Life Over Cancer Blog

Is Flaxseed Toxic?

We recently received this question from a patient regarding concerns about flaxseed safety and side effects. 

Like many other foods, flax contains very small amounts of cyanide compounds, especially when consumed raw. Heat, especially on dry flax seeds, breaks these compounds down. However, our bodies neutralize a certain amount of these compounds, and the U.S. government agencies say that 2 tablespoons of flaxseed (about 3 tablespoons of flax meal) is safe and probably an “effective dose” for health purposes. 

In 1978 the FDA indicated concern about the cyanide in flaxseed. However, this concern was abandoned in 1982 when flaxseed was permitted in bread in levels of 10-12 percent. The FDA stated that there was no concern that there would be "…any more exposure to hydrogen cyanide than from other foods such as lima beans, fava beans, chickpeas, cassava, yams, cashews or almonds."

A lot of research about flax show little or no problems from eating it -- and actually has shown many benefits, including being a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and antioxidants. Therefore, flaxseed/flaxseed oil is on the Block Center’s list of recommended fats, though, like all sources of healthier fats, we suggest it be used in limited quantities.

Healing Power of the Terrain: Stress Chemistry & Biorhythm Malfunction

The body responds to stressors – whether they be chemical, physical, nutritional or psychological – by secreting stress hormones. These enabled our ancestors to respond quickly to predators or other threats by producing an immediate surge of energy, and of course, comes in handy in modern times when, for example, a car swerves in our path or a growling dog jumps out at us. Once the danger has passed, our stress hormones return to normal levels. At least, they’re supposed to. But when the stress is chronic, so is the response.

Chronically elevated stress hormones produce a terrain that is hospitable to cancer cells. With your stress machinery stuck on high, continued exposure to stress hormones can severely damage your body and disturb your vital reserves of nutrients, hormones, enzymes, antibodies, and immune cells, all of which are essential to your recovery. For instance, chronically elevated levels of the stress hormone adrenaline increase levels of blood glucose and clotting factors, which are conducive to the growth and spread of cancer. Chronically high levels of another stress hormone, cortisol, make it difficult for insulin to ferry blood glucose into your tissues; this is tantamount to insulin resistance, which can stimulate tumor growth. In addition, cortisol suppresses some immune system activity and can increase biochemicals that support the growth and spread of tumors.

Ask Dr. Block: Which integrative treatments are right for me?

Are all integrative treatments evidence based? How do we know which is right for our situation?

 
The evidence base for integrative treatments varies for different treatments. Some integrative therapies, such as St John’s Wort for mild to moderate depression, or hypnosis for easing the surgical experience, have been tested in randomized controlled trials. Some, on the other hand, have only laboratory testing to back up their claims; for example, some facets of traditional Chinese medicine and most, if not all, “alternative” interventions. I strongly advise patients work with a clinician who knows the state of research on many different therapies. In addition, using therapies with the highest level of evidence (clinical-based versus laboratory based) is generally advised. 

Healing Power of the Terrain: Inflammation

Evidence of the ability of inflammation to both initiate and fuel cancer has been accumulating since at least the 1980s. In fact, any chronic inflammatory disease – such as arthritis, bronchitis, fasciitis, colitis, and asthma – can increase the risk of cancer. For example, according to a 2000 study, approximately one in every ten patients with ulcerative colitis will eventually develop colorectal cancer. However, it isn’t just the risk of cancer that is a concern when chronic inflammation is present. A study published in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology demonstrated that patients with high blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) were two to three times more likely to die prematurely or have their cancer return than patients with lower levels. 

These markers indicate the presence of inflammation in the body. While acute inflammation is a healthy immune system response, chronic inflammation is not. Inflammation is one of the mechanisms that initiate the cascade of molecular events that lead to cancer and promote the growth of existing tumors. If a cellular mutation is the spark that lights the malignant fire, then inflammation is the fuel that keeps the fire growing. In general, the higher your CRP levels, the more unfavorable your prognosis. Indeed, in advanced cancers, CRP levels are often the most reliable indicator of prognosis, particularly with colorectal, lung, pancreatic, and prostate cancers.

The converse is also true: controlling inflammation can reduce the risk of and decrease the aggressiveness of cancer. Most, if not all patients, are dealing with high levels of inflammatory biochemicals that are produced by malignancies, and increased by surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. At the Block Center, we measure and monitor the inflammation levels of all of our patients, and encourage them to make lifestyle and dietary changes that can significantly minimize other sources of inflammation. It is important to note that being overweight, especially with excess abdominal fat, can be particularly harmful. People who are overweight have a higher level of inflammatory compounds in their blood, regardless of lifestyle or medical history. 

Ask Dr. Block: Preventing Cancer

Would you share suggestions on how to keep from getting cancer? I have had multiple different types of cancer as well as precancerous sites.

I’m not sure whether you have had cancer originating in several different organs, or whether you are discussing one cancer that has gone to several different sites in the body. From your description, I’ll assume it’s the first, such that you could have had, for example, skin cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer.

If this is indeed the case, you should first be assessed for one of the genetic cancer risk syndromes so that your doctors can advise you more accurately about monitoring and prevention. I would also suggest a comprehensive lifestyle program, with a plant-based whole-foods diet, and an exercise and stress management program tailored to your specific needs.

It would also be helpful for you to get a comprehensive assessment of what I have long referred to as your internal “biochemical terrain.” This would allow us to assess for abnormally high levels of inflammation, oxidation, glycemia or other terrain factors that could be contributing to your history of “multiple different types of cancer.”

In my book, Life Over Cancer, the chapters addressing our core diet, prescriptive exercise and personalized mind-spirit programs would be important for helping you put together a more comprehensive regimen for combating your illness. Additionally, I would suggest the chapter on “what to do when treatment ends” which focuses on the first year you are cancer free, as well as the “remission maintenance program,” which details a long term plan for remaining cancer free.

For more information on The Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment, visit BlockMD.com.

Healing Power of the Terrain: Oxidation

What is oxidation?

It’s iron rusting, a sliced apple turning brown and aging skin that wrinkles. Oxidation means the loss of an electron from an atom or molecule. Because atoms and molecules like to have their full complement of electrons, the loss of one (or more) makes them seek replacements. In other words, the atom or molecule becomes a highly reactive free radical, driven to combine with other molecules in order to grab their electrons. For a free radical, any molecule is a potential target, including DNA. If a free radical reacts with DNA, the result can be a mutation that initiates cancer, promotes growth and progression, alters the cell in a way that makes it resistant to radiation or chemotherapy, or makes it metastasize. 

Said another way, these are some of the potential consequences of oxidative stress a cancer patient may face: faster tumor growth, an increased resistance to radiation and to many chemotherapies, increased risk of neuropathy, cardiotoxicity, kidney damage and liver toxicity, increased fatigue, and progressive weakness, which can lead to inactivity and muscle wasting. 

So, what can patients do to manage oxidative stress? There are two options: decrease the production of free radicals from processes that you can control, and increase the production of antioxidants that mop up free radicals. 

Healing Power of the Terrain

In “Life Over Cancer,” Dr. Block details “the healing power of the terrain.” It is, in fact, an integral part of the Life Over Cancer program. As he explains in the book, the importance of a patient’s biochemical environment (their terrain) was something that he’d begun thinking about as a medical student. 

He was carrying petri dishes of cancer cells back and forth between labs, reminded by professors that he had to move very quickly or the cells would die before they made it to their destination. Initially, this was quite confusing. How could these cells, with their fearsome reputation, seemingly be so fragile? It was then he instinctively came to understand that the terrain – the environment the cancer cells reside in – could either promote cancer, or help quash cancer. It is also why targeting only the tumor isn’t enough to overcome cancer. Conventional cancer therapies almost always leave behind at least a small number of malignant cells. That’s why patients have to do everything possible to keep those cells – whether it’s one, or one thousand or one million – from proliferating and spreading. 

A patient’s internal biochemical environment plays an integral role in determining whether a tumor will regain its foothold following treatment, metastasizing to distant sites, or whether it will stay where it is without posing any threat. It can also help prevent unpleasant, and even potentially life-threatening, complications. In addition, a biochemical terrain hostile to cancer will improve a patient’s quality of life! At the Block Center, each patient undergoes detailed assessments to identify disruptions in six defining features of their biochemical terrain. Cancer thrives on each of these, and the Life Over Cancer program is designed to address each one: Oxidation, Inflammation, Immunity, Blood Coagulation, Glycemia and Stress Chemistry and Biorhythms. 

Over the next several days, we’ll take a look at each of these. Please note that due to limited space, the information here is general and a broad overview. Additional information can be found in Life Over Cancer.

For more information on The Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment, visit BlockMD.com.

Ask Dr. Block: Tips for Early Stage Triple Negative Breast Cancer Survivors

Would you share integrative tips for early stage triple negative breast cancer survivors who are now NED?

Dr. Keith Block

There is a lot we still don’t know about triple negative breast cancer patients and what diet and lifestyle might contribute to their well-being. However, there are some intriguing clues to processes that might be going on that could be modified by lifestyle and supplementation. Genetic analyses of these cancers have shown that genes related to elevated inflammation and angiogenesis are over-activated in many patients with triple negative disease. Further, it appears that metabolic syndrome may be more common in triple negative patients than in patients with other breast cancer types. 

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, and other metabolic abnormalities. It is also associated with high levels of internal inflammation. These findings argue for an assessment for metabolic syndrome characteristics with your physician. You should also have a terrain assessment to determine whether inflammation or glycemia (abnormal blood glucose or insulin levels) are a problem for you, or whether there might be other imbalanced terrain factors in your case. Especially if you find abnormal levels of inflammation or glycemia, a comprehensive lifestyle intervention is in order. You should be eating a diet high in vegetables and fruits (note that some berries have angiogenesis-inhibiting properties), as well as healthful plant proteins and fish. Avoiding refined grains and sugars is crucial; whole, unrefined grains are much healthier for you. Healthful oils such as olive oil and omega-3 rich oils and nuts should be included in your diet. A committed exercise program including aerobic, strength and flexibility emphases is needed, and may help with weight control if you are not at a healthy weight. Supplementation with herbs and other supplements targeted to terrain abnormalities may help in counteracting the effects of any possibly overactive inflammatory and glycemia-related genes. Block Center staff can help you with developing a full program, and you can also look for advice in implementing this strategy in my book, Life Over Cancer.

5 Common Cancer Beliefs - Fact or Fiction?

There’s a lot of information about cancer prevention and cancer treatment available on the internet. Sometimes it’s hard to tell what's fact or fiction.

Here we're addressing five common cancer beliefs - and shedding light on which are true, which are false, and which need a little more explanation.

1. If you’re trying to lose weight, lose the fat in your diet! Cutting all fat will speed weight loss and is a healthy way to lose weight.

Fiction. While you’ll lose weight if you cut out any calorie-rich group of foods (and fats have more calories per gram than either protein or carbohydrates), completely eliminating fat from your diet is a bad idea! Besides providing important calories for the energy you need to do your daily activities, fats provide essential fatty acids critical to many biological processes. Additionally, good fats line the membranes of cells, helping them provide much needed anti-inflammatory activity. Fats are also important for absorbing essential nutrients like fat-soluble vitamins. For a healthy diet, be sure to eliminate unnatural fats, called trans fat, found abundantly in margarine, hydrogenated oils, as well as many baked goods, processed and convenience foods In addition, reduce or eliminate saturated fats found in milk, cheese, butter, red meat, pork and poultry. 

5 Tips to Boost your Immune System

As you are probably aware, this year’s flu season struck early and with a vengeance. And every news source is reporting on it in some way, shape or form.

But for patients whose immune function is compromised from chemotherapy, avoiding the flu is more than just a catchy headline -- it’s a necessity. This is because patients undergoing treatment for cancer are more vulnerable to complications like pneumonia if they do get the flu.

In Life Over Cancer, Dr. Block details his recommendations for an immune support program. At the foundation of this self-care program is, of course, the Life Over Cancer diet. Here are a few additional recommendations that can help support immune function all year long: