Health for life

Since ancient times, ginger has a long tradition of being very effective in alleviating symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. Modern scientific research has revealed that ginger possesses numerous therapeutic properties including antioxidant effects, an ability to inhibit the formation of inflammatory compounds, and direct anti-inflammatory effects.

The result of a new body of research published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research demonstrates the specific anti-inflammatory action of the spice on the colon. Health-minded individuals will want to include ginger as part of their regular diet, or include an organically harvested supplement to dramatically lower inflammatory risk markers for colon cancer.

Dr. Suzanna Zick, a research assistant professor at the University of Michigan Medical School and her team assembled 30 patient participants to conduct the study. Each was provided with two grams of ginger root supplements per day or a placebo for a period of 28 days. After the test timeframe, researchers measured standard levels of colon inflammation and found statistically significant reductions in most of these markers. They also found trends toward significant reductions in a number of other colon cancer biomarkers.

A critical inflammation marker in the colon is known to be PGE2, a naturally occurring prostaglandin also called dinoprostone. PGE2 is the prostaglandin that ultimately induces fever, and is theore an important marker researcher’s monitor to determine inflammatory levels in the body. Inflammation has been implicated in prior studies as a precursor to colon cancer, and ginger root supplementation effectively lowers blood levels of the prostaglandin to reduce colon cancer risk.

Dr. Zick is a Naturopathic Doctor developing plant and naturally occurring compounds that specifically promote health without the need for deadly pharmaceutical interventions. She noted on the research findings, "We need to apply the same rigor to the sorts of questions about the effect of ginger root that we apply to other clinical trial research." Dr. Zick concluded. "Interest in this is only going to increase as people look for ways to prevent cancer that are nontoxic, and improve their quality of life in a cost-effective way."

Ginger is a spice that has been used for centuries both for its distinctive flavor and medicinal properties as well. Researchers from this study used supplements (2 grams per day) to achieve the inflammatory-reduction results. Most health-conscious people will want to use a lower recommended supplemental dose of 250 mg per day to lower inflammatory risk factors that promote colon cancer.

Infection from bacterial and viral agents can pose a significant threat to human health, as it fuels the flames of systemic inflammation known to contribute to cancer, heart disease, dementia, diabetes and stroke. Many lifestyle factors, including diet, stress and exposure to environmental and household toxins contribute to elevated levels of inflammation throughout the body that never subside, creating a cellular environment that is favorable to disease propagation. Fortunately there are a number of natural compounds and nutrients that help combat inflammation and lower risk of infection and chronic disease.

A research team from Ohio State University has released the result of a study revealing how zinchelps control infections by gently tapping the brakes on the immune response in a way that prevents out of control inflammation that can be damaging and even deadly. Working with human cell cultures, the scientists have demonstrated how a specific protein ushers zinc into key cells that stimulate a critical immune response to fight against infection. The mineral interacts with a cellular process that neutralizes infection and helps balance the normal immune response.

Scientists present groundbreaking work that demonstrates for the first time how zinc disables an important pathway to effectively ensure that the immune response does not spiral out of control in response to an infection, and similarly to perpetually elevated levels of inflammation erred to as systemic. Senior study author, Dr. Daren Knoell commented “Without zinc on board to begin with, it could increase vulnerability to infection… our work is focused on what happens once you get an infection… if you are deficient in zinc you are at a disadvantage because your defense system is amplified, and inappropriately so.”

Monocytes, which are white blood cells that provide the first line of defense against an invading pathogen, were extracted from human blood samples to determine what happens when the immune response is launched. Researchers found that when a pathogen is detected, a series of complex responses occur to wake the innate immune response utilizing the nuclear-factor kappa beta pathway (NF-kB). The team showed that once NF-kB is activated, a gene is expressed that allows zinc to be ushered from the bloodstream into the cell where it can bind with proteins that block the activity of the pathogen and halt excess inflammation.

Dr. Knoell concluded“We believe that our findings help to narrow an important gap that has existed in our understanding of how this relatively simple metal helps us defend ourselves from infection.” Zinc deficiency affects two billion people around the world, representing an estimated forty percent of the elderly in the US, and helps to explain why our aging population is unable to fight the most common infections. Dietary sources of zinc include beans, nuts, some shellfish, whole grains, fortified cereals and dairy products. Health-minded individuals may want to avoid meat, dairy and grain sources and supplement with 15 to 25 mg per day to fight infection and systemic inflammation.

A diagnosis of cancer, especially the most prevalent form of brain cancer known as glioblastoma can be devastating, with a dismal prognosis for this particularly fast moving form of the disease. Many cancerlines develop and progress due to a decline in immune function, allowing single cancer cells to form groups that eventually break apart and metastasize to different organs in the body. T-cells (composed of white blood cell neutrophils) are responsible for destroying aberrant tumor cells before they have the opportunity to develop.

Immune response declines as we age, in large part due to excess sugar consumption, systemic inflammation and poor cellular oxygenation. Researchers publishing in the journalClinical Cancer Research have found that natural arginine supplementation may reactivate cancer-fighting T-cells in glioblastoma patients, allowing reactivation of the immune system to fight cancer progression.

White blood cell components known as neutrophils are an ancient and nonspecific type of immune cell that neutralizes invading bacteria and viruses. Neutrophils respond to inflammation throughout the body and effectively provide a powerful immune response to knock out the pathogen. In response to overweight and obesity from poor diet and lifestyle choices, a low-level state of inflammation develops and persists for months and years.

Neutrophils become desensitized to the persistent systemic inflammation and become less responsive to disease-causing agents. Cancer cells thrive in an inflamed cellular environment and if left unchecked, lead to the destruction of healthy tissue and tumor formation. Neutrophils stop the immune response by secreting an enzyme called arginase. After they secrete arginase, commonly they die and are excreted by the body. Researchers have found that patients with glioblastoma do not exhibit the normal neutrophil-mediated immune response and cancer cells grow and spread unabated.

Scientists from the University of Colorado Cancer Center found T-cells are critically dependent on arginine for activation and function. They were able to determine immune system response is not dependent on an increase in arginase, but rather the resulting lack of arginine that suppresses the immune system. The researchers concludedgroup “that persistent arginase production from neutrophils suppresses the immune system and keeps cancers from becoming immune targets.”

Arginine is a well researched natural compound largely associated with lowering blood pressure and cardiovascular health. The result of past research demonstrates that arginine is a precursor to the production of friendly nitric oxide and supports blood vessel relaxation to effectively lower out of range blood pressure readings in at-risk individuals. Cancer prevention can now be added to the list of chronic conditions that benefit from regular arginine supplementation (experts recommend 500 to 1,000 mg per day in healthy adults, based on body weight).