Posted by Seminal Wellness Team on 7/1/2024 to
News
Acute. Chronic. Terminal. Just these three words can inflict fatal blows. When you hear those words in a diagnosis, you not only doubt if you have the resources for this challenge; you also wonder if you have the time to fight. With the research we've conducted, and data from customers, we now know that diagnosis is never a death sentence. Whether at the early stages or in Stage IV, you can take decisive measures to take control of your health and steer toward a robust, and enduring, recovery. Through analyzing types of cell damage and mutations; causes of cell damage; consequences of cell dysfunction; means of prevention; and organic methods of repair, we'll discuss how to set your body on continuous rebuild in this final installment of our three-part "Take Control" series.
Types of Cell Damage and Mutations
There are a variety of forms of cell damage. Six include:
- Membrane damage: Reactive oxygen species (ROS)—highly reactive molecules that contain oxygen and unpaired electrons, formed from diatomic oxygen, which can have beneficial and harmful effects—can damage organelle membranes, including lipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, like membrane phospholipids.
- DNA and protein damage: DNA damage can result in an increase in ROS levels, which can lead to double-stranded breaks in DNA. ROS can oxidize (the loss of electrons during a reaction by a molecule, atom or ion) proteins.
- Increase of ROS: Excess ROS can impair cellular lipids, proteins, or DNA, thereby inhibiting signal transduction pathways and normal cellular functions.
- Entry of Ca2+: Many physiological processes are incumbent upon calcium ion (Ca2+) homeostasis, with dysregulation in the proteins and molecules that control Ca2+ levels being a hallmark of cancer.
- Mitochondrial damage: Mitochondrial dysfunction—imbalances in the mitochondria, or powerhouse of the cell, instrumental in energy metabolism, redox balance, and apoptosis (programmed, natural cell death)—is a recognized sign of cancer and can contribute to cancer metastasis, or spread, at multiple stages.
- ATP depletion: Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion can be a weapon for targeting and destroying cancer cells. However, mitochondrial damage or dysfunction can lead to disrupted autophagy—rather than cell waste being eliminated, it is actually accumulated, heartening cancer cells and promoting their progression—or necrosis—passive, accidental, and frequently insidious, cell and tissue death. An ATP depletion rate outside the 15-25% band can lead to physiological disruptions, with detrimental impacts.
(Handa et al., 2016; Yang, Kim, & Kim, 2023; Zheng et al., 2022)
Mutations generally fall into three categories:
- Inherited: Also termed germline mutations, these happen when a fault is present in the genes of an egg or sperm cell at contraception. These faults are then copied into every body cell, and can be passed on through generations.
- Acquired: Also known as somatic mutations, are the primary causes of cancers, and are caused by random mistakes in DNA as cells multiply, or by environmental conditions such as cigarette smoke, UV radiation, or the human papillomavirus (HPV).
- Age-related: These mutations can develop over time as genes degenerate or expire over time.
(National Cancer Institute, 2022)
Many mutations must occur in different to cause cancer. Some of these types of mutations include:
- Missense mutation—Also known as a nonsynonymous mutation, this is a point mutation which occurs when a DNA base pair is changed, causing a different amino acid being encoded. The protein's ability to retain its function is dependent on the new amino acid's location and chemistry.
- Frameshift mutation—This happens when a DNA sequence has an insertion or deletion of nucleotides that isn't a multiple of 3 (8, 10, 14, etc.). The latter anomaly can change the reading frame, resulting in a different translation and amino-acid sequence. The earlier in the sequence the mutation happens, the more altered the protein will become. Frameshift mutations can lead to shorter or longer proteins, which are frequently nonfunctional. Insertions or deletions can instigate frameshift mutations, and are factors in severe genetic conditions like Tay-Sachs disease.
- Nonsense mutation—Like a missense mutation, a nonsense mutation also entails a single alteration to the DNA base pair. However, in a nonsense mutation, this single change yields production of a stop codon, which terminates protein synthesis prematurely. A shortened protein may or may not function.
- Chromosome rearrangements—A chromosomal rearrangement means that pieces of chromosome are missing; replicated (resulting in unnecessary copies that can lead to buildup or bottlenecks); or disarrayed (moved around and out of sequence). Some have no effect, some cause immediate death, and others lie somewhere on that continuum.
- DNA methylation—Specifically, a chemical group is attached to the DNA, deactivating the gene's ability to create a protein
(Campbell, 2022; University of Utah, n.d.)
Specifically, mutations in oncogenes—a heterogeneous group of genes whose protein products can affect multiple complex regulatory cascades within the cell, frequently transforming a healthy cell into a tumor cell—and tumor-suppressor genes, are the chief causes of cancerous growth. Mutations in oncogenes not only give rise to cancer tells, they can also trigger rampant spread. Mutations in tumor-suppressor genes often result in protein-truncating (or protein-shortening) alterations that result in gene function. It's important to note that some mutations can be protective against disease, as in the case of Alzheimer's disease (the Christchurch mutation) or regarding heart disease and certain cancers (the Laron mutation) (Domínguez, 2024); however, the body must be healthy to leverage these protective variants and exploit their defensive potencies.
Cell damage and mutations, in many cases, can be redressed through prevention strategies that will be explored below.
Causes of Cell Damage
Diseases—including chronic inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and cancer—external injuries; toxins; and certain treatments, including radiation and chemotherapy, can also lead to cell injury and death. Some cell damage is congenital, present from birth; due to in-vitro trauma (accident or injury sustained by the mother during pregnancy); or inheritance. Aging can also lead to cell damage. The key is minimizing the damage, or reducing the risk of cell dysfunction, by moderating controllable factors, namely diet, exercise, and exposure (to dangerous chemicals and pollutants).
Consequences of Cell Dysfunction
Three chief results of cell decay and dysfunction include:
- Cancer: Necrosis and cellular dysfunction can result in disrupted autophagy and mitochondrial damage, as mentioned above, leading to cancerous growths in organs and blood cancers, such as leukemia.
- Autoimmune conditions: Lupus, celiac disease, hemolytic anemia, type-1 diabetes, and MS are just some of the autoimmune disorders that could result from cellular damage or dysfunction. The immune system attacking healthy cells and tissues, leading to damage in the skin, joints, blood vessels and organs; damage to the small intestine upon ingestion of gluten; antibodies binding to platelets, causing cell death; the immune system destroying cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, resulting in a lack of insulin and physiological dysregulation; and immune response against the body's own tissues, damaging the myelin (tissues, surrounding the brain and spinal cord, that facilitate neuronal communication) are ways cell dysfunction triggers each of the above autoimmune disorders, respectively.
- Neurodegeneration: Conditions such as ALS, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease, among other dementias, are brought on by: 1) neurodegeneration, the accelerated degeneration of nerve cells or 2) insufficiencies in neuronal regeneration and repair, preventing optimized functioning. Neurochemical disruptions can manifest as challenges with memory, problems with muscular coordination, limb dysfunction and cognitive underperformance.
Cell dysfunction may also cause NETosis [a condition inciting the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps or NETS, consisting of modified chromatin (a complex of DNA that packages long molecules into more compact structures for optimized functioning) peppered with bactericidal proteins from granules and cytoplasm, which can be triggered by certain pathogens, antibody and immune complexes, cytokines, microcrystals and other physiological stimuli], which likely contributes to inflammation that precipitates a host of autoimmune disorders] (Vorobjeva & Chernyak, 2020). Guarding against necrosis and optimizing the sequence of cell regeneration are essential to maintaining the body's vitality.
Means of Prevention
Though environmental threats are lurking nearly everywhere, measures you can take, daily, to prevent disease are below:- Making water-rich vegetables dietary staples: Vegetables—especially those with high water content (cucumbers watermelon, etc.)—help to eliminate toxins and facilitate transport of vital nutrients to cells, quickening their repair and regeneration, keys in defending against deterioration.
- Routine cardio exercises: Engaging regularly in cardio exercises like walking, running, and aerobics optimizes blood flow and heart rate, ensuring cells are properly nourished, with the fuel needed to maximize functioning, and stave off pathogens that cause disease. Please see "Cardio" for more information on exercises that build cardiovascular performance.
- Positive, decisive thinking: Aside from proper diet and exercise, it's critical to have a constantly optimistic and determined mindset for overcoming challenges. A positive, decisive mindset—typified by earnestly planning for goal-achievement and believing objectives will be fulfilled—can strengthen resilience and immunity.
For other simple steps you can take to maximize your health, please see "Health in Your Hands," this series' first installment. Hyperglycemia, or too much sugar in the blood, may actually lead to excessive necrosis (Shen, Shao, & Li, 2023); so, a diet of unprocessed foods would promote cell resilience and optimize cell generation. These nutritious approaches are so potent because they promote cell renewal and expedite the cell-regeneration process. For additional information on the curative power of cell regeneration, please see "Cancer Cure: Recharge."
Organic Methods of Repair
Nevertheless, even with the most conscientious lifestyle, there will still be health challenges, whether they're brief or long-term. No matter your condition or level of severity, the following approaches will hasten and promote recovery:
- Regular detox: Daily detoxification—through proper hydration and intake of unprocessed, high-fiber foods—including fruits and vegetables, rids the body of wastes and toxins that can exacerbate symptoms or lengthen the duration of illness. PotenSeed Heart-Health Detox and Poten-C, specially formulated for cancer patients, can serve as your daily detox supplements.
- Strength and resilience exercises: You want to optimize your circulation through cardio; but, it's just as important to build your strength and ability to maintain your energy levels for longer periods. Strength-training exercises—like weightlifting or planks—or endurance exercises—like jumping rope or long-distance running—are ideal for building your fortitude. Please see "Resistance/Strength Training" for more ideas on strength and endurance exercises. Ential Ential: Tissue Rebuild and Quickened Recovery can help you refuel after a workout.
- Deep breathing: Not only can deep breathing keep you calm and instill a sense of balance, it can also optimize your oxygen intake, literally giving your cells, tissues, and organs the air they need to maximize function. For the benefits of holotropic breathwork, deep breathing that keeps you especially centered, please see, Just Breathe. Deep breathing can also help you focus and strategize for high-stakes situations, ambitious goals, and demanding challenges, like a chronic-disease diagnosis. No matter what you need to take on, or the moment that must be met, first take a deep breath. Then respond.
- Request to be Guided: Take a moment and, humbly, request to be Guided. You'll get the answer. You'll come across an article that features the treatment you need; you'll encounter the person who will unlock the perfect opportunity; in that moment, your body will begin recalibrating and rebuilding, readying for recovery; etc. Taking a beat, and requesting for Guidance, works for any challenge. You don't know how it will happen, but know it will. Just stay open.
It bears emphasizing that diet is key, with whole foods (those that have minimal or no refinement)—promoting energy, immunity, and well-being—being the centerpiece. In controlling what goes in your body, you can better manage the threats without. For additional details on bridging mental, emotional, and physical strategies toward durable strength and resilience, please see "Meditative Practice," the second installment of this series.
Using organic, homeopathic approaches alongside allopathic (treatment of disease through conventional techniques) strategies—particularly, surgical resection and immunotherapy—may be the most effective, depending on the level of severity and disease stage. Please explore all possible strategies, and consult with trusted medical professionals, when determining the best treatment method for your condition. For information on treatment strategies, across approaches, please see the "Treatments" section under Cancer Strategies.
In pursuing a pro-growth, pro-health lifestyle and implementing whole-body therapeutic strategies, you can substantially manage symptoms and may even cure conditions, regardless of severity. Health has no expiration date. And, progress never had an off switch. References
Bertheloot, D., Latz, E., & Franklin, B.S. (2021). Necroptosis, pyroptosis and apoptosis: An intricate game of cell death. Cellular & Molecular Immunology, 18(2021), 1106-1121. https://doi.org/10.1038/s411423-020-00630-3
Bu, G. (2022). APOE targeting strategy in Alzheimer's Disease: Lessons learned from protective variants. Molecular Degeneration, 17(2022), 51. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13024-022-00556-6
Campbell, M. (2022). Missense, nonsense, and frameshift mutations: A genetic guide. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/how-cancer-starts
Canadian Cancer Society. (n.d.). Genetic changes and cancer risk. https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/what-is-cancer/genes-and-cancer/genetic-changes-and-cancer-risk
Cancer Research UK. (2022). Homeopathy and cancer. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/complementary-alternative-therapies/individual-therapies/homeopathy
Cleveland Clinic. (2023). Remission in cancer. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24673-cancer-remission
Domínguez, N. (2024). The enigma of the rare mutation that protects against cancer and heart attacks. https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2024-04-29/the-enigma-of-the-rare-genetic-mutation-that-protects-against-cancer-and-heart-attacks.html
Fink, S.L. & Cookson, B.T. (2005). Apoptosis, pyroptosis, and necrosis: Mechanistic description of dead and dying eukaryotic cells. Infection and Immunity, 73(4), 1907-1916. doi: 10.1128/IAI.73.4.1907-1916.2005
Handa, N., Bhardwaj, R., Kaur, H., Poonam, Kapoor, D., Rattan, A., Kaur, S., Thukral, A.K., Kaur, S., Arora, S., & Kapoor, N. (2016). Chapter 7—Selenium: An antioxidative protectant in plants under stress. In P. Ahmad's (ed.) Plant Metal Interaction Emerging Remediation Techniques (179-207). Elsevier Science. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128031582000072
Hewings-Martin, Y. (2017). Cell death: Is our health at risk? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318927
National Cancer Institute. (2022). The genetics of cancer. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics
Science Direct. (2024). Cell damage. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/cell-damage
Shen, S., Shao, Y., & Li, C. (2023). Different types of cell death and their shift in shaping disease. Cell Death Discovery, 9(2023), 284. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-023-01581-0
University of Utah. (n.d.). Chromosomal rearrangements. https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/disorders/rearrangements
Vorobjeva, N.V. & Chernyak, B.V. (2020). NETosis: Molecular mechanisms, role in physiology and pathology. Biochemistry (Moscow), 85(10), 1178-1190. doi: 10.1134/S0006297920100065
Yang, J., Kim, W., & Kim, D.R. (2023). Autophagy in cell survival and death. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(5), 4744. doi: 10.3390/ijms24054744
Zheng, S., Wang, X., Zhao, D., Liu, H., & Hu, Y. (2022). Calcium homeostasis and cancer: Insights from endoplasmic reticulum-centered organelle communications. Trends in Cell Biology, 33(4), 312-323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2022.07.004
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2 Comments
Jarita Richards
Date
7/1/2024
I think I needed this on the first of the month. I have diabetes on my mom's side and cancer (liver) on my dad's side. A healthy lifestyle can help me overcome these?
Seminal Wellness Team
Date
7/1/2024
Thanks for the question Jarita. Though heredity is a major driver of disease risk, including for diabetes and cancer (across forms), lifestyle is a moderating factor of significant influence. A member of our team has diabetes on both sides of her family, and has never even been pre-diabetic, because she relentlessly avoids refined sugar and exercises daily (the biggest health nut you'll find). Yes, diet and exercise are of critical importance; but, your outlook and perspective, as was emphasized in the post, are pivotal. If you believe--no, you know--that genetics do not have to be your destiny; a "winning" mindset fuels strength and resilience; and, you have the agency to rebuild your body, even ameliorating mutations or similar deficiencies, you can combat, conquer, health risks. History need not be your story. Thanks again for the question.
Denis A.
Date
7/10/2024
How long will it take for the organic strategies to work?
Seminal Wellness Team
Date
7/10/2024
Thanks for the question Denis. With the reflective and holotropic-breathing exercises, you can experience psychological changes instantly, laying the firm foundation for recovery. Even with the lifestyle changes--particularly regarding diet and exercise--whose impacts are more gradual, impacts are being made, internally, from that first wholesome smoothie, bike ride, or detox. Measurable or significant changes--that will be readily seen in bloodwork, MRIs, and similar evaluations--will generally observed in a month, even with severe conditions or in cases of marked progression. Asking for Guidance, throughout the day, and giving thanks for the help you have been, and already are, receiving, will place you on the path to recovery; keep you firmly on it; and expedite outcomes. Know that you are deserving of recovery and are already improving. Staying open to the Guidance is the best remedy. Thanks again for the question.