pm I host The Health Hub, an interactive, forward thinking talk show on Radio Maria Canada.   Call, tweet or email your questions as together we explore health issues that are relevant to you from new and innovative points of view.

TheHealthHub is now on iTunes!

Subscribe and don’t miss a single episode!

 

 


Follow us on Social Media


How To Listen Live

Visit our website and learn how to listen live to our show each week.
http://www.radiomaria.ca/how-to-listen


Let us know!

If you have a health topic that you would like us to discuss or are a health care specialist who wants to be a guest on our show let us know!

Here is our email.  We would love to hear from you!
thh@radiomaria.ca

 

 

 

 

 

This Week on The Health Hub…Dr. Deanna Minich

An Integrative Approach to Management of Type 2 Diabetes

Dr. Deanna Minich is a health educator, researcher, and author with more than twenty years of experience in nutrition, mind-body health, and functional medicine. Her passion is bringing forth a colorful whole-self approach to nourishment and bridging the gaps between science, soul, and art in medicine. Her most recent book is called The Rainbow Diet: A Holistic Approach to Radiant Health Through Foods and Supplements (Conari Press, 2018). 

Learning Points:

  • What is the difference between Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes?
  • Why is Type 2 Diabetes on the rise?
  • Can we effectively manage Type 2 Diabetes with diet and lifestyle modifications?

 

 

 Listen live or catch the podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud!

 


Every Tuesday from 11am -12pm I host The Health Hub, an interactive, forward thinking talk show on Radio Maria Canada.   Call, tweet or email your questions as together we explore health issues that are relevant to you from new and innovative points of view.

TheHealthHub is now on iTunes!

Subscribe and don’t miss a single episode!

 

 


Follow us on Social Media


How To Listen Live

Visit our website and learn how to listen live to our show each week.
http://www.radiomaria.ca/how-to-listen


Let us know!

If you have a health topic that you would like us to discuss or are a health care specialist who wants to be a guest on our show let us know!

Here is our email.  We would love to hear from you!
thh@radiomaria.ca

 

 

 

 

The Importance of Magnesium for Blood Sugar Management

Magnesium is a mineral and is involved in over 300 enzymatic functions within our body including protein synthesis, blood pressure regulation, muscle and nerve function, energy production and blood glucose management. In its management of blood glucose levels, magnesium therefore can play a role in decreasing risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes and to further this can decrease the risk for cancers of the colon, breast, pancreas and liver[1].

Blood levels of glucose are elevated after we eat and it is the role of insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas, to push that glucose in to our cells. If glucose is consistently elevated, the pancreas is called upon to continually secrete insulin to try and move that glucose from our blood in to the cells. The result of this chronically elevated insulin level is that the receptors on our cells for insulin stop responding with the result that glucose does not get removed from our blood stream and blood glucose levels rise. This condition is better known as insulin resistance.

This study helps us to understand how magnesium influences insulin resistance demonstrating that magnesium is critical for our insulin receptors to function properly. The study also brings to light the fact that high insulin levels can cause an increase in the amount of urinary magnesium excreted from the kidneys. Thus someone with sub par magnesium levels can

enter a vicious circle in which hypomagnesemia causes insulin resistance and insulin resistance reduces serum Mg(2+) concentrations[2]

Getting the daily recommended amount of magnesium, 420mg per day for men and 320 mg per day for women is therefore very important for managing blood sugar and in turn for fighting disease. To ensure that you are achieving your recommended daily allowance of magnesium include foods high in magnesium such as spinach, swiss chard, pumpkin seeds, kefir, black beans, bananas and avocados in your diet daily.

 

References

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20309918

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11478333