As you probably know, gut health is my jam. The gut is the epicenter of health.
Every single time someone goes through my 23-day program, I watch their life transform before my eyes. And it’s amazing. So I was not surprised when I found out there that may be a very important link between gut health and cancer.
Before I go on, let me get clear here: Cancer is an incredibly heavy and complex topic. I have seen loved ones go through it, and chances are, you have too. By no means am I trying to come off as insensitive and/or make this seem like a simple, easy-to-prevent disease.
The gut microbiome is home to trillions of bacteria. These microbes perform a variety of functions that are essential to our health, like maintaining the inner lining of the intestines, helping us properly assimilate nutrients, and protecting against pathogens. They also play a key role in the proper functioning of the immune system (did you know that 70% of the immune system, you know, the system that helps us fight all disease, is actually located in the gut?!). A disruption in the balance of these bacteria can result in a wide range of health problems, like allergies, IBS, skin conditions, cardiovascular diseases, ulcers, etc. The list goes on and on. THIS is why I focus on gut health – it affects almost everything.
The relation between gut microbes and cancer is just beginning to be explored scientifically. Researchers estimate that there are hundreds, and possibly thousands, different types of microbes in the gut. Some are known to promote cell proliferation (the balance between cell divisions and cell loss through cell death or differentiation resulting in an increase of the number of cells; cell proliferation is increased in tumours), while others appear to protect against cancerous growth.
Diets rich in fiber (my fave!) are known to protect against colon cancer, and a study found that such diets achieve these benefits, in part, by altering the relative amounts of various microorganisms in the digestive tract.
While many questions about the microbe-cancer link remain unresolved, investigators suspect that part of the answer lies in microbes’ ability to raise or lower the level of inflammation in the gut and to train immune cells to be on the lookout for cancer. Chronic inflammation is a risk factor for cancer.
Even more recently, investigators found associations between the diversity and composition of microbial communities and patients’ response to immunotherapy in multiple types of cancer. Some microbes activate inflammatory responses and disrupt the body’s ability to protect from outside invaders, creating an environment that supports tumour growth. In other cases, they promote cancer survival by making cells resistant to anticancer drugs. AKA, the state of our gut health may help or hurt us when it comes to how our bodies respond to cancer therapy. Pretty. Freaking. Important. Stuff.
There is still a lot of research and testing that needs to be done before we know exactly how to influence our gut microbes to better protect us from the risks of cancer. But, why not start eating for your gut microbiome today? Even if it isn’t a cure-all to cancer, it’s almost guaranteed to leave you with more energy, better sleep, clearer skin, better digestion, decreased inflammation, and maybe even weight loss.
On top on eating right for your microbiome today, try adding more of these cancer-fighting foods into your diet.
- Green tea – try this creamy matcha latte asap
- Lemons
- Berries
- Onion
- Green leafy vegetables
- Turmeric
- Artichoke
- Garlic
- Tomato
- Olive oil
- Dark chocolate
- Oregano
- Ginger
- Cauliflower
- Avocado
- Nuts + seeds
- Broccoli, and especially broccoli sprouts!
- Mushrooms
Do you include these foods into your daily diet? If so, how? Share with us below, and tag us in all of your beautiful cancer-fighting creations! @hannahaylwardhhc
