The stress and cancer connection is something the conventional model never talks about, but we will as there is strong evidence that links them together.
Last week we talked about the broad aspects of stress and the cancer connection. Today, we wanted to go more into detail as stress is physiologic. The evidence clearly shows on a consistent basis of how stress response impacts cancer.
Insights from An Oasis of Healing is where we hold weekly meetings and discuss relevant cancer-related topics. We explain how our alternative cancer care program helps our patients overall healing. You can learn directly from an experienced medical doctor who consistently informs us of pertinent insights, research, and results in healing from cancer.
Keynotes from our 9th Plan of Care Meeting – Stress And Cancer Connection
Let’s first start with our genetics. The evidence shows us from the studies conducted on cortisol which includes epinephrine and norepinephrine, is that it actually hypomethylates our DNA. What does that mean for us?
One carbon and three hydrogens make up a methyl group. When a methyl group binds to specific areas on our DNA or what’s called a histone tail, the result is our DNA will coil tight.
When the DNA coils tight, certain mechanisms can’t encode protein out of it as it is wound up so tight. The hypomethylation is what causes it to be wound tight. The two mechanisms it will affect are the histone tails and the CpG island.
This is important because everybody walks around talking about the MTHFR which stands for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. MTHFR is getting at methylation. It is easily overcome by just getting more methyl groups.
And, how is that done? This can be accomplished with eating green leafy vegetables. What we are discussing is how stress response or cortisol can close up the DNA.
Listen in as Dr. Nathan Goodyear discusses the Stress and Cancer Connection
This can be good news if an oncogene is being dealt with. If the DNA is closed up and can’t be encoded that is a good thing. In this particular case, we’re referencing tumor suppressor genes and the most popular one is the BRCA gene.
People are obsessed with the BRCA gene What is it? BRCA is a tumor suppressor gene. When stress is involved it’s going to coil up the promoter region on the DNA of BRCA1.
This makes it impossible to get the needed materials into that DNA to then encode that BRCA tumor suppression gene. Every woman that has ovarian cancer, breast cancer or pancreatic cancer that is being tested for BRCA should have their stress response tested.
Why should people have their stress response tested? Without this test, there is no way to change the expression when you don’t know what the stress response is doing.
The concept that our genetics is set and can’t be influenced is lacking evidence. DNA can be worked with and influenced. We have to have the full picture and what is going on to be able to make a positive impact.
Watch the video above for Dr. Nathan Goodyear’s full explanation on this important topic of the stress and cancer connection. Reach out to us today if you or a family member or loved one is dealing with cancer, we can help.
Dr. Nathan Goodyear is dedicated to disease prevention, disease resolution, and the Wellness Lifestyle through a solution-based, Integrative Medicine approach founded in science. Dr. Goodyear received his Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana Tech University and his Doctor of Medicine from LSU Health Sciences Center.
He is Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and served as the Chief Resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Goodyear has practiced Integrative Medicine since 2006. Dr. Goodyear is a Fellow in Functional and Regenerative Medicine and served on the board of the American Functional Medicine Association. Dr. Goodyear is a published author, Man Boob Nation–an Integrative medicine approach to low Testosterone published in 2014, and Total Testosterone Transformation published in 2017